Dwight School vs The British International School of New York

	D Dwight School New York, United States	T The British International School of New York New York, United States
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year $42,000 - 67,900	Fees / year $44,250 - 66,900
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP)	Curriculum IB (PYP), IB (MYP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Pupils	Pupils 742	Pupils 300
Typical class size	Typical class size 15	Typical class size 14
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1872	Opened 2006
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Located on Manhattan's Upper West Side, Dwight New York operates across four campuses: North Campus at 291 Central Park West; CPW Campus at 18 West 89th Street (Main Office, Middle & Upper Schools: Grades 5–12); Riverside Campus at 144 Riverside Blvd (Early Childhood: Small Wonder–Pre‑K); and 94th Street Campus at 705 Columbus Ave (Early Childhood Division & Lower School: Preschool 3s–Grade 4). The Athletic Center is at 2116 1st Ave.	Location Located at 20 Waterside Plaza, Manhattan, NY 10010, BIS-NY sits in the Kips Bay neighborhood on Manhattan's East Side, alongside the East River. Access is via 23rd Street, and the campus is near Gramercy Park, Murray Hill and Stuyvesant Town. The riverfront setting provides a calm, light filled environment with open views and space to breathe, and many families reach BIS-NY from Long Island City and Greenpoint.
Stages	Stages Dwight New York has four levels: Early Childhood; Lower School (Kindergarten–Grade 4); Middle School (Grades 5–8); and Upper School (Grades 9–12).	Stages Early Years (2.9 – 5 years); Lower School (5–11 years); Middle School (11–14 years); Upper School (14–18 years).
School type	School type Private day school	School type The school is a private international day school in New York for students aged 3 to 18.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix 45 nationalities represented.	Pupil nationality mix Over 40 nationalities represented across BIS-NY.
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Quest Learning Center provides learning support for students with learning differences and is integrated across Dwight to benefit all learners.	Additional learning support The school has a dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) team and EAL specialists; a full-time Nurse and a School Counselor support student wellbeing.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation United States	Country affiliation British/UK curriculum (English National Curriculum).
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure Drop-off begins at 8:15 am; a full-day program ends at 3:30 pm, with late care until 5:30 pm. Nursery offers full-day or half-day schedules, with half-day ending at 12:30 pm including lunch.
Bus service details	Bus service details The school provides a private bus service operated by Queens Children Transportation.	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application and Registration Fees - Non-refundable application fee: USD 75. - Non-refundable registration (enrollment) fee: USD 1,500 (assessed at enrollment). - Financial aid processing fee (for Clarity application): USD 65. - Parents Association fee: USD 150 (annual). Tuition fees by program / year group (annual amounts) - 2s Programs (annual): - 2 mornings (Tue & Thu, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 17,900. - 3 mornings (Mon, Wed, Fri, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 26,900. - 5 mornings (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500. - Full days (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 42,000. - Extended days (Mon–Fri, 8:30 am–5:30 pm): USD 48,000. - Preschool 3s (annual): - 5 mornings (8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500. - 5 full days (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900. - 4s Program (annual): - 5 mornings (8:30 am–12:00 pm): USD 36,500. - 5 full days (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900. - Pre-Kindergarten (8:30 am–2:30 pm): USD 49,900 (annual). - Kindergarten (8:30 am–3:30 pm): USD 63,900 (annual). - Grades 1–4 (8:30 am–3:30 pm): USD 67,900 (annual). - Grades 5–12 (8:00 am–3:00 pm): USD 67,900 (annual). Additional mandatory or regularly assessed fees (examples by division) - Technology fee (Kindergarten and Grades 1–12): USD 1,975 (annual). - International Baccalaureate (IB) program fee (Grades 11–12): USD 750. - I-20 processing fee for international students (where applicable): USD 750 (non-refundable). - Uniforms, textbooks, overnight/grade-level trip fees and some extracurricular-specific costs: amounts vary by grade and activity. Per-term / per-instalment detail and billing schedule - Tuition figures above are annual. The school issues initial billing statements in late spring and administers tuition collection through an online student-billing service (Smart Tuition). Families select a payment schedule; the Business Office offers multiple payment-plan structures (examples historically provided include one, two, four, or eight payments). Exact instalment dates and plan choices are administered through the billing service and appear on the initial statement. - Example instalment calculations (for reference only): - Single annual payment: full annual tuition in one payment. - Two-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 2. - Four-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 4. - Eight-payment plan: each instalment ≈ annual tuition ÷ 8. (These instalment amounts are mathematical divisions of the published annual tuition and will be adjusted to reflect any assessed fees, deposits, or credits on the billing statement.) Payment terms, methods and late-payment policy - Accepted payment methods include online debit/credit card, wire transfer (bank transfer), ACH, and payment by check; credit/debit card transactions may incur convenience fees. The school uses an online billing/payment platform (Smart Tuition) for statements and payments. A finance charge of 1% per month is assessed on delinquent accounts. Students with accounts in arrears may be prevented from attending school or receiving records/reports until the account is brought current. Boarding - Dwight School New York is a day school and does not provide boarding or homestay accommodation. Boarding fees are not applicable. Refunds and withdrawal policy - The application fee and registration fee are non-refundable. If a student is withdrawn after May 1 of the preceding school year (per the enrollment contract), the signator is responsible for the full year's tuition, payable immediately. Mid-year withdrawal and other refund responsibilities are governed by the enrollment contract; delinquent balances may result in withheld records. Other routinely assessed or optional costs - After-school and extended-day activities, special curricular or extracurricular program fees, certain language-course supplements, overnight trips, athletic tournament/away-trip costs, and some grade-specific materials or experiences can generate additional charges that vary by student and grade level. Families are billed for these items as applicable. A small number of optional services and fee-based programs may also appear on a student's account. Summary of the most commonly billed line items for families - Annual tuition (varies by program/grade) — see list above. - Non-refundable application fee: USD 75. - Non-refundable registration fee: USD 1,500. - Technology fee (K+): USD 1,975. - IB program fee (Grades 11–12): USD 750. - I-20 processing fee for international students (if applicable): USD 750. - Parents Association fee: USD 150. Notes on administration of fees - Billing and payment administration is handled through the school's Business Office and the online billing service; families receive an initial statement in late spring and ongoing statements according to their selected payment plan. Late or delinquent accounts incur finance charges and may affect a student's continued attendance and access to records.	Fee details Academic year covered - The fees and payment terms below correspond to the school's published tuition and fees schedule for the 2025/26 academic year. Application and admissions fees - Application Fee: USD 125, payable at the time of application. - New Student Enrollment Fee (one-time, non-refundable): USD 2,500, payable upon enrollment for all new students. Annual tuition by year group (full-year amounts) - Nursery (3s program, full year, 5 days/week): USD 44,250. - Reception (Pre-K / 4-year-olds, full year, 5 days/week): USD 49,500. - Primary & Middle School (Year 1 – Year 9): USD 64,750. - Upper School (Year 10 – Year 13): USD 65,800. Mandatory trip / excursion fees - Excursion Week (Years 7–9 only, mandatory): Year 7 fee USD 1,900; Years 8 & 9 fee USD 2,150. These amounts are subject to change based on actual trip costs; installment schedule below applies. Payment schedule, deposits and instalment options - Amounts due on enrollment (new students): - New Student Enrollment Fee (one-time, non-refundable): USD 2,500. - Tuition Deposit (non-refundable): Nursery & Reception: USD 3,500; Years 1–9: USD 3,500; Years 10–13: USD 6,000. The tuition deposit is applied against the full-year tuition and is non-refundable. - Remaining tuition balance (examples shown as amounts due under the single-instalment option): - Nursery: Balance due USD 40,750. - Reception: Balance due USD 46,000. - Years 1–9: Balance due USD 58,750. - Years 10–13: Balance due USD 59,800. - Two-installment option (balance divided 70% / 30%): - 70% of the balance due May 1, 2025; 30% of the balance due December 15, 2025. Example amounts (balance portion only): - Nursery: 70% = USD 28,525; 30% = USD 12,225. - Reception: 70% = USD 32,200; 30% = USD 13,800. - Years 1–9: 70% = USD 41,125; 30% = USD 17,625. - Years 10–13: 70% = USD 41,860; 30% = USD 17,940. - Ten-installment option (monthly): ten equal installments covering the balance; the published example monthly amounts are: - Nursery: USD 4,075 per month. - Reception: USD 4,600 per month. - Years 1–9: USD 5,875 per month. - Years 10–13: USD 5,980 per month. - Ten-installment timing and requirement: the ten-installment plan runs across the published dates and requires automatic ACH payment setup through the school's payment processor (TADS) as noted on the schedule. - Excursion Week payment timing (Years 7–9): 50% due October 15, 2025 and 50% due March 15, 2026 (subject to change by itinerary). What tuition covers and what it does not cover - Tuition includes: educational materials, lunch, snacks, athletics, extracurricular programs (including school play, set design, athletics, debate) and educational day trips. - Tuition does not cover: school uniforms, private music lessons, after-school activities and late club, residential (overnight) trips for Years 7–13, transportation to/from school, and computing devices for Upper School (BYOD requirement). After-school care is charged separately at USD 23 per hour. Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable; the school operates as a day school and no boarding fee schedule is published. Refund and cancellation terms (key points) - New Student Enrollment Fee: one-time and non-refundable. - Tuition Deposit: non-refundable and applied against the year's tuition balance. - Financial aid application processing: the third-party FAST portal charges a USD 60 administrative fee per financial aid application. If the school is unable to meet a family's demonstrated need, the school will refund the application fee. - Pro‑rata for partial-year attendance: published proration is One term = 50% of full-year tuition; Two terms = 75% of full-year tuition. Fees are prorated by term for mid‑year entry or departure only when agreed in advance; this proration does not apply to unplanned withdrawals or non-attendance once a student is enrolled. Late payment, penalties and consequences - A late fee of 1.5% per month is assessed on all past-due invoices by the school's billing agent (TADS). Significantly past-due accounts may result in student withdrawal. Fee payment methods and administrative processing - The school uses TADS for tuition billing and payment management. TADS accepts multiple payment methods including automatic bank withdrawal (ACH), major credit and debit cards, e-checks, and paper checks/money orders depending on the contract and options selected in the TADS tuition agreement. The ten-installment plan specifically requires ACH authorization. Other regular or occasional charges - After-school care: USD 23 per hour (charged separately). - Residential / overnight trip fees (Years 7–13) and private lessons or certain extracurricular items may be charged separately when applicable. Excursion Week charges for Years 7–9 are mandatory and billed as noted above. Contact / billing administration - Billing and financial-aid administration are handled through the school's stated contacts and the TADS/FAST portals as part of the admissions and tuition process. Families may arrange payment plans and employer/third‑party invoicing in coordination with the school's admissions and finance teams.
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 Dwight School New York delivers the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum across the Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP), and Diploma Program (DP). Preschool through Grade 10 participate in the PYP and MYP automatically, while Grades 11–12 may pursue the IB Diploma Program or the Dwight Courses Program, with a placement process and a two-year commitment for the Diploma Program. The Diploma Program requires six IB subjects (three at Standard Level and three at Higher Level), the IB Core (Creativity, Activity and Service; Extended Essay; Theory of Knowledge), and a total of up to 45 points to obtain the Diploma; a minimum of 24 total points plus HL and SL point thresholds and completion of CAS, EE, and TOK are required. There is no formal application to join the full Diploma Program; a placement process ensures commitment to the two-year program and completion of internal and external assessments. The college counseling team supports university readiness within the IB framework.	Curriculum details Early Years combines the UK Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum with the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. Lower School uses the English National Curriculum taught within the IB framework. Middle School provides IB-based inquiry alongside preparation for IGCSE. Upper School follows the Cambridge IGCSE and A Level programmes. The overall curriculum blends the English National Curriculum with IB approaches in the Lower and Middle Schools and Cambridge qualifications in the Upper School.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio Dwight has a low student-teacher ratio.	Student teacher ratio Small class sizes and small student-teacher ratios. Form teachers, division leaders and specialist staff provide personalised attention.
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Graduates matriculate at a range of domestic and international universities. Recent college matriculations include Brown, Bowdoin, Cornell, Dartmouth, Duke, UCLA, McGill, NYU, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, University of St. Andrews, Trinity College Dublin, Vanderbilt, University of Virginia, Wesleyan, and Yale. Additional matriculations include Columbia College Chicago, CUNY Brooklyn College, and Pennsylvania State University.	Higher education progression Graduates have gained places at leading institutions around the world since the first graduating class in 2021. Cambridge qualifications are accepted by more than 880 universities in the United States (including all Ivy League and Ivy Plus institutions) and by every UK university, with strong A Level results often earning up to one year of university credit. Merit scholarships total over $2 million each year.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented Spark Tank is Dwight's K-12 incubator that empowers student-entrepreneurs to launch their own ventures, with guidance and funding through Dwight's Foundation innovation grants; the program develops entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership beyond the classroom.	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 The Dwight School New York admissions process is personalized with open houses, community events, and individual sessions for each applicant family. The 2025-26 application opens on September 1, 2025 and closes on December 1, 2025. Prospective families can take a 360 Virtual Tour and register for open houses held in fall and winter. Dwight School New York is a member of ISAAGNY and does not discriminate in admissions on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or national or ethnic origin.	Admissions STEP ONE Inquire by completing our short inquiry form to share a little about your family. A member of our admissions team will contact you to answer questions and schedule a video call or private campus tour. This is the best way to get to know BIS-NY and determine if it is the right fit for your child. STEP TWO Apply Online After your initial conversation or tour, families who wish to continue the process will be invited to complete the full application form. The form includes family contact information and additional details that help us better understand your child and their educational needs. Please note there is a $125 application fee, payable when the application is submitted. STEP THREE Submit Supporting Documents Once your application has been reviewed, our admissions team will guide you through the final step: submitting the required supporting documents based on your child's age. A checklist of required documents can be found in the dropdowns below. The documents required vary by age.
Scholarships	Scholarships Dwight offers need-based financial aid; there are no merit or athletic scholarships. About 25% of Dwight students receive financial aid, and approximately $10 million is awarded annually. Financial aid awards range from small grants to full tuition for students in kindergarten through grade 12; preschool aid is limited to partial grants and preschool recipients are reevaluated at the kindergarten level. The financial aid decisions are confidential and based on demonstrated need. The deadline for the 2026-27 financial aid and admissions applications is December 1, 2025, and the financial aid process uses the Clarity platform (start by submitting required documents and a $65 processing fee).	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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