NYC Private School Riverdale Country School To Cost $40,050 A Year

The Wall Street Journal reports today that the Riverdale Country School will charge $40,050 for high school students this coming year--the first time a New York City private school's tuition has breached the $40,000 mark.

Tuition at New York City's private schools has climbed 79% in the past decade, according to the Journal, and just 5 years ago, they charged $30,000.

The report also notes that when all the fees and additional costs are added up at private schools across the city (like Trinity, Hewitt School and The Ethical Cultural Fieldston School) many parents will be paying more than $40,000 for their child's education next year.

Put into perspective, these schools are charging rates equal to or higher than many Ivy League colleges. Princeton University will charge $37,000 for tuition (with $865 in required additional fees), and Harvard University last year charged $34,976 (along with $3,439 in required fees).

Of course this isn't the first time we've been surprised at the prices New York's patriarchs will pay for their children's education. Some drop six figures a year in private tutor fees on top of tuition, with the city's elite tutoring services charging as much as $800 an hour, according to the New York Times.

Last year Alex Leo calculated that sending a child to school in New York could very well cost parents $1,000,000 from grade school to law school.

A series of ads for the Sir Richard Condoms Co. recently poked fun at the city's exorbitant private tuitions:

And meanwhile, budget cuts are forcing public schools across the city to close and thousands of teachers could soon be laid off.

Comments

[buduk]

06:26 AM on 06/22/2011

Interestingly, a similar thing is occurring in the UK with 'public schools': at the more expensive places, fees can touch £30,000 (perhaps around $50,000). In the last five years or so I understand that prices have gone up in institutions like Winchester College by around £5,000, which is quite a raise in price. The issue here is with charitable status, as most privately run schools register as charities to gain tax exemption. The government has been tightening its regulations on charities, and so schools are trying to provide more bursaries to show they are putting more back into society.

That said, universities are cheaper for in the UK for British students (or, at least they were).

[RiceStarz]

10:56 PM on 06/21/2011

LGB, :-D

[ThinkGlobal]

05:30 PM on 06/21/2011

I just saw a documentary about public schools in Orange County CA where the million dollar homes are in a gated communites and the students are testing below average. No wonder super wealthy New Yorkers are spending $40,000 to send their kids to privates. The world has gone topsy turvy.

[FrankensteinBlack]

01:43 AM on 06/21/2011

Peanuts compared to my high school Alma mater (in Winchendon MA).
I think it is closing in on 50k per year! To this day I still don't know how my parents did it.
Thanks Mom n Dad...

[Armadillofaker]

09:05 AM on 06/30/2011

Please. Boarding school there is half the price. like 27K. not even close.

[FrankensteinBlack]

10:52 PM on 07/05/2011

http://www.winchendon.org/podium/default.aspx?t=116769

[alunsulen]

10:20 PM on 06/20/2011

I will pay anything to keep my kids away from those of freeloading libs...

[Anne Mccormick]

03:53 AM on 06/21/2011

oh dear, are we upsetting you. hate to break this to you but there are children of libs who go to this school. strange, i know but there it is. sorry, but you can't escape us cause we are everywhere.

[alunsulen]

07:45 AM on 06/21/2011

You are not really a lib if you can send your kid here because you would then be voluntarily paying 100% tax on your income above the median national wage so that the freeloaders could keep suckling at the teat :P

[nappyman]

07:41 AM on 06/21/2011

Apparently libs are the only ones on Medicare and social security.

[DeuxExMachina]

09:19 PM on 06/20/2011

This should not be an issue for anyone except the private school, the person paying the fees and the children attending these schools. Most commentators here are looking at the topic from an envy point of view. First of all, the schools are local hiring teachers, purchasing supplies, catering services, paying utility bills, property taxes, local coffee bars and diners for parents, etc. It's better than having jobs outsourced to India at lower costs, is it not??? The local community benefits from institutions like these just as any area would benefit from a university nearby. The fact that some parents want to spend great sums of money like this is great for re-cycling money in the economy. Would you rather the rich store their funds in offshore tax havens??? The income side for private schools should not be a worry just like some blue-collar pop star buying a Ferrari wouldn't be my concern.
As some commentators here mentioned people should be more concerned with runaway spending by municipal councils, states and the federal government. Rising property services, reduced services, debt, funding unnecessary wars, bailing out undeserved financial institutions, foreign aid that in the multi-billions goes missing, etc, etc. Add those up and wail....

[DeuxExMachina]

09:21 PM on 06/20/2011

Correction. "Rising property services, reduced services, debt, ..." should have read, "Rising property TAXES, reduced services, debt, ...."

[poppy5]

11:59 AM on 06/21/2011

I don't think too many people are taking issue with the rising cost of private prep schooling. It does however, from a curiosity stand point, make one wonder what is going on when an institution has to raise it's fees by an average of $2000 per year. From what I understand these private schools receive huge endowments from alumni, some donations rivaling and even topping what Ivy League universities receive annually.

[pfld555]

07:17 PM on 06/20/2011

If so many public schools weren't abyssmal failures, this wouldn't be an issue. And before some mealy mouthed whiner says we need to pump more money into the system, be reminded that the systems that spend the most money per student have the worst record.

[Swedenworks]

09:05 PM on 06/20/2011

Hey many private schools are a joke too. A country club where parents still have to hire tutors. Those who don't receive federal funding never have to test their students.

[Morena]

10:33 AM on 06/21/2011

"If so many public schools weren't abyssmal failures, this wouldn't be an issue."

Get real! You really think the country club crowd would sent their children to public schools anyway. I'm from NYC and attended private schools. They don't all cost these outrageous fees, at least the ones that cater to middle-incomed families.

[dennyd]

07:13 PM on 06/20/2011

Nice to see Bush tax cuts at work for those attending-- now the rest of you go to the 50 students per class public schools where those darn teachers are racking in $30,000 A YEAR in salary...

[wyldthings]

07:20 PM on 06/20/2011

I thought school salaries were set bu the local school boards and Unions. I never Realized any President could just set a standard price. Get Real! Each State is responsible for their own Children's education, we the local taxpayers pay the salaries not the President!

[Zachary Bob]

07:05 PM on 06/20/2011

You are all subsidizing these tuitions through the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Congratulations.

[Huero]

07:13 PM on 06/20/2011

And the school employs people. Now that is stimulus.

[THE GREAT PURIFIER]

07:03 PM on 06/20/2011

Does it come free with the Bilderberg membership?

[ShipCritic]

06:54 PM on 06/20/2011

"Some drop six figures a year in private tutor fees on top of tuition, with the city's elite tutoring services charging as much as $800 an hour, according to the New York Times."

Wow....it sure beats dog walking

[Ann Starke]

07:20 PM on 06/20/2011

The elite services charge $800.00 an hour. I wonder how much the tutor gets. Probably closer to 35.00 an hour.

[silverstreet]

10:21 PM on 06/20/2011

yes

[Ann Starke]

06:53 PM on 06/20/2011

I have to laugh at all of you elitists.

I attended and graduated from one of those elite schools. We spoke French, and the Kennedys went there, among other elite people. And me. (I just attended my 50th reunion of my class at the Convent of the Sacred Heart)

And my personal favorite graduate: Lady GaGa.

[halfassedfilms]

06:54 PM on 06/20/2011

Wait, aren't you an elitist then? I mean you went to school there and now you're talking about it like it was no big deal. . .

[Ann Starke]

06:58 PM on 06/20/2011

It wasn't at the time, and it still isn't. What is my ancient school history going to get me? I am a Mayflower descendant too, four-times over. In NYC it would make a difference. In CA it is useless. BFD.

[Ann Starke]

06:56 PM on 06/20/2011

Oh, and my family was not wealthy. The nuns wanted kids who were intelligent too, so I was a scholarship kid. They were not aware of my family background which, in NYC, would have been very impressive. In CA, not so much.

[bobbiewick]

09:48 PM on 06/21/2011

You shouldn't be apologizing for the fact that you went to a great school, or have Mayflower ancestors, or are descended from a GARD (gateway ancestor of royal descent). If people are silly enough to let class envy get the better of them, then let them stew in it.

[Albert Westpy]

06:51 PM on 06/20/2011

it must be very empty to be very rich ?

[Beth7272]

06:54 PM on 06/20/2011

Money is what you make it. I happen to know many wealthy people who are incredibly happy because their wealth allows them to give to causes to help those who aren't able to help themselves. Unlike the government that wants to help those who are too /azy to work.

[Albert Westpy]

07:40 PM on 06/20/2011

Oh my !

[Daisytoo]

07:37 PM on 06/20/2011

I take it that all of your working class associates living deeply realized, fulfilled lives?

Your wish that rich=empty simply doesn't meet the standards of reality.

[Beth7272]

06:49 PM on 06/20/2011

Why don't these rich people want their children in the great public school systems? I thought the union teachers were the best on earth!?!?!?

[halfassedfilms]

06:56 PM on 06/20/2011

Do you have a point or are you just content to lie and fabricate ideas all across this thread?

This is dangerous ground. The future of our country. Your ideals will make this a playground for the rich, with just a few selected poor communities left to change the sheets, serve fries, and shoot people.

[Swedenworks]

09:08 PM on 06/20/2011

They are. It's the parents they can't choose.

[LaurieAnn]

06:47 PM on 06/20/2011

Sigh...I guess it costs an awful lot to keep kids like theirs away from kids like mine.

[behindEnemyLines]

06:58 PM on 06/20/2011

If public schools weren't failing....

[LaurieAnn]

07:19 PM on 06/20/2011

Not every school district does its best.  However even parents like me who could pay for a private school for my child can find one.  In my town, all private schools are religious; and not of my religion.  That wouldn't even necessarily be the deciding factor for me; the private schools themselves have decided that they are not willing to take my child.  He has autism and dyslexia.  There is no private school for my son's age group within 2 hours (one way) of my home.  So some of us really don't have a choice.