Our Mission

The Horace Mann School was founded in 1887 as a co-educational experimental and developmental unit of Columbia University's Teachers College. It became financially and administratively independent in 1946, and now is a co-educational college preparatory day school enrolling students in nursery through twelfth grade. Horace Mann seeks to educate and nurture its students and to help them fulfill their potential. To attain this goal, the School provides a challenging and rigorous set of academic and extracurricular programs within a caring and supportive environment. Students are encouraged to test and learn about themselves, to develop a concern for others and to grow intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. The School encourages students to understand that learning is a lifelong endeavor that is valuable in itself.