United Nations International School
🇺🇸 New York · Founded 1947 · IB · Ages 4–18
Reviewed by Priscilla Han · 2026-07-23
The founding IB school of the United Nations — a large, non-profit, coeducational PreK–12 IB day school in Manhattan (est. 1947) with an exceptionally international community, CIS + NYSAIS accreditation, and a UN-affiliated admissions priority. Tier capped at A: the US has regional/independent-school accreditation but no graded public inspectorate.
Curricula
IB
Age range
4–18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD USD 46,856–52,167
Enrollment
1,450
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
DP
Accreditations
CIS, NYSAIS
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
United Nations International School (UNIS) was established in 1947 by a group of United Nations parents, opening in Lake Success, New York with 36 children from 15 countries speaking 10 languages. It operates 'under the auspices of the United Nations and guided by its ideals,' and describes itself as 'the school of the United Nations.' Its permanent Manhattan building, at 24-50 FDR Drive overlooking the East River about a mile south of UN Headquarters, opened in January 1973. A second Queens campus (Jamaica Estates) ran a K–8 programme until 2022 and is now closed; UNIS today operates on the single Manhattan campus.
UNIS is a PreK–12, coeducational, college-preparatory day school organised into three divisions: Junior School (Pre-K–Grade 4), Middle School (Grades 5–8) and Tutorial House (Grades 9–12). It was one of the pilot schools of the International Baccalaureate and among the first schools to award IB diplomas. It teaches its own developed PreK–12 curriculum that culminates in the IB Diploma Programme (bilingual diplomas offered); the school's public pages reference only the IB DP, with no PYP or MYP authorization stated.
The community is genuinely global: the school reports students from roughly 97–109 countries and 86–91 mother-tongue languages, with faculty drawn from 45–60 countries (figures vary across UNIS's own pages). Around half of families are UN-affiliated. Instruction is in English, and every student studies a second world language (French or Spanish) from the early years, adding a third language from Grade 7 and a possible further language in the IB Diploma; nine languages are offered.
UNIS is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS), the European Council of International Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools and the College Board, and is registered with the New York Board of Regents. Accreditation by the Middle States Association could not be confirmed on the school's own pages. Tuition is fully published (2026-27: $46,856 Junior School up to $52,167 for Grade 12), and financial aid is offered.
Honest positioning: a historically significant, deeply international IB school with strong accreditation and a distinctive UN mission. As is common for US independent schools, it does not publish IB Diploma average scores or a verified university-destination list — outcomes cannot be independently verified.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
Accredited by CIS and a member of NYSAIS, with a 75+ year history as an IB founding school — strong accreditation depth. The United States has regional and independent-school accreditation (CIS, MSA, NEASC, NYSAIS) but no graded public inspectorate like Singapore's BSO or Dubai's KHDA, so the tier is capped at A (S is reserved for schools with a genuine graded public inspection verdict).
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- 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
- Fully published, transparent tuition schedule, with financial aid available
- Distinctive mission and access to UN institutions (e.g. an annual Model UN conference held in the UN General Assembly Hall)
Trade-offs
- 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
- High US-independent-school fees ($46,856–$52,167 tuition plus one-time and capital charges); day school only, no boarding
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓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
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families who require published IB results or a verified university-placement record before enrolling
- ✕Families needing boarding or living outside the Manhattan commute zone (single campus since the Queens closure)
- ✕Families specifically wanting an authorized IB PYP/MYP continuum (only the DP is evidenced)
- ✕Families who need documented, structured EAL support (provision not published)
Curriculum
UNIS teaches its own developed PreK–12 curriculum culminating in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme; it is a founding IB school and offers bilingual diplomas. Only the IB DP is evidenced on public pages — no PYP or MYP authorization is stated, and it is not Cambridge-authorized. English is the language of instruction; every student studies French or Spanish from the early years, adds a third language from Grade 7, and may take a further language in the IB Diploma (nine languages offered).
Fees
Fully published for 2026-27. Annual tuition by division: Junior School (Pre-K–Grade 4) $46,856; Middle 1–3 (Grades 5–7) $48,592; Middle 4 (Grade 8) $49,259; Tutorial 1–2 (Grades 9–10) $50,911; Tutorial 3 (Grade 11) $51,390; Tutorial 4 (Grade 12) $52,167. Fees payable on acceptance total $5,050 ($250 admissions fee, $1,000 tuition pre-payment, $300 security deposit, $3,500 one-time new-parent levy per family), plus an annual $1,400 per-child capital surcharge and a $200 per-family Parents' Association fee. Financial aid is offered. Verify current figures directly with the school.
Admissions
Priority is given to children of parents transferring to work for the UN, Missions to the UN and Consulates, though admission is not automatic even for UN families. For 2026-27 entry the application opened 1 September 2025 and was due 15 November 2025, with interviews/assessments by mid-January 2026 and midyear applications due 1 March 2026. All applicants are interviewed or assessed to determine programme fit. Admissions fee $250.
Campus Life
Single Manhattan campus at 24-50 FDR Drive, on a site overlooking the East River about a mile south of UN Headquarters (permanent building opened January 1973). Organised into Junior School, Middle School and Tutorial House. A former Queens (Jamaica Estates) K–8 campus operated until 2022 and is now closed. Distinctive features include an annual Model UN conference in the UN General Assembly Hall. Day school only.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- UNIS official — homepage (founding 1947, IB founding school, enrollment, nationalities, languages) · 2026-07
- UNIS official — About UNIS (school of the United Nations, PreK–12 IB day school, Manhattan campus) · 2026-07
- UNIS official — Academics (own PreK–12 curriculum, IB Diploma, language programme, divisions) · 2026-07
- UNIS official — Admissions (UN-affiliated priority, application dates, interview/assessment) · 2026-07
- UNIS official — Tuition & Fees 2026-27 (per-grade tuition + one-time fees) · 2026-07
- Wikipedia — United Nations International School (Queens K–8 closed 2022, university destinations, memberships) · 2026-07
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