| The Brearley School | |
| Motto: | By Truth and Toil |
| Head Name: | Head of School |
| Head: | Jane Foley Fried |
| Head Name2: | Assistant Headmaster |
| Founder: | Samuel Brearley |
| Faculty: | 122 |
| Enrollment: | 772 (2024-25) |
| Grades: | Kindergarten – grade 12 |
| Streetaddress: | 610 East 83rd Street |
| Country: | United States |
| Colors: | Red and white |
| Mascot: | Beverly Beaver |
| Endowment: | $160 million (August 2024) |
The Brearley School is an all-girls private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York City. It educates approximately 770 girls in grades K–12, with approximately 50 to 65 students per grade. Starting in 2025, students with household incomes of $100,000 or below attend Brearley for free.
In addition to being a member of the New York Interschool Association, Brearley is considered a sister school of the all-boys Collegiate School and the nearby all-girls Chapin School, with which it shares an after-school program and some classes.
Samuel A. Brearley founded The Brearley School in 1884, and remained the head of school until 1886, when he died of typhoid fever. James G. Croswell was the next head until his death in 1915. Since 1926, Brearley has been headed by women, first by Millicent Carey McIntosh.[1]
In December 2011, Jane Foley Fried replaced former headmistress Stephanie J. Hull who had resigned for undisclosed reasons.[2] [3] Fried became Brearley's 15th head of school.[4]
The school's curriculum is based on the liberal arts. The student-to-faculty ratio is 6:1.[5]
Language instruction is offered in Ancient Greek, Latin, French, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
Students have access to two computer laboratories — one serving the Lower School, the other the Middle and Upper Schools. In addition, there are three smaller computer workrooms, one for middle schoolers and two for upper schoolers, as well as the science-projects room and laptops for use in the library and classrooms. Students in grades 7 and 8 are given iPads for the school year to aid with work in classes and assignments at home. In high school, students are expected to bring their own device, such as a laptop or iPad.
The New York Times describes Brearley as "one of the most competitive, academically rigorous private schools in the city."[6] Brearley has been recognized in several lists of schools that send their students to selective universities.
In addition, for 2025, Niche ranked Brearley the nation's top girls' school and the nation's third-best private K-12 school.[10]
In the five-year period from 2010 to 2024, Brearley placed 124 students at Ivy League schools.[11] Approximately 60-65 girls graduate from Brearley every year.[12]
In the 2024–25 school year, Brearley reported that 56% of its 772 students identified as people of color.
In the 2021–22 school year, Brearley reported that of its 768 students, 308 (40.1%) were white, 161 (21.0%) were Asian, 58 (7.6%) were Hispanic, 54 (7.0%) were Black, and 187 (24.3%) were multiracial. The school was not permitted to include students in two or more categories.
Tuition for the 2024–25 academic year is $64,100.[13] 20% of the student body was on financial aid, and the average grant was approximately $58,552, or 91% of tuition. The school stated that it covered 100% of admitted students' demonstrated financial need.[14]
In 2024, the school announced that moving forward, students with household incomes at or below $100,000 (5% of the student body in 2024–25[15]) will attend Brearley for free. That year, 75% of financial aid students had household incomes over $100,000.
The school states that "applying for financial assistance does not impact our determination of your child's admissibility."[16]
In August 2024, Brearley's endowment stood at "around $160 million." In its Internal Revenue Service filings for the 2022–23 school year, Brearley reported total assets of $360.2 million, net assets of $275.9 million, investment holdings of $181.2 million, and cash holdings of $13.4 million. Brearley also reported $38.7 million in program service expenses and $7.1 million in grants (primarily student financial aid).[17]
Brearley has been headquartered on a 12-story building on 610 East 83rd Street since 1929. The school previously occupied quarters on East 45th Street, West 44th Street, and the corner of Park Avenue and East 61st Street.[18]
The building is at full capacity, but in 2015, the school announced that it would not seek an alternative site. Instead, it will renovate the main building and expand into three other buildings.[19] Brearley opened a new building at 590 East 83rd Street in Fall 2019 to house its lower school program.[20]
A separate building, the "Field House" on East 87th Street, has facilities for physical education and athletics including track, soccer, basketball, tennis, badminton, volleyball, lacrosse and field hockey.[21] Brearley also utilizes other sports facilities frequently, such as Randall's Island and Asphalt Green.
Brearley fields varsity teams in 13 sports.[22] The school's team colors are red and white, and its mascot is a beaver.[23]
See main article: List of Brearley School alumnae.