A Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12 co-educational independent day school in Westchester County, New York
A Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12 co-educational independent day school in Westchester County, New York
At Rye Country Day School, you will find community. RCDS is a place where students are engaged and supported; where they can take advantage of countless opportunities to learn, team, create, and discover; and where they are encouraged to be true to themselves.
We believe that character, knowledge, and skills are the foundation of good citizenship. The School has a strong tradition of excellence in teaching and learning, of knowing and approaching students as individuals, and of instilling a lifelong commitment to our motto, Not for Self, but for Service.
Excellence happens at Rye Country Day because of a shared commitment to realizing our individual and collective potential within a diverse and inclusive community. RCDS is an ever-evolving institution unafraid of new challenges and ideas. We learn thoughtfully from the lessons of the past and look eagerly to the possibilities of the future.
We believe in an admissions experience that is personal and reciprocal. We get to know each applicant and their family to create tailored opportunities for them to learn about Rye Country Day and how it might be the place and community where they can learn and thrive. Connect with us. Learn, explore, and discover what a Rye Country Day education might mean for you.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about what Rye Country Day might mean for your family, please reach out to us at (914) 925-4513 or admissions@ryecountryday.org. You may also sign up to receive emails once-a-month from the Office of Admissions. Each newsletter will include application information, upcoming event dates, and school news.
As a junior at Rye Country Day School, who entered in Pre-K, I can confidently state that my experience has had an incredibly positive effect. Through my time at RCDS, I have dealt with the complexities of balancing a rigorous course load with sports and other endeavors, which has made me develop into the person I am today.
- Grade 11 Student
At RCDS, I have learned how to better express my authentic self and thrive in an academically challenging but supportive environment.
- Grade 11 Student
As RCDS parents for the past 14 years, we think the school has provided our 3 kids with a fabulous learning environment. The small size has allowed them participation and leadership opportunities in athletics, clubs, and the arts that they never would have gotten at a larger school. They especially have enjoyed the camaraderie and intellectual discourse with their peers in and out of the classroom (it's "cool" to be smart).
- Parent
I am a RCDS parent with three children at the school. We are entering our 4th year at RCDS and have been extremely satisfied with the experience. I have found that within the first year of being part of RCDS, each of my kids was deeply known and cared for by all the teachers and staff in their division.
- Parent
RCDS is a genuine community with faculty and students who care about you as an individual. With dozens of clubs and team sports, it is easy and highly encouraged to get involved at the school. The people truly make this school exceptional; I have met some of my best friends here who I will keep for life. I am forever grateful that I chose this school for my education.
- Grade 12 Student
We moved to the area 8 years ago with no prior connection to RCDS at all and have been welcomed with open arms by the faculty, administration and other families. RCDS has many events in the afternoons, evenings and weekends to create community, build school spirit and embrace public purpose.
- Parent
The students are friendly and kind, making it easy to connect and make new friends. The classes are not only educational but also fun and engaging, making learning a joy. I highly recommend RCDS to anyone seeking a warm and enriching educational experience.
- Parent
One of my favorite activities each year is Wildcat Weekend - an event where the whole school comes together. I think this weekend really encapsulates what I love about RCDS: our spirit, interconnectedness, and strong sense of community.
- Grade 12 Student
I have made life long friends from Pre-K to now, 12th grade. My teachers and coaches not only teach the curriculum or the game, but also care about my well being and my path to success.
- Grade 12 Student
Attending RCDS has been transformative for my children. They have grown intellectually, discovered new interests and talents, and become far more confident. The teachers, administrators and coaches know my kids incredibly well.
- Parent
Character. Knowledge. Skills. Citizenship.
When visitors walk through the hallways of our school and observe classes, they see vibrant students who are engaged and genuinely eager to learn. RCDS students are committed to working hard—they do their homework, they are active in class, and they challenge themselves consistently to grow and achieve.
Teaching at RCDS means being an agent of inspiration for students and colleagues alike. The School is committed to recruiting and retaining the very best teachers. It is not uncommon for faculty to move great distances in order to teach at Rye Country Day.
At Rye Country Day, students belong. The entire community works to make sure that all students experience a strong sense of connection within a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment, which is critical to learning.
At RCDS, students do not have to choose between athletic and creative pursuits—they can do both. The School offers numerous athletic opportunities via 72 interscholastic teams, and the size of our community means that there is room for every student to participate. At the same time, students can pursue various creative interests across disciplines supported by committed faculty and incredible facilities from videography studios to concert practice rooms, dance studios, state-of-the-art theaters, ceramics studios, and manual arts shops.
Joy is an essential part of the RCDS experience. When you walk through our halls, you see smiling students and happy teachers. We strive to tap into joy on a daily basis.
RCDS teachers are not just subject teachers, they’re teachers of empathy, kindness, and confidence. They’re also advisors and coaches. They champion learning that extends beyond their disciplines and divisions to provide a cohesive education of the “whole child."
Small class sizes and teachers who collaborate with each other care deeply about their students enable us to fulfill our promise of a nurturing environment that ignites a passion for learning in each individual student.
RCDS is committed to providing students with the skills they need to be 21st-century thinkers and changemakers. At Rye Country Day, learning crosses disciplines, and knowledge and aptitudes transfer to new and exciting problems.
Rye Country Day students enjoy the benefits of a small school coupled with facilities that are more typical of larger institutions. Our campus features innovation labs, theaters, turf fields, and entire buildings dedicated to the arts, complete with a black box theater, a design makerspace, and visual arts studios equipped with the best equipment. Students get to learn and work in all of these spaces within a curriculum that encourages exploration. The result is eager, experienced, adventurous, and multifaceted thinkers and learners.
RCDS is actively committed to diversity and inclusion, and the diversity of our community is a great point of pride for our faculty and students. In admissions surveys, RCDS families cited the School’s commitment to exciting academics and a diverse community as the top two reasons they chose to enroll. Our curriculum considers diversity in its many aspects including learning the language of diversity, understanding diversity identifiers, representing diversity in class content, and engaging across difference.
We hope to meet you during one of our in-person campus tours. In the meantime, you can explore virtually through our online campus tour.
Our Admissions Student Leaders are current senior students who are ready to answer your questions!
