Registration No. 33-[ ]

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC.
(Exact name of issuer as specified in its charter)

           NEW YORK                                       13-1026995
(State or other jurisdiction of                        (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)                         Identification No.)

       1221 AVENUE OF AMERICAS
            NEW YORK, N.Y.                                   10020
        (Address of Principal                              (Zip Code)
         Executive Offices)

1993 KEY EMPLOYEE STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN
(Full Title of Plan)

KENNETH M. VITTOR, ESQ.
The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
(Name and address of agent for service)

Telephone number, including area code, of agent for
service:
(212) 512-2564

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

                                                 Proposed             Proposed
Title of                                         maximum              maximum
securities                  Amount               offering             aggregate             Amount of
to be                        to be               price per            offering             registration
registered                registered             share (1)            price (1)                fee
----------                ----------             ---------            ------------         ------------
Common Stock               4,895,500              $58.75              $287,610,625         $ 87,154.73
of The McGraw-Hill
Companies, Inc.


(1) Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule 457(h) as follows: on the basis of the average of the high and low prices of the Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Transactions on June 18, 1997, namely $58.75.

PART II

INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Statement Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8

Pursuant to General Instruction E of Form S-8, the registrant hereby incorporates by reference the contents of Registration No. 33-49743 and Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Registration Statement No. 33-49743 into this Registration Statement.

2

Signatures

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8, and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of New York, State of New York, on this 25th day of June, 1997.

THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC.

By:  /s/Joseph L. Dionne
     ---------------------------------------
     Joseph L. Dionne
     (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer)

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

SIGNATURE                            TITLE                                DATE
---------                            -----                                ----
/s/Joseph L. Dionne
---------------------
Joseph L. Dionne                  Principal Executive                 June 25, 1997
                                  Officer and Director

*Robert J. Bahash                 Principal Financial                 June 25, 1997
                                  Officer

*Thomas J. Kilkenny               Controller                          June 25, 1997

*Pedro Aspe                       Director                            June 25, 1997

*Vartan Gregorian                 Director                            June 25, 1997

*John T. Hartley                  Director                            June 25, 1997

3

SIGNATURE                            TITLE                                DATE
---------                            -----                                ----
*George B. Harvey                 Director                            June 25, 1997

*Richard H. Jenrette              Director                            June 25, 1997

*Linda Koch Lorimer               Director                            June 25, 1997

*Harold W. McGraw, III            Director                            June 25, 1997

*Robert P. McGraw                 Director                            June 25, 1997

*Lois Dickson Rice                Director                            June 25, 1997

*Paul J. Rizzo                    Director                            June 25, 1997

*James H. Ross                    Director                            June 25, 1997

*Sidney Taurel                    Director                            June 25, 1997

*Alva O. Way                      Director                            June 25, 1997

*By:   /s/Kenneth M. Vittor
       ----------------------------
       Kenneth M. Vittor
       (Attorney-in-Fact)

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit Number

(5) Opinion of Kenneth M. Vittor, counsel to the Corporation (including consent).

(23) Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent auditors.

(23) Consent of Kenneth M. Vittor, counsel to the Corporation (included in Exhibit 5).

(24) Power of Attorney.

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(EXHIBIT 5)

June 25, 1997

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
1221 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I have acted as counsel to The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (the "Corporation") in connection with the 1993 Key Employee Stock Incentive Plan (the "Plan"), as more fully described in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 being filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

In my opinion, the shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00, of the Corporation covered by the Plan have been duly authorized and, when issued in accordance with the terms of the Plan, will be legally and validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

I hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the above described Registration Statement and to the reference to this opinion in said Registration Statement, and any amendments thereto.

Very truly yours,

/s/ Kenneth M. Vittor
---------------------------
Kenneth M. Vittor

KMV/siv


(EXHIBIT 23)

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this Registration Statement on Form S-8 and related Prospectus pertaining to the 1993 Key Employee Stock Incentive Plan of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. of our reports dated January 28, 1997 with respect to the consolidated financial statements of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. incorporated by reference in its Annual Report (Form 10-K) for the year ended December 31, 1996 and the related financial statement schedule included therein, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

/s/ ERNST & YOUNG LLP


Ernst & Young LLP
New York, New York
June 25, 1997


(EXHIBIT 24)

THE MCGRAW-HILL COMPANIES, INC.
REGISTRATION STATEMENT
ON FORM S-8

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned hereby appoint Robert J. Bahash and Kenneth M. Vittor, or either of them, their true and lawful attorneys-in-fact with authority to execute in the name of each such person and in each capacity stated below, and to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Corporation's Registration Statement on Form S-8 in the form which the Corporation deems appropriate for the purpose of registering, pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, 4,895,500 additional shares of Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share, of the Corporation issuable in connection with the 1993 Key Employee Stock Incentive Plan and to execute and file in the name of each such person and in each capacity stated below, from time to time, all amendments, including post-effective amendments, and all supplements to such Registration Statement, which the Corporation deems appropriate.

This Power of Attorney may be executed in counterparts, all of which, taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.


SIGNATURE                        TITLE                          DATE
---------                        -----                          ----
/s/ Joseph L. Dionne
--------------------------
Joseph L. Dionne             Principal Executive            June 25, 1997
                             Officer and Director

/s/ Robert J. Bahash
--------------------------
Robert J. Bahash             Principal Financial            June 25, 1997
                             Officer

/s/ Thomas J. Kilkenny
--------------------------
Thomas J. Kilkenny           Controller                     June 25, 1997

/s/ Pedro Aspe
--------------------------
Pedro Aspe                   Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Vartan Gregorian
--------------------------
Vartan Gregorian             Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ John T. Hartley
--------------------------
John T. Hartley              Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ George B. Harvey
--------------------------
George B. Harvey             Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Richard H. Jenrette
--------------------------
Richard H. Jenrette          Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Linda Koch Lorimer
--------------------------
Linda Koch Lorimer           Director                       June 25, 1997

2

SIGNATURE                        TITLE                          DATE
---------                        -----                          ----
/s/ Harold W. McGraw, III
--------------------------
Harold W. McGraw, III        Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Robert P. McGraw
--------------------------
Robert P. McGraw             Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Lois Dickson Rice
--------------------------
Lois Dickson Rice            Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Paul J. Rizzo
--------------------------
Paul J. Rizzo                Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ James H. Ross
--------------------------
James H. Ross                Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Sidney Taurel
--------------------------
Sidney Taurel                Director                       June 25, 1997

/s/ Alva O. Way
--------------------------
Alva O. Way                  Director                       June 25, 1997

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