Our favorite NYC Upper West Side preschools

Parents on New York City’s Upper West Side know how fiercely competitive it can be to get into a great preschool - and it sets their kids up for a journey of academic success. Upper West Side preschools enrich childrens’ days and encourage their learning through various pedagogies, with some leading straight to kindergarten and beyond at the same school.

New York being what it is, there’s no end to preschool options, so now that application season is upon us, we’ve rounded up 4 of our favorite preschools on NYC’s Upper West Side, to help make your choice a little easier. 

Metropolitan Montessori

Location: 325 West 85th St, New York, NY 10024

Ages: 2.75 - 4 years

Tuition: $31,280 half-day; $44,930 full-day

Application process: Online application (due early Jan), virtual tour, family meeting, and child playdate all required

Metropolitan Montessori is well-renowned for its rich curriculum and nurturing environment, following in the Montessori pedagogy. Montessori methodology is centered around the child’s own capabilities and builds an environment where children lead activities and help their peers in mixed age groups.

Metropolitan Montessori continues through to middle school, so many parents looking for a long-term adherence to Montessori traditions as well as a prestigious pedigree for their child’s next steps will try to get in at the preschool level. Family meetings and playdates are required, but other forms of interaction and getting to know the school are highly encouraged.  

Bank Street School for Children

Location: 610 West 112th St, New York, NY 10025

Ages: 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds

Tuition:  $33,387 for half-day; $38,156 for full day 3s and 4s; Pre-Kindergarten (4/5)  $51,323

Application process: Online application (due Dec. 1), open house, child visit, parent interview, school report from a current educator if applicable 

Bank Street actually has a graduate program in education at the Bank Street School of Education, so many teachers at the school are already well-versed in its philosophy and methods. This helps inform a consistent and contemporary pedagogy. The school’s teaching philosophy is progressive, and admissions are competitive. The school runs through middle school (8th grade).  

Ethical Culture Fieldston School

Location: 33 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023

Ages: Pre-K, 4 years

Tuition: $60,595

Application process: Application (due mid-Nov), school report form, play assessment 

Ethical Culture, part of the Ethical Culture Fieldston schools, is another progressive school, located right on Central Park West. They stipulate that education should be: ethical, challenging, relevant, playful, inclusive, responsive, empowering, experiential, healthy, and interdependent. Social enrichment is valued equally to academic progress.

Classes at the Upper West Side campus run from Pre-K to 5th grade, and 100% of Ethical Culture graduates go on to college, many to Ivy League schools. We also included Ethical Culture in our post on New York’s best private elementary schools. 

Hollingworth Center at Columbia University Teachers College

Location: 525 W 120th St #309, New York, NY 10027 (within Teachers College, Columbia University)

Ages: 3-4 years

Tuition: $22,648.00–$23,948.00 (2021-2022 rates, to be amended for next school year)

Application process: Application (early decision due early Nov., standard decision due early Jan, rolling decision due after mid-Jan) plus video conference call with family

The Hollingworth Center is a small preschool that graduates children into a variety of prestigious elementary schools around the Upper West Side and New York City. Nestled within the Teachers College at Columbia University, the preschool is highly influenced by the top level training from the educators of tomorrow. With a child-responsive approach and a play-based curriculum, children are encouraged to learn through exploration and discovery. 

Prepare your child for preschool with enrichment at home

“By hiring a nanny who has the experience, tools, and educational skills to enrich your child even before preschool starts, you are setting your child up for a lifetime of success.”

Admission to Upper West Side preschools is competitive to say the least, and the wait can be nerve-wracking. Application deadlines are generally between October–December, and while some families receive their acceptance letters in the spring, others are waitlisted and left chewing on their nails for longer.

Generally, the more a family connects and interacts with a preschool, the better chances they have at acceptance, so try to pull all the strings you have and show up at any open houses, meet-the-director opportunities, or fundraisers. 

While setting up your child’s future, it’s important to have not only practical support in childcare, but to also work with a caregiver who can enrich and prepare your child for the interactive playdates and a school year of new experiences. By hiring a nanny who has the experience, tools, and educational skills to enrich your child even before preschool starts, you are setting your child up for a lifetime of success.

We have helped countless families with children at the Upper West Side’s premier preschools find the nanny who can not only keep up with their high expectations, but raise the bar and still surpass it. When you are ready to find a top-level nanny for your part-time or full-time needs, let us know. We are ready for you. 

Let us find your family’s ideal nanny 

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