Private school tuition in New York has reached a point that would have seemed unimaginable a decade ago. Schools that once hovered around the $40,000 mark — even Avenues charged about $40,000 per year when it opened and in its early years — are now demanding well over $70,000 a year. Thanks to Amanda Gordon for her excellent reporting in Bloomberg. I said:
Mamdani’s plans to end the public school system’s gifted and talented program for elementary schools are one of a laundry list of unknowns — including shifting geopolitics and AI — that have “shaken up” some parents and reaffirmed their decision to send their child to a private school, according to Emily Glickman, who has worked with families for 27 years through her firm Abacus Guide Educational Consulting.
Median tuition in NYC in the mid-2010s was around $39,900, and that figure has climbed more than 50 percent over the last decade, outpacing inflation and making elite K-12 education roughly as expensive as some private colleges used to be.
And yet parents keep writing the checks. I was glad to contribute my perspective to Amanda Gordon’s reporting on this trend because what I hear from families every day is that they feel they have to pay it. It isn’t just about prestige; it’s about fear. Parents want to know that their children can access rigorous academics, supportive peers, and opportunities they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.