At a Glance
A century-old Catholic college-prep where small classes and a whole-person mission shape teens inside a Manhattan landmark neighborhood
Best suited for
Families — Catholic or otherwise — seeking a small, faith-rooted, college-preparatory high school where teachers genuinely know their students, and who value an intimate West Village setting over the broader course catalogs of larger Manhattan schools.
What stands out
- Founded in 1912, giving the school over a century of continuous Catholic educational tradition in the West Village.
- A 9.5:1 student-teacher ratio is small for a New York City private high school, supporting the family-like faculty-student relationships the school emphasizes.
- Tuition sits at $21,500 — notably below the typical Manhattan private high school, which often runs $50,000 or more.
- An affiliation with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History brings a distinctive academic partnership for history coursework unusual among Catholic high schools.
- Accredited by the International Coalition of Girls' Schools alongside NAIS, NYSAIS, and Middle States — a distinctive combination reflecting a strong tradition in girls' education.
Things to consider
- Even at the lower-than-average price point, $21,500 is a meaningful annual commitment — financial aid availability is not specified in the data.
- At 284 students, the school offers a tighter course catalog and fewer extracurriculars than larger NYC private high schools.
- The school serves grades 9–12 only, so families with younger children will need a separate K–8 plan.
- As a Catholic school, families should be comfortable with a faith-based component woven into the curriculum and community life.
Identity
Founded in 1912, Notre Dame School is a Catholic college-preparatory high school serving grades 9 through 12 with a mission of educating mind, body, and spirit together. The school describes close, family-like relationships between students and faculty as central to its identity. It operates as a coeducational institution grounded in the Roman Catholic tradition.
Community
Notre Dame's student body is meaningfully more diverse than many Manhattan private schools — about a quarter white, with substantial Asian (19%), Hispanic (15.5%), and Black (8.5%) populations and a diversity index of 0.71. With under 300 students across four high school grades, the community feels small and personal. The $21,500 tuition, modest by Manhattan private school standards, opens the door to a broader cross-section of NYC families.
Neighborhood
The West Village is a low-rise, brownstone-lined neighborhood on the western edge of Greenwich Village — historically bohemian and now among Manhattan's most expensive zip codes, with a median household income above $150,000 and 84% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. The area's quiet, almost village-like residential feel contrasts with the bustle of neighboring Chelsea and the Meatpacking District just to the north. Catholic families have deep roots in this part of Manhattan, which gives a school like Notre Dame a natural geographic fit.
The school is exceptionally well-served by transit — the L at 8th Avenue is about a 2-minute walk, the A/C/E at 14th Street about 4 minutes, and the 1/2/3 at 14th Street about 6 minutes.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Parents describe academics as challenging with hard-working teachers who know each girl; positive about diverse student body, reasonable tuition compared to competitors, excellent communication, and strong community feel; some concerns noted about student behavior and administration in older reviews
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is NOTRE DAME SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for NOTRE DAME SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in West Village.
- What grades does NOTRE DAME SCHOOL serve?
- NOTRE DAME SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into NOTRE DAME SCHOOL?
- NOTRE DAME SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is NOTRE DAME SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- NOTRE DAME SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is NOTRE DAME SCHOOL in?
- NOTRE DAME SCHOOL is in West Village, Manhattan.