
There’s more to New York than its largest city, yet the Big Apple is home to a lion’s share of the state’s public school students as the City School District of New York, with its 1.1 million plus students enrolled in over 1,800 schools, is the largest school system in the United States. However, the state’s best school districts are in service to smaller communities.
New York’s top school system is Manhasset Union Free School District, administering two kindergarten through 6th grade schools and one 7th through 12th grade school located in Manhasset on the North Shore of Long Island. According to U.S. News & World Report, the district boasts a whopping 98% graduation rate and students have achieved an English proficiency of 99%.
Rye City School District, comprising five schools in affluent Westchester County, ranks second on the list. Three of the elite district’s schools have earned National Blue Ribbon award honors, and the system has been ranked among the nation’s best by Newsweek, and other national publications.
Another Westchester County district, Byram Hills Central School District of Armonk, NY, ranks #3. 97% of Byram Hills students go on to college after graduating, according to the 2017-2018 profile.
We return to Nassau County, Long Island for #4 in the ranking, Jericho Union Free School District, a high achieving system of three elementary schools, two middle schools, and one high school.
Closing out the top five is yet another Westchester County district, Irvington Union Free School District. Both Irvington Middle School and Irvington High School have been recognized in the past as schools of excellence.
Top School Districts in New York, 2018
State Rank | School District | State |
---|---|---|
1 | Manhasset Union Free School District | New York |
2 | Rye City School District | New York |
3 | Byram Hills Central School District | New York |
4 | Jericho Union Free School District | New York |
5 | Irvington Union Free School District | New York |
6 | Blind Brook-Rye Union Free School District | New York |
7 | Scarsdale Union Free School District | New York |
8 | Bronxville Union Free School District | New York |
9 | Garden City Union Free School District | New York |
10 | Chappaqua Central School District | New York |
11 | Ardsley Union Free School District | New York |
12 | Briarcliff Manor Union Free School District | New York |
13 | Syosset Central School District | New York |
14 | Fayetteville-Manlius Central School District | New York |
15 | Herricks Union Free School District | New York |
16 | East Williston Union Free School District | New York |
17 | Pelham Union Free School District | New York |
18 | Mamaroneck Union Free School District | New York |
19 | Katonah-Lewisboro Union Free School District | New York |
20 | Pittsford Central School District | New York |
21 | North Shore Central School District | New York |
22 | Eastchester Union Free School District | New York |
23 | Great Neck Union Free School District | New York |
24 | Locust Valley Central School District | New York |
25 | Tuckahoe Union Free School District | New York |
26 | Rye Neck Union Free School District | New York |
27 | Bolton Central School District | New York |
28 | Port Jefferson Union Free School District | New York |
29 | Nanuet Union Free School District | New York |
30 | Massapequa Union Free School District | New York |
31 | Penfield Central School District | New York |
32 | Hastings-On-Hudson Union Free School District | New York |
33 | Pleasantville Union Free School District | New York |
34 | Roslyn Union Free School District | New York |
35 | Williamsville Central School District | New York |
36 | Croton-Harmon Union Free School District | New York |
37 | Edgemont Union Free School District | New York |
38 | Half Hollow Hills Central School District | New York |
39 | Mount Pleasant Central School District | New York |
40 | Port Washington Union Free School District | New York |
41 | Plainview-Old Bethpage Central School District | New York |
42 | Smithtown Central School District | New York |
43 | Cold Spring Harbor Central School District | New York |
44 | Harborfields Central School District | New York |
45 | Brighton Central School District | New York |
46 | Harrison Central School District | New York |
47 | Sag Harbor Union Free School District | New York |
48 | North Salem Central School District | New York |
49 | Lynbrook Union Free School District | New York |
50 | Bethpage Union Free School District | New York |
51 | Niskayuna Central School District | New York |
52 | Wantagh Union Free School District | New York |
53 | Somers Central School District | New York |
54 | Three Village Central School District | New York |
55 | Bedford Central School District | New York |
56 | Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District | New York |
57 | Cazenovia Central School District | New York |
58 | Ramapo Central School District (Suffern) | New York |
59 | Voorheesville Central School District | New York |
60 | East Meadow Union Free School District | New York |
61 | Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District | New York |
62 | Yorktown Central School District | New York |
63 | Seaford Union Free School District | New York |
64 | Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District | New York |
65 | Clarence Central School District | New York |
66 | Westhampton Beach Union Free School District | New York |
67 | Bethlehem Central School District | New York |
68 | Plainedge Union Free School District | New York |
69 | Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District | New York |
70 | Pearl River Union Free School District | New York |
71 | Northport-East Northport Union Free School District | New York |
72 | Guilderland Central School District | New York |
73 | Chazy Union Free School District | New York |
74 | Kings Park Central School District | New York |
75 | Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District | New York |
76 | Saratoga Springs City School District | New York |
77 | Commack Union Free School District | New York |
78 | Elwood Union Free School District | New York |
79 | Shenendehowa Central School District | New York |
80 | Skaneateles Central School District | New York |
81 | Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District | New York |
82 | Carle Place Union Free School District | New York |
83 | Rockville Centre Union Free School District | New York |
84 | Cornwall Central School District | New York |
85 | Haldane Central School District | New York |
86 | South Orangetown Central School District | New York |
87 | Hewlett-Woodmere Union Free School District | New York |
88 | Mineola Union Free School District | New York |
89 | Hauppauge Union Free School District | New York |
90 | Westhill Central School District | New York |
91 | Red Hook Central School District | New York |
92 | West Irondequoit Central School District | New York |
93 | Clarkstown Central School District | New York |
94 | Shoreham-Wading River Central School District | New York |
95 | Victor Central School District | New York |
96 | Oceanside Union Free School District | New York |
97 | Sayville Union Free School District | New York |
98 | Mount Sinai Union Free School District | New York |
99 | Orchard Park Central School District | New York |
100 | Frontier Central School District | New York |
Methodology
The following contributed to the ranking: student performance (math and reading test scores), dropout rates, school funding, and area poverty rates. Data was collected from a total of 9,577 school districts.
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