Overall, public education in New York state is about average: the state’s 2019 high school graduation rate is slightly below the national rate. Nevertheless, there are quite a few school districts in the state that perform remarkably well, academically, and stack up against the best in the nation. Let’s take a closer look at New York’s five best school districts. 

Mamaroneck Union Free School District is the best school district in New York state. The district comprises four elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school serving around 5,300 students from the village of Mamaroneck and two other Westchester County communities. MSD elementary students are remarkably proficient in reading, with 77% of the district reading at or above the benchmark. 

Pittsford Central School District earns New York’s #2 spot. The district consists of nine school buildings serving an enrollment of about 5,700 students hailing from several Monroe County municipalities. Schools in the district have received numerous accolades, including 2018-2019 NYSED Recognition School honors for Pittsford Mendon High School and Pittsford Sutherland High School. 

The 3rd best school district in New York is Valley Stream Central High School District, one of just three state public school districts to exclusively cover grades 7-12. Valley Stream has excellent schools, and the numbers back it up: the district has a 95% graduation rate and its students are 80% proficient in math.

Monroe-Woodbury Central School District places 4th in the ranking of New York School Districts. N-W consists of seven school buildings serving around 6,700 students and has earned state accolades for its academic and athletic achievements.

Rye City School District closes out the ranking of the best New York school districts. The district’s accredited high school is one of the best in the state, offering a full range of AP courses and many extracurricular programs. It’s no surprise that 95% of graduates go on to attend university or college. 

Top School Districts in New York, 2020

Methodology

The following variables contributed to the ranking: number of students (K-12), graduation rate, school funding per student, student to teacher ratio, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Math test, percent of students scoring above proficient in standardized state Reading and Language test. Data from a total of 10,247 public school districts were used to compute a score for each school district. The following states were omitted due to lack of sufficient data: Hawaii, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Virginia. Note that high schools in some states have their own independent districts.