At a Glance
An Orthodox girls' high school built on Torah, text, and a remarkably small student-teacher ratio.
Best suited for
An Orthodox Jewish family looking for an all-girls high school with serious academics, individualized attention, and a values-driven community on the Upper East Side.
What stands out
- A 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio is unusually low for a high school, meaning every student gets meaningful individual faculty attention.
- Science communication programs — a Science Journal, Science Currents series, and the MHS Science Podcast — are distinctive offerings for an Orthodox girls' school.
- Peer Tutoring is built into the school's offerings, reflecting both academic ambition and a culture of community reciprocity among students.
- The Literary & Art Journal gives students a publication platform for creative work alongside their rigorous academic program.
- Tuition sits at a flat $25,000 for 2025-26, modest by Manhattan private school standards and accessible relative to peer institutions.
Things to consider
- Parents report a heavy workload — 5 to 6 hours of homework nightly — so time management and resilience are part of the deal.
- It is an all-girls Orthodox environment; families should be comfortable with single-sex education and Halachic observance.
- The student body is demographically homogeneous, so families seeking meaningful racial or cultural diversity may want to weigh that.
- Admissions are rolling rather than tied to a single deadline, which offers flexibility but means spots can fill unpredictably.
- This is a religious school first — secular families who don't share its Orthodox orientation may find the fit uncomfortable.
Identity
Manhattan High School for Girls is an Orthodox Jewish all-girls high school serving grades 9 through 12, founded on a three-pillar philosophy of spiritual, intellectual, and social development. Students study within a Halachic framework with a deep emphasis on Torah, textual comprehension, and Jewish heritage. The school is accredited by the National Society of Hebrew Day Schools and Agudath Israel of America.
Community
The student body is small — 218 students spread across four grades — and demographically homogeneous, with the school's reported demographics showing a single-race profile. Community is shaped by shared Orthodox values, peer-led academic support, and close faculty-student relationships. Parents describe a warm, supportive environment where students feel safe and personally known by their teachers.
Neighborhood
The school sits in the Carnegie Hill portion of the Upper East Side, an affluent stretch of Manhattan where census data shows a median household income around $198,000, 84% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher, and a 5.2% poverty rate. The blocks around the school are lined with stately prewar buildings and institutions that have anchored this part of the city for generations. The neighborhood's character — wealthy, well-educated, and family-oriented — tends to complement the school's community.
Getting to school is easy: the 6 train at 68 St-Hunter College is about a 2-minute walk, the Q at 72nd Street roughly 5 minutes, and the M/Q at Lexington Avenue/63rd Street around 7 minutes.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
A 4.6/5-star rating. Parents and students describe teachers as extremely helpful, friendly, and supportive. Noted for high academic standards, wide array of extracurriculars, and warm community. Some concerns about heavy workload (5-6 hours homework nightly). 100% of students feel safe at school.
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill.
- What grades does MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS serve?
- MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS?
- MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS public, charter, or private?
- MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS is a private school.
- What neighborhood is MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS in?
- MANHATTAN HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS is in Upper East Side-Carnegie Hill, Manhattan.