At a Glance
Civil Rights–era progressive education with a Catskills farm and sliding-scale tuition
Best suited for
Families who want their elementary-age child in a small, progressive, mission-driven school that genuinely integrates across race and class — and who are excited, not wary, about social-justice curriculum and serious outdoor learning on the farm.
What stands out
- A 180-acre working farm in the Catskills where students spend extended blocks of time each year — one of the most distinctive outdoor-learning programs of any NYC elementary school.
- Sliding-scale tuition through the Family Financial Commitment Plan, designed to keep the community economically integrated rather than uniformly affluent.
- A progressive, social-justice-centered curriculum rooted in the values of the Civil Rights Movement, with activism and critical thinking built into the daily program.
- An intentionally small community — 259 students with a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio — that allows for real relationships between kids and adults.
- Parent sentiment is unusually strong, with ratings at the top of their scales.
Things to consider
- The school only goes through 5th grade — families will face a middle school transition and should plan for it early.
- Progressive philosophy with explicit social-justice framing is a strong fit for some families and a non-starter for others; this is not a school that hides its values.
- Standard tuition is $38,000–$48,000, though the sliding scale means what a given family actually pays varies substantially.
- The closest subway is the local 6 train; express service on the 4/5 requires a 12-minute walk.
- Admissions are competitive, and the school's mission-driven selectivity means the application process looks at family fit, not just academics.
Identity
Manhattan Country School is a nonsectarian, coeducational elementary school serving PK through 5th grade. Its progressive philosophy emphasizes multiculturalism, social justice, and activism, reflecting the vision of the Civil Rights Movement and an explicit commitment to socioeconomic, racial, and ethnic diversity. The school is small by design, with a 10.4:1 student-teacher ratio across 259 students.
Community
The school's stated mission centers on building a community that is racially, ethnically, and socioeconomically diverse — a commitment backed structurally by sliding-scale tuition through its Family Financial Commitment Plan. Available enrollment data classifies all students under a single Multiracial/Other category rather than breaking out traditional racial groups, which is unusual; what is clear from the data and the mission is that diversity is engineered rather than incidental.
Neighborhood
The school sits at 96th Street, right at the boundary between the Upper East Side and East Harlem. The surrounding census area has a median household income around $44,000 and a poverty rate near 30%, with about 38% of adults holding a bachelor's degree — meaningfully different from the wealthier blocks just to the south. It's a neighborhood context that aligns, intentionally, with the school's mission.
The 96 St 6 train is about a 6-minute walk, with 103 St (6) roughly 9 minutes away and the express 86 St (4/5/6) about 12 minutes on foot — workable for families on the Upper East Side and East Harlem, less convenient from elsewhere in the borough.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Highly positive reviews praise a diverse community, rigorous academics, a farm program, and an inclusive environment; ratings of 4.82 out of 5 and 5 out of 5
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades Pre-K to 5 in East Harlem (South).
- What grades does MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL serve?
- MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL serves grades Pre-K to 5.
- How do students get into MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL?
- MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL in?
- MANHATTAN COUNTRY SCHOOL is in East Harlem (South), Manhattan.