Avenues New York vs United Nations International School

	A Avenues New York New York, United States	U United Nations International School New York, United States
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year $15,725 - 75,300	Fees / year $48,456 - 53,767
Age range	Age range 1 - 18 years	Age range 4 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils 1,450
Typical class size	Typical class size —	Typical class size 19
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Mandarin, Spanish	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 2012	Opened 1947
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location The New York campus is located at 259 10th Avenue and 536 W 26th Street in the West Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. The campus is adjacent to the High Line Park and a short walk from Hudson Yards. By public transport, it is accessible via the subway (C, E, 1, or Path to 23rd Street) and by bus on the M23-SBS and M11 routes.	Location New York, United States. Campus: 24-50 FDR Drive, New York, NY 10010-4046.
Stages	Stages Small World (ELC) – Nursery through Kindergarten; Lower Division (Grades 1–5); Middle Grades (Grades 6–8); Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)	Stages Pre-K through 12th grade (PreK-12).
School type	School type Independent school	School type Day school.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix 97 countries are represented by UNIS students.
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Learning specialists provide strategies to support learning needs. The Acceleration Center offers small-group or targeted instruction in math, Chinese, English or Spanish for Lower Division students, with teaching by Avenues faculty and outside providers.	Additional learning support The UNIS Student Support Team provides assistance to UNIS students and families from Pre-K through 12, including social, emotional, health and wellness support, learning support, and college preparation.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation United States	Country affiliation Affiliation with the United Nations.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure Nursery through Kindergarten day runs 8:15 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. with a schedule including arrival, Morning Meeting, snack, specials, Literacy and Math blocks, a World Course, lunch, rest, outdoor time, and Closing Circle.	School day structure Junior School begins around 8:30 a.m. with homeroom at 8:45 a.m.; JA pick-up is at 2:55 p.m.; Tutorial House ends around 2:50 p.m., with some courses meeting until 4:10 p.m.; lunch lasts about 30–60 minutes and there are scheduled recess periods.
Bus service details	Bus service details Selby Busing (Nursery–12th Grade) is a private bus service provided at an additional cost. Office of Pupil Transportation (OPT) Busing (Kindergarten–6th Grade) is provided to all eligible students; bus stops are typically within 0.25 miles of home. M23-SBS and M11 bus routes also serve nearby stops for access to the campus.	Bus service details There are free NYC school buses for students in kindergarten through sixth grade who live within five miles of the school; private buses may be arranged by parents; UNIS students may also receive MetroCards.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application fees - One-time general application fee for Avenues New York: USD 175. - Financial-aid application fee charged through the school's Clarity platform: USD 65 (covers Clarity applications). Tuition fees (annual) — 2026–27 academic year - Nursery–Grade 12 (annual, comprehensive): USD 75,300. This annual tuition is comprehensive and explicitly includes books and materials, lunch and snacks, athletic uniforms, all field trips, transport to/from activities, and educational technology (e.g., iPads and MacBooks). - Small World (toddlers) — annual rates by schedule: - Small World 1s (one-year-olds): 2 days — USD 15,725; 3 days — USD 20,525. - Small World 2s (two-year-olds): 2 days, half day — USD 23,550; 3 days, half day — USD 31,250; 5 days, half day — USD 45,100; 5 days, full day — USD 75,300. - Small World tuition is described as comprehensive for the listed schedules and includes materials, snacks, and field trips. Per-term detail - The school publishes annual tuition amounts as shown above. A published per-term breakdown (for example, by semester or term) is not provided in the publicly posted tuition materials accessed. Parents should note the annual amounts above when calculating per-term values for budgeting. Billing schedule and payment terms - Admissions rounds and parent reply deadlines are published for the admissions process (First Choice Round and Regular Notification) and include specific parent reply dates by division; these dates are used for confirming enrollment offers. Examples of reply deadlines: ELC (Small World–Pre-K) reply deadline March 3; Kindergarten reply deadline February 10; Grades 1–8 reply deadline February 24; Grades 9–12 reply deadline March 6. These admissions reply deadlines are published as part of the admissions calendar. - A detailed public billing schedule (e.g., invoice dates, required enrollment deposit amounts, installment dates, late payment penalties) is not published in the tuition and admissions materials that were available. The school's tuition page describes what the annual tuition includes but does not show a standard term or installment billing schedule in the publicly posted materials. Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable to Avenues New York; the New York campus is a day school (no boarding program listed). Other costs or fees - The annual tuition is described as comprehensive and includes many routine costs (books, materials, lunch/snacks, athletic uniforms, field trips, activity transport, educational technology). Optional supplementary program fees may be charged for: personal purchases at the school store or café, after-school enrichment programs, summer camp, international programs (study abroad), and transportation to/from school if offered as an optional service. These items are described as optional extras outside the comprehensive tuition. - Uniform requirement: Avenues New York lists a uniform/dress code requirement; athletic uniforms are explicitly included in the comprehensive tuition. Any additional uniform items beyond standard issued athletic uniforms or optional branded items available at the school store may be an extra cost. Refund information (withdrawals / refunds) - No publicly posted, detailed refund or tuition-withdrawal policy (for example, prorated refunds, deadlines for refundable deposits, or conditions under which tuition is refunded) was found in the tuition and admissions materials accessed. Specific refund or withdrawal terms are not published in the public tuition pages reviewed. Fee payment options (methods) - The publicly available tuition and admissions pages reviewed do not list a comprehensive set of accepted payment methods (for example, specifying credit card, bank transfer/wire, ACH, check, or online payment portals) for tuition or enrollment deposits. The application and financial-aid platforms referenced (OpenApply for admissions listings and Clarity for financial-aid applications) use their standard payment workflows for application processing, but a specific, publicly posted list of accepted tuition payment methods and transactional instructions was not provided in the materials accessed. Summary of items not publicly specified in the materials accessed - Per-term invoicing amounts and an official billing-installment schedule (how the annual tuition may be divided into terms or installments) are not published in the school's publicly posted tuition or admissions material accessed. - Specific enrollment-acceptance deposit amounts (if any), the timing and refundability of deposits, explicit tuition refund/proration rules on withdrawal, and an explicit list of accepted tuition payment methods (credit card, bank transfer, check, etc.) are not published in the tuition and admissions pages reviewed. (For reference: annual tuition figures and Small World schedules above are the school's published 2026–27 tuition listings; application-fee and financial-aid application-fee amounts are published in the admissions/third-party application listings and the Clarity guidance document cited.)	Fee details Application and acceptance fees - Admissions fee (payable upon acceptance): USD 250. - Tuition pre-payment (payable upon acceptance): USD 1,000. - Security deposit (refundable upon graduation or withdrawal, subject to the school's conditions): USD 300. - One-time New Parent Levy (per new family, payable upon acceptance): USD 3,500. Total payable on acceptance (Admissions fee + Tuition pre-payment + Security deposit + New Parent Levy): USD 5,050. Tuition fees (2026–27) — annual amounts by year group - Junior School (Pre-K through Junior 4 / Grade 4): USD 46,856 per year for each grade in this range. - Middle School - Middle 1 (Grade 5): USD 48,592 per year. - Middle 2 (Grade 6): USD 48,592 per year. - Middle 3 (Grade 7): USD 48,592 per year. - Middle 4 (Grade 8): USD 49,259 per year. - Tutorial House (Grades 9–12) - Tutorial 1 (Grade 9): USD 50,911 per year. - Tutorial 2 (Grade 10): USD 50,911 per year. - Tutorial 3 (Grade 11): USD 51,390 per year. - Tutorial 4 (Grade 12): USD 52,167 per year. Billing schedule and payment terms (2026–27) - Re-enrolling students: a nonrefundable re-enrollment deposit of USD 4,000 is due on March 12, 2026; the balance of tuition is paid in two installments: 70% of the annual tuition due on August 1, 2026, and 30% due on January 1, 2027. - Payable upon acceptance (new enrolments): Admissions Fee (USD 250), Tuition Pre-Payment (USD 1,000), Security Deposit (USD 300), and One-time New Parent Levy (USD 3,500) for a total of USD 5,050 due when the place is accepted. Example installment amounts (70% / 30% split) for 2026–27 (rounded to nearest USD) - Junior School (annual USD 46,856): 70% = USD 32,799; 30% = USD 14,057. - Middle 1–3 (annual USD 48,592): 70% = USD 34,014; 30% = USD 14,578. - Middle 4 (annual USD 49,259): 70% = USD 34,481; 30% = USD 14,778. - Tutorial 1–2 (annual USD 50,911): 70% = USD 35,638; 30% = USD 15,273. - Tutorial 3 (annual USD 51,390): 70% = USD 35,973; 30% = USD 15,417. - Tutorial 4 (annual USD 52,167): 70% = USD 36,517; 30% = USD 15,650. Additional and incidental fees - Capital surcharge: USD 1,400 per child, charged in addition to tuition. - UNIS Parents' Association membership dues: USD 200 per family. - Textbooks and field trips: variable (as required by Middle School and Tutorial House). - 1:1 device assignment insurance deductible deposit (Grades M1 to T4): USD 250 per family; refundable upon return of devices in good condition subject to the school's device-return conditions. - Optional fees (examples): after-school programs, lunches (contracted on an annual basis), private music lessons and instrument rental; these are charged in addition to tuition and other mandatory fees. Boarding - Boarding is not applicable. UNIS is a PreK–12 day school; there are no boarding facilities or boarding fees. Refund information - All payments are generally non‑refundable, with stated exceptions for return of computer devices in good condition and the security deposit upon graduation (or withdrawal where the school's policy allows refund of the security deposit). Specific refund timing and conditions for the New Parent Levy and the Security Deposit are stated in the school's fee policy (examples for prior-year enrollment deadlines are included in the school's terms). Fee payment options - The school provides a Parent Portal (portal access is available for families) for account management. For other electronic payment channels used by the school for financial transactions (including donations), accepted methods include online credit-card payments, electronic funds transfer, Venmo, checks, phone payments, and securities transfer where applicable. (These electronic and check/EFT channels are used by the school for institutional payments and giving transactions.)
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details World Elements framework guides the curriculum, integrating rigorous academics with real-world experiences. Lower Division (Grades 1–5) offers a transformative academic program in two languages. Middle Division (Grades 6–8) fosters innovative thinkers with an increasing sense of ownership for their learning. Upper Division (Grades 9–12) develops architects of lives that transcend the ordinary through rigorous and joyful learning experiences. Language immersion runs from 12-month-olds through 5th grade in Mandarin or Spanish.	Curriculum details The UNIS curriculum is a Pre-K-12 International Baccalaureate program. The school is accredited by the International Baccalaureate, the Council of Independent Schools, and the New York State Association of Independent Schools. The UNIS curriculum aligns to Common Core Math Standards, the Next Generation Science Standards, NY Next Generation ELA standards, and British Columbia Social Studies Standards. UNIS is a founding IB school, and the IB learner profile is reflected in UNIS's approach to learning.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Graduates are studying at colleges and universities around the world, including the University of Chicago, Harvard, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford.	Higher education progression Graduates attend colleges and universities across the United States and in many other nations. UNIS students apply to and enroll at universities in ten or more countries. The College Counseling Office provides a structured program with events such as the UNIS College Fair, which hosts over 150 colleges, and a College Counseling Timeline to guide students through the process.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions Submit a preliminary application form as soon as possible and ahead of the deadlines. Avenues has two admission rounds for the 2026–27 academic year: First Choice Round (binding) and Regular Notification. First Choice Round decisions were released on December 12, 2025. Regular Notification accepts applications until January 8, 2026, and notification and parent reply dates are published below. Late applications may be considered for any remaining openings after Regular Notification. Application timeline by round: • First Choice Round: Preliminary Application Form Due November 1; Application Completion Deadline November 19; Notification Date December 12. • Regular Notification: Preliminary Application Form Due December 1; Application Completion Deadline January 8; Notification Date January 30–February 20. Regular Notification Dates by grade are: ELC (Small World–Pre-K) February 20; Kindergarten January 30; Grades 1–8 February 9; Grades 9–12 February 13. Parent Reply Dates by grade are: ELC March 3; Kindergarten February 10; Grades 1–8 February 24; Grades 9–12 March 6. Global Admissions provides cross-campus transfer opportunities to São Paulo when appropriate. The school hosts virtual and in-person events to connect families with campus leaders, faculty, and current students; events include Parent Introductory Events (All Grades) and campus tours with the listed dates. For questions about admissions, the team can be reached via the contact channels listed on the admissions page.	Admissions 1. Create a Ravenna account to begin the UNIS application. Through Ravenna you submit the UNIS application, register for a tour and assessment, email a teacher recommendation form directly to your child's teacher, submit additional admissions materials, and check the status of your application. The $75 application fee is paid by credit card and is waived for financial aid applicants. 2. Submit the UNIS application in Ravenna. 3. Schedule the assessment or interview: Prekindergarten to Fourth Grade participate in an in-person assessment; parents attend a panel discussion led by the Director of Admissions; Fifth to Eighth Grades may have a group activity or an interview; Ninth to Twelfth Grades are interviewed. 4. Send the ISAAGNY Confidential Information Sheet via Ravenna to delegate to your child's current teacher. 5. Take an Admission Test: ISEE or SSAT; testing can be online or at a Prometric testing center; MAP or PSAT may be submitted as substitutes. 6. Receive the Admission Decision: PK decisions on February 26, 2026; Kindergarten on February 5, 2026; 1st–4th on February 11, 2026; 5th–8th on February 11, 2026; 9th–12th on February 20, 2026. For entry in 2026-27, the Manhattan campus window runs September 1, 2025 to November 15, 2025 with interviews by mid-January 2026; midyear entries are possible when spaces exist, with midyear applications due by March 1, 2026 and enrollment by March 17, 2026.
Scholarships	Scholarships Financial aid is available for all grades—Small World through Grade 12—and the school aims to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need at the time of admission. Financial aid is need-based, not merit-based, and the aid budget is finite. If the application fee poses a hardship, a fee waiver is available by contacting waiver@avenues-ny.org.	Scholarships A need-based financial aid program provides awards to newly admitted students based on demonstrated financial need. Financial aid is based on need and UNIS uses its own Financial Aid form; an aid application will not prejudice admission decisions. Financial aid decisions are coordinated after admissions decisions, and submission timing helps the process. SSS begins processing financial aid information on November 1, 2025; it is recommended to submit by December 31, 2025 for consideration in the February/March notification cycle. For more information on eligibility and process, contact Margaret Chiu at (212) 584-3034 or mchiu@unis.org.
Waitlist	Waitlist Applicants not offered admission in the First Choice Round may be waitlisted or not admitted, which is a final decision for the academic year.	Waitlist —
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