About Us

Hackley at a Glance

Founded in 1899, Hackley is a K-12 co-educational, college-preparatory day and five-day boarding school located in the Westchester County village of Tarrytown, just 30 minutes from NYC.
Michael C. Wirtz, Hackley’s 12th Head of School, appointed in 2016.

Motto: Iuncti Iuvamus (“United, we help one another”).

Unofficial motto: “Enter Here To Be and Find a Friend”

Colors: Black & Grey

Mascot: Hornet

"By the numbers ..."

Students
  • 840: Number of students K-12 (205 K-4; 240 5-8; 395 9-12)
  • 7:1 Student/Faculty ratio
  • 36% Students of color
  • 16: Average class size
Faculty
  • 83: Number of faculty/staff with 10+ years tenure at Hackley
  • 11: Average years of tenure at Hackley
  • 18.4: Median years of teaching experience
  • 38% of full time faculty in school housing
  • 87% hold advanced degrees
  • 30 faculty also coach
  • 16% Faculty of color
Student Life
  • 30 students in the 5-day Boarding Program
  • 42 student-led Upper School Clubs
  • 58 Upper School students participating in three student run publications
  • 21 students in Community Council (Student Government)
  • 16 on the Board of Magistrates (Student Disciplinary Council)
  • At least 854 Hackley students (and counting) have participated in global education trips, including Casten Family Study/Service trips, Round Square trips, and Language Immersion trips since 2000.
A.P. Exams
  • 188 students took 447 exams in May 2017. 93% of the scores were a “3” or higher.
  • 11 A.P. Courses Offered at Hackley: Biology, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science, French Language, Latin: Vergil, Physics C, Spanish Language, Statistics, Studio Art
  • Hackley stopped offering AP courses in English and history many years ago, replacing them instead with our own robust course offerings which better reflect our philosophy of education. A great many Hackley students still sit for the various English and history AP exams each year and typically achieve results significantly above national averages.
K-12 Arts
  • 20 different student musical groups perform each year
  • 80 students held recitals for individual instruments or voice last year
  • Approximately 180 private lessons are given each week in the Music Institute by professional instructors
  • Over 40% of 3rd and 4th grade students participate in the LS Strings and Instrumental programs
  • About 80 Performing Arts student performances, including six or more major drama productions.
  • 68 students performed at the spring Upper School Coffeehouse
  • 5 spring Art Shows: AP Studio Art, Upper School Studio Art, Middle School Studio Art, Lower School Art Grades 1-4, and Kindergarten Art Show.
Athletics
  • 27 different sports with over 80 teams across 7-12 grade
  • 85% participation in sports in Upper School
  • 34 New York State titles and 67 league titles since the 2007-08 school year
  • All K-6 Grade students are offered sports related after-school programs on a regular basis.
Families
  • 94:  Number of towns, villages and cities our families come from
  • Almost $5 million awarded in Financial Aid to 145 students in 2017-18
  • 427:  Number of parent volunteers last year
Alumni
  • 4,538 living alumni from 46 states, the District of Columbia, and 48 countries
285 Acre Campus
  • 1 Unified campus with closely connected Lower, Middle and Upper Schools
  • 1 Performing Arts Center with recording studio
  • 1 Nearly completed 115,000+ square foot Center for Health & Wellness
  • 1 Dedicated science building with 7 lab/classrooms, 3 lab prep rooms, and 1 field biology mud room
  • 2 Libraries
  • 5 Art Studios
  • 1 Photo lab/classroom
  • 1 MakerSpace
  • 7 Computer labs
  • 1 Organic deer-proof teaching garden
  • 6.5 miles of hiking/running trails
  • 1 Hackley Forest, including outdoor classrooms, a field biology research area, a 1-acre deer exclusion zone, and a wetlands facility
  • 5 Grass fields (including one with lights for evening games)
  • 2 Baseball fields
  • 2 Softball fields
  • 2 All-weather turf fields
  • 6 Tennis courts
  • 1 Outdoor track facility

Fun Facts



  • 4 gargoyles honoring faculty of 40+ years tenure
  • 14 faculty who are professional musicians, actors, or working visual artists
  • 11 (at least!) Hackley employees have completed marathons, triathlons, or both, with a few full Ironman competitions thrown in for good measure.