Admissions FAQs

St. Luke’s School enrolls 345 students from diverse religious, spiritual, and moral traditions and those with no religious affiliation from Junior Kindergarten through Grade 8.

There are typically 18 students in Junior Kindergarten with two head teachers. In Kindergarten through Grade 8, we offer two sections, and the class size increases to approximately 18-20 students.

The overall student-teacher ratio is approximately 6:1. In Kindergarten - Grade 4, children learn in full groups, half groups, and small groups. In Grades 5 - 8, the program becomes increasingly departmentalized; students learn in full groups and half groups. There are special area teachers for world languages, art, dance, music, technology, science, library, world religions, and physical education.

The main entry points are in Junior Kindergarten and Kindergarten and Grade 6.  Applications are accepted for any grade with anticipated openings. For entrance in September 2022, we are accepting applications for Junior Kindergarten - Grade 7.

While it varies from year to year, be assured that there are multiple openings each year in these grades, and we are eager to add qualified students from diverse religious, spiritual, and moral traditions and those with no religious affiliation whose families embrace the school’s mission.

September 1 is the birthday cutoff date. Junior Kindergarten must be age four by September 1; and students entering Kindergarten will be age five by that date. Parents of children with summer or fall birthdays are encouraged to work with their pre-school or early childhood directors to determine school readiness.

St. Luke’s offers an Early Notification program to siblings; children of alumni, faculty and staff, and parishioners for Junior Kindergarten. We adhere to the Early Notification program established by the Independent School Admissions Association of Greater New York (ISAAGNY). 

For a complete description of the application process, please visit the Admissions section of this website. You can apply online or download the admissions application and mail it to the school. You should apply one year ahead of the anticipated entry. December 1 is the deadline for applications for the following September. Applications will be accepted after the admissions deadline only if there is an opening in a grade.

ERB testing is only required for Grades 2- 7.  All students applying must complete standardized tests administered by the Educational Records Bureau (ERB).

Tuition and fees for 2021-2022 range from $51,870   - $52,465.

Financial Aid is available and is based on financial need. Currently about 27% of students receive Financial Aid.

St. Luke’s School considers Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as important aspects of the human experience, the educational and moral formation of students, and the building of healthy, caring, and socially just communities. Families from diverse racial, ethnic, national, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds and sexual orientations are represented in our community. The current enrollment includes 37% students of color.

We actively embrace anti-bias/anti-racist themes and practices in our curriculum and focus on social justice and human rights in the upper grades. We have a Chief DEI Officer and DEI Integrator on our professional staff. Additionally, there is a DEI Wisdom Circle consisting of professional staff, parents, students, and an alumna who advise the community on ways to strengthen our DEI practices.

The Financial Aid program seeks to make the school accessible to as many families of varying economic backgrounds as possible. Students at all grade levels are eligible to apply for Financial Aid.

The vast majority of our students choose to attend independent day schools in New York City, but some attend boarding, specialized public schools, or parochial schools. Explore our list of highly competitive high schools to which our recent graduates were admitted.

The school is located on a historic garden block that it shares with the Church of Saint Luke in the Fields. The school campus consists of the main school building built in 1955, a large outdoor playground, and access to the surrounding grounds and church. Facilities include:

Spacious, sunny classrooms that face the green spaces of the church/school grounds

State-of-the-art playground which opened in 2019

Science labs for Upper and Lower School

Art studio

Fully equipped music room

A 4,000-square-foot gym that was completed in 2017

Grace Sawyer Library with over 18,000 volumes and 23,000 total copies

Media and Technology Lab

Dining Room

Black Box Theater

Chapel

In a recent zip code analysis of enrolled students, we learned that almost 80% of the students come from downtown Manhattan. Because the school is directly across from the Christopher Street PATH station, there are students from New Jersey. Many children live in Brooklyn and Queens, in addition to students from both the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan.

Yes. The After School Program is filled with enrichment programs and is available until 6:00 p.m. (Monday - Thursday) and 5:30 p.m. (Friday) at an additional fee. Upper School students (Grades 5 - 8) often remain after school to participate in the interscholastic athletic program.

Students are expected to come to school in comfortable, clean, and age-appropriate clothing. Students do not wear uniforms at St. Luke’s School.

St. Luke’s School was founded in 1945 by the Church of St. Luke in the Fields. The governance and fiduciary responsibility for the school is delegated by the School Board. St. Luke's School became independent from the church in December 2012.

School events such as Chapel, Commencement, and special performances take place regularly in the church. Likewise, the school building is used for church and community functions. Choristers from St. Luke's School sing each Sunday under the direction of the church's director of music. Many of the plantings on the block are maintained by church volunteers, including the renowned garden of St. Luke’s that is open to the public daily.

This unique relationship provides wonderful opportunities for mutual support, enrichment, and service.

St. Luke’s School actively seeks and serves families from diverse religious, spiritual, and moral traditions and those with no religious affiliation. Our goal is to affirm and nurture students in their spiritual or moral lives, irrespective of their cultural backgrounds. The religious education program takes a global approach to spirituality; starting with weekly classes in Junior Kindergarten and continuing through the grades with Chapel once or twice weekly. While based on the Episcopal liturgy, Chapel meetings are adapted to the changing needs and traditions of a community that reflects and honors a deep commitment to religious pluralism.

As an Episcopal School, we have a commitment to the integrity and responsibility of the individual and to the importance of learning how to live and learn well within communities where there is diversity in age, ability, economic status, ethnicity, race, gender identity, immigration status, linguistic traditions, nationality, political beliefs, religious/spiritual/moral traditions, and sexual orientation. We are charged with helping children to respect themselves, learn about and respect each other, and experience joy in the world around them. We believe in helping children learn how to use their gifts in ways that help others. Therefore, active participation, service, and respect for all are emphasized in school life.

St. Luke’s School follows the calendar of the Guild of Independent Schools of New York. View our calendar for details. Parents are reminded that regular attendance at school is extremely important for children at all grade levels. We ask all parents to plan family functions in accordance with the schedule of holidays and vacations.

Parents are valued members of the St. Luke’s School community. They provide critical perspectives about their child’s school experience; clear and open home-school communication is encouraged.

Parents volunteer in a variety of ways. They volunteer in the Grace Sawyer Library, chaperone Lower School field trips, and share family and cultural traditions. An active Parents Association provides funds to support the school’s programs through various events such the annual Christmas Fair and parent meetings on topics of interest. The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Wisdom Circle, which consists of parent volunteers, staff, and students, provides educational forums and assists the school in creating a culture of inclusive belonging that prioritizes equity and social justice.

St. Luke’s School is located on an historic garden block at 487 Hudson Street in Manhattan’s West Village, a neighborhood of Greenwich Village, steps from the Hudson River. It is at the intersection of Hudson and Grove Streets, one block south of Christopher Street.

Some students walk or are driven to school by a parent or caregiver. Children who take a subway or bus are entitled to a free student MetroCard. Manhattan residents can request free yellow school bus transportation from the Board of Education.

Depending on their starting point, visitors take public transportation, drive, or walk.