Léman Manhattan Preparatory School vs United Nations International School
🇺🇸 New York · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Léman Manhattan Preparatory School nor United Nations International School sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. One practical difference: Léman Manhattan Preparatory School offers boarding while the other is day-only — decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| Léman Manhattan Preparatory School | United Nations International School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / American | IB |
| Ages | 1–18 | 4–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | USD 70,700–72,000 (Kindergarten–Grade 12) | USD 46,856–52,167 |
| Enrollment | 750 | 1,450 |
| Boarding | Yes | Day only |
| Accreditations | MSA, NYSAIS | CIS, NYSAIS |
Strengths
- ✓Full vertical continuity under one operator: 12 months through Grade 12, across two purpose-fitted Financial District campuses
- ✓Recognized regional accreditation — Middle States (MSA), accredited through 2031 — plus NYSAIS, ISAAGNY and Parents League membership
- ✓IB Diploma capstone with flexibility (full IB Diploma or individual IB Course Certificates)
- ✓New York City's only residential boarding program (launched 2012) — a genuinely rare offering for a U.S. day school
- ✓Highly international community (100+ nationalities reported) with a small published average class size of 18
- ✓Founding IB school (one of the IB's pilot schools) and among the first to award IB diplomas — deep, credible IB pedigree
- ✓Exceptionally international community: roughly 97–109 nationalities among students and 86–91 mother-tongue languages
- ✓CIS accreditation plus NYSAIS membership and long institutional history (since 1947)
- ✓Strong multilingual programme — every student studies French or Spanish from the early years, adding a third language from Grade 7; nine languages offered
- ✓Single continuous PreK–12 pathway (ages ~4–18) on one Manhattan campus culminating in the IB Diploma
Trade-offs
- !Does NOT publish IB average scores or a verified university-destination list — the headline '80% accepted to highly selective colleges' is school-reported and unverifiable
- !Full IB PYP/MYP continuum is claimed by third-party directories but NOT confirmed on the school's own pages, which describe only an 'IB approach' culminating in the DP
- !Among the most expensive schools in the sample — Kindergarten–Grade 10 at USD 70,700 and Grades 11–12 at USD 72,000 for 2026-27
- !Boarding tuition is not published on the official site (third-party directories cite figures near USD 89,000–95,000 all-in, unverified)
- !The only public enrollment figure (~750) is a 2016-17 third-party number; no current official total is published
- !Does NOT publish IB Diploma average scores or a verified university-destination list — academic outcomes cannot be independently verified
- !Enrollment figures are inconsistent across the school's own pages (cited variously as ~1,427, ~1,450, ~1,454 and ~1,545), so no single precise number is reliable
- !Only the IB Diploma Programme is evidenced — no PYP or MYP authorization is stated, despite a continuous PreK–12 structure
- !EAL/English-language-support provision is not described on public pages and cannot be confirmed
- !The former Queens (Jamaica Estates) K–8 campus closed in 2022, so the school now serves one Manhattan location only
Best Fit For
- • Families in or relocating to Lower Manhattan wanting a single K–12 (indeed toddler-to-18) independent school
- • Families specifically seeking a U.S.-based day school with a genuine residential boarding option
- • Internationally mobile households valuing an IB Diploma pathway and a multinational student body
- • Families who can absorb premium Manhattan private-school fees (financial aid is available from Kindergarten)
- • UN-affiliated and diplomatic families relocating to New York (who receive admissions priority)
- • Internationally mobile, multilingual families wanting a genuinely global IB community
- • Families seeking a continuous PreK–12 IB pathway culminating in the IB Diploma (including bilingual diplomas)
- • Households prioritising a strong second/third-language programme from the early years
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: the school states that 80% of graduates are accepted to highly selective colleges, and that IB Diploma students are 'more than 20% more likely' to be admitted to the most prestigious universities. No IB average score, pass rate, or itemized university-destination list is published.
School-reported, unverified: per third-party summary, nearly all graduates attend four-year colleges, with roughly 75%–85% enrolling at universities in the United States and the remainder at universities in about 13 other countries. UNIS does not publish an IB Diploma average score or a specific university-destination list on its own pages; treat placement claims as school-reported and unverified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Léman Manhattan Preparatory School or United Nations International School?
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School is best for: Families in or relocating to Lower Manhattan wanting a single K–12 (indeed toddler-to-18) independent school. United Nations International School is best for: UN-affiliated and diplomatic families relocating to New York (who receive admissions priority). The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between Léman Manhattan Preparatory School and United Nations International School?
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School: USD 70,700–72,000 (Kindergarten–Grade 12). United Nations International School: USD 46,856–52,167. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Léman Manhattan Preparatory School and United Nations International School offer?
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School: IB, American. United Nations International School: IB.
Do Léman Manhattan Preparatory School or United Nations International School offer boarding?
Léman Manhattan Preparatory School: offers boarding. United Nations International School: day school only.
Questions parents ask
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →