At a Glance
Jesuit, all-boys, and steeped in the Profile of a Graduate tradition
Best suited for
Families — Catholic or not — looking for a Jesuit all-boys secondary education that takes both intellectual rigor and character formation seriously, who want a centrally located school with a strong commute, and whose sons would benefit from a large, tradition-rich environment rather than a small, progressive one.
What stands out
- The Ignatian Scholars Program, a Jesuit-specific academic honors track that signals where the school places its academic priorities
- A formal military science offering, which is unusual for a Jesuit school and speaks to a particular culture of discipline and tradition
- The explicit Profile of a Graduate framework — five measurable character goals threaded through the curriculum, retreat program, and service requirements
- Size: at roughly 1,010 students, Xavier is large enough to sustain deep course catalogs, multiple sports teams, and a wide club ecosystem, including Model UN and a National Honor Society chapter
- A single flat tuition of $26,460, which removes the guesswork from financial planning — families know what they're signing up for
- Location near the F/M, L, and 1 trains means a genuinely short commute from across the city
Things to consider
- • An all-boys environment is a real feature, but families should think about whether it's the right fit for their son — some thrive in this setting, others chafe at it
- • Parent reviews are mixed; while culture, academics, and teachers draw praise, there are recurring concerns about bullying that any applicant family should ask the admissions office about directly
- • A Jesuit Catholic formation program is central to the experience — even non-Catholic families tend to do well here, but the religious component is not optional
- • At 14.2:1 the student-teacher ratio is solid but not unusually small; families seeking a deeply individualized environment should ask how that ratio plays out in the classroom
- • The $26,460 tuition is a single price point — families should check directly with admissions about financial aid availability, which isn't reflected in this figure
- • Being in a busy commercial corridor rather than a residential campus means the school feels urban, not suburban — a plus for some families, a minus for others
Identity
A Jesuit all-boys Catholic school in the classical mold: intellectually serious, formation-driven, and explicitly religious without being narrowly catechetical. The school's identity is built on the Ignatian tradition of cura personalis — care for the whole person — and on the five-fold Profile of a Graduate at Graduation (open to growth, intellectually competent, religious, loving, committed to justice).
Community
With about 1,010 students, Xavier is one of the larger Catholic secondary programs in the city — a size that supports a robust athletics, club, and retreat-life ecosystem. The body is majority white (about 58%), with meaningful Hispanic representation (about 16%), multiracial students (about 13%), and smaller Asian and Black populations. The diversity index lands around 0.70, which puts Xavier well above the city's private-school average but still notably less diverse than the public schools in its own neighborhood.
Neighborhood
The campus sits in the Midtown South–Flatiron–Union Square area, one of Manhattan's most well-educated and affluent corridors — median household income around $171,000 and roughly 81% of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher. The setting is dense, urban, and central, with the typical mix of apartment buildings, restaurants, and office towers.
The commute is hard to beat. The F and M trains at 14th Street are about a two-minute walk, the L at 6th Avenue is roughly three minutes, and the 1 at 18th Street is about six minutes. Students from almost anywhere in Manhattan can reach campus without a transfer, and many families from Brooklyn and Queens will find the trip straightforward.
Notable Programs
What Parents Are Saying
Mixed reviews - parents praise strong culture, academic rigor, and helpful teachers; some concerns about bullying; alumni note the school builds character and prepares students for college
Synthesized from public parent reviews · Apr 2026
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL yet on Motley. It's a private school serving grades 9 to 12 in Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square.
- What grades does XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL serve?
- XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL?
- XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL runs its own private admissions process — typically an application, a visit, and sometimes testing.
- Is XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL public, charter, or private?
- XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL is a private school.
- What neighborhood is XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL in?
- XAVIER HIGH SCHOOL is in Midtown South-Flatiron-Union Square, Manhattan.