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2020 Best Public High Schools for Athletes in New YorkAbout this List

Explore the best public high schools sports programs serving your area. Ranking based on student and parent reviews of athletics, number of state championships, student participation in athletics, and the number of sports offered at the school. Compare the best high school sports programs in your area. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 25 of 1,269
Best for Athletes
1,269 results

  1. Victor Senior High School

    • Victor Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 235 reviews
    #1 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Victor is a fairly large school (350 per class) but you definitely do not feel it until high school and even then it is still personalized. There are many, many parents that are teachers or administration at the school so it's a small town feel. They put lots of money into the school with a brand new aquatic center, and another indoor sports center, which we definitely need with the terrible weather we have. The campus is just beautiful - it's like a small college campus!
    Read 235 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 31 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  2. Massapequa High School

    • Massapequa Union Free School District, NY
    • 10-12
    • 329 reviews
    #2 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Massapequa High School is a place where everyone can find their unique path. It builds a steady foundation for everyone’s future through the positivity, interactions between faculty and students and the amazing extra curricular opportunities. They try their best to make it a safe environment for everyone, making all students and staff feel like it is their home away from home.
    Read 329 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 28 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Cornwall Central High School

    • Cornwall Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 267 reviews
    #3 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I love a lot of things about Cornwall High school.Since freshman year I have always felt comfortable going there every single day for school.Everyone is taught to get a long with each other and there is never bullying taking place.Additionally I enjoy the love for sports our school has.On the other hand I feel that the teachers are always there to help you and they usually form strong relationships with individuals throughout the years.You aren’t just a random number in any of your classes.Also the school cafeteria has great food even when they are trying to keep everything very healthy.
    Read 267 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 26 Total Number of Sports
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  4. Monroe-Woodbury High School

    • Monroe-Woodbury Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 385 reviews
    #4 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Alum: Monroe-Woodbury is a very large school which is at times scary. In my case, I loved having an environment like this. It was very diverse, allowing students to find their own group of friends. With so many clubs, activities and sports, it's hard to choose what you want to be apart of! I personally was an athlete and was also apart of the sign language club. These two extra-circular activities allowed me to find many groups of friends and be a part of what makes Monroe-Woodbury so great! The school safety officers always made me feel safe; in days such as these it is important that students feel this way. The teachers, coaches, administrators, and counselors are what made the school so great. They prepared me for college and for the adult world. I loved my days as a crusader and hope others do as well!
    Read 385 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 28 Total Number of Sports
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  5. Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Senior High School

    • Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 118 reviews
    #5 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Alum: The faculty really cared about the students. As a student-athlete, my coaches always told me to put academics first. I went on to play volleyball at Syracuse University on an academic scholarship for two years before I decided I wanted to delve more into my studies. Since I was talented enough to play on that level but not trapped by an athletic scholarship I was able to have that experience without feeling pressured to continue. The school itself has an amazing community surrounding it. Academic excellence is attainable and balanced with fun activites such as sporting events, musicals, and rehersals.
    Read 118 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 24 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  6. Cicero-North Syracuse High School

    • North Syracuse Central School District, NY
    • 10-12
    • 477 reviews
    #6 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Cicero-North Syracuse high school is a large school filled with unique students. The staff values their students education and I loved the increased school spirt between the students throughout my 3 years here. There’s plenty of different classes and electives you can choose from, so you can get an aspect from many subjects if you choose. Opportunities are endless for you to take part in, whether it comes down to clubs, sports, jobs or any other after school activities. Class sizes are a bit large, but that doesn’t stop you from making many new friends and teacher connections like I did. This high school continues to expand academically, in which I’m happy to see how far they’ve come in the future.
    Read 477 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 31 Total Number of Sports
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  9. Shenendehowa High School

    • Shenendehowa Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 242 reviews
    #7 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Even though many currently enrolled students may complain about Shenendehowa, many have no perspective on how good they have it here.

    The school offers excellent facilities, with two gymnasiums, two theaters, well-equipped labs, many computer labs, and a modern, recently renovated library.

    It's very hard to be at a loss for guidance at Shen. The staff is supportive and knowledgeable, willing to offer help for both academic and non-academic matters. The counselors deserve special recognition for having to see hundreds of students, yet still maintaining a supportive relationship with each one.
    Read 242 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 27 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Jamesville-Dewitt High School

    • Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 146 reviews
    #8 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: There is a strong sense of community at Jamesville DeWitt. Everyone is welcomed and treated as equals. The administration reaches out to students for feedback very often. Teachers are incredibly helpful, and students are widely successful. Sports teams are also very successful, and have won numerous state championships.
    Read 146 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 28 Total Number of Sports
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  11. Commack High School

    • Commack Union Free School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 748 reviews
    #9 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Junior: I love going to school here! The staff constantly tries to improve themselves everyday! Teachers always try their best to ensure every student gets the help they need. Unfortunately they are lacking in language, I loved taking German one, but I can't continue with the program because it was cancelled. They also offer every sport their division allows and encourages students to get involved.
    Read 748 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 33 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Elmont Memorial High School

    • Sewanhaka Central High School District, NY
    • 7-12
    • 409 reviews
    #10 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I entered Elmont Memorial High School during the 2015-2016 school year, and it truly provides an efficient transition from middle school to high school due to its integration from 7th through 12th graders. The teachers truly seek to be at the forefront of their students’ educational prowess, and they will put in that extra effort to help them succeed. The administration help create a safe environment to foster growth for all students, and you can certainly tell from your interactions with them. There are also many extracurriculars provided to help students become well rounded individuals, ranging from sports to Model United Nations. However, if you wish to take selective classes for certain college credits, there are not many APs provided and the emphasis on taking them is rather minuscule, though it is increasing.
    Read 409 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 24 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  13. Windsor Central High School

    • Windsor Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 101 reviews
    #12 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Parent: My son and our family had an awesome experience at Windsor Central H.S. We selected this school and actually paid tuition for four years so Joshua could have the best possible education. From the rigorous AP courses to the amazing and varied music program to great educators and administrators overall it was a great experience. It is my belief that we should not take education for granted but to take it on purpose!
    Read 101 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 25 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  14. Spencerport High School

    • Spencerport Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 150 reviews
    #14 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I love the atmosphere, everyone at spencerport has always been very kind, supportive, and respectful to me. The teachers I've gotten to know are all friendly, flexible, helpful, and understand what they are teaching. Lot's of AP and honors courses are offered which is very important to me since I am a strong student and this gives me opportunity to challenge myself. For students who are struggling in a subject there is a great tutoring program. The science technology engineering and math programs (stem) are all great and would highly recommend taking some. Everyone at Spencerport is very friendly and it isn't difficult to make friends. The school has a lot of college visit programs where you can sign up to have representatives from local colleges visit the high school, and has a lot of college help stuff and the naviance program is easy to use for letters of recommendation and college research.
    Read 150 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 30 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Arlington High School

    • Arlington Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 595 reviews
    #15 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I feel lucky to go to Arlington because of all the opportunities. Being in a big school can have downsides such as feeling surrounded by strangers but due to our size we are able to have a surplus of different clubs. Clubs are a easy to way to make the school shrink and get involved in your area of interest. There are new clubs made every year and they always suprise me by coming up with ideas I never would have thought of. Though still I'd say the worst thing about Arlington is the size. Being a senior and never having the chance to meet half your class is not ideal. Passing down the hallway and not recognizing more faces than not doesn’t scream community. It is also really annoying that you can meet someone freshmen year in your class and literally never see them again!
    Read 595 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 26 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Bayport-Blue Point High School

    • Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 90 reviews
    #17 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Bayport-Blue Point High School has a great environment for its students to succeed in. The teachers are very helpful and make great efforts to connect with their students, and they help their students with coursework in a way that is encouraging and without judgment. The students are, for the most part, exceptionally kind and accepting of people. There is a group for all teens as students, and there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in any regard. There are enormous opportunities for course selection, and has several computer science, engineering, and art classes that other schools don't have. Many AP classes for those interested.
    Read 90 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 24 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  17. West Genesee Senior High School

    • West Genesee Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 131 reviews
    #18 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Parent: Overall the school system is very good to excellent. Teachers and staff at West Genesee are friendly, helpful and passionate about the pupils. The school district offers a lot extra help if needed and has clubs for the students to be involved in if they want to be. It's clean, well maintained and pretty safe. The sports teams and coaches are very good and have a fairly successful season year to year. We've had a few bumps in the road with our transportation department in 2019 and also our administration department. Hopefully, all the issues have been resolved for our last year at the high school. I believe all schools have good years and bad!
    Read 131 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 28 Total Number of Sports
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  18. Bronxville High School

    • Bronxville Union Free School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 73 reviews
    #20 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Junior: I have been going to Bronxville for 12 years and although it is an extremely competitive environment, teachers are so helpful and it is all super manageable. The social life in Bronxville is super fun and seeing all the comments about drinking and drugs makes me sad because that is not necessarily true and honestly most high schools have more drinking and drugs than we do. Bronxville is so unique and it's such a great school! There's something there for everyone whether it is sports or the arts (which have become much more prominent in student life).
    Read 73 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 26 Total Number of Sports
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  19. Charles W. Baker High School

    • Baldwinsville Central School District, NY
    • 10-12
    • 197 reviews
    #21 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Overall a good experience, a great place to be! The teachers( for the most part) are great and truly care about their students. The sports are awesome along with the clubs. The diversity is lacking, but that is just due to the surrounding area. The school could do more to make the environment safer and to also hear kids opinions. Sometimes it feels like administration only cares what adults think about the system which can be frustrating at times.
    Read 197 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 32 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  22. East Meadow High School

    • East Meadow Union Free School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 242 reviews
    #22 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Sophomore: It’s great overall but the school really needs to fix some of the clubs and add new ones. Most club meetings except for the big clubs only last for 5-10 minutes and not much happens in that short time frame. They also need more clubs like a dance club and whatnot. Teachers are fine, i’d say 90% are good and prepared but some can be very difficult to deal with. Kids here are okay and polite, no bullying happens here and very little racism. I wish they offered some more classes. The amount of classes they offer here is quite decent it’s just there are some niche classes I wished they offered. Athletics are good too. Music program here is very very good as well.
    Read 242 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 26 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  23. Honeoye Falls-Lima Senior High School

    • Honeoye Falls-Lima Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 129 reviews
    #23 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Personally, I really enjoyed the safe and friendly environment at HF-L. The school has a very welcoming community feel. Since HF-L has so many after school activities, everyone has the opportunity to find somewhere they fit in and feel like they are a part of. The HF-L Freight Train really brings students together in supporting their sports teams and makes games fun for everyone. In my experience, the teachers have all been very open to students asking questions and staying after for any help. Overall, it is clear that the faculty at HF-L want their students to succeed and prepare them well for their futures.
    Read 129 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 26 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  24. Pittsford-Mendon High School

    • Pittsford Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 158 reviews
    #24 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Sophomore: Pittsford Mendon High School is a unique educational and social institution. What makes Mendon awesome is that we are Viking STRONG. Our motto represents our values. The “S” stands for spirited. Whether it be sporting events, pep rallies or spirit days, we take pride seriously. Everyone does their best to get involved! The “T” means together. We work together to be accepting. We also collaborate on school and extracurricular activities. “R” means respect. We believe that everyone deserves respect because we are all humans. “O” means original. Everyone is encouraged to come up with ideas and try new approaches, but most importantly be themselves! Along with that the “N” stands for nurturing. We nurture classmates and support each other to ensure positive learning experiences. Lastly, “G” means genuine. At Mendon we put our hearts into everything. We persevere to have a genuine attitude. Mendon students are STRONG, and I believe it is a wonderful school.
    Read 158 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 30 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  25. New Rochelle High School

    • New Rochelle City School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 517 reviews
    #25 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: Lately, this school has been getting dragged through the dirt in the news by people who aren't even real members of the school's community. They have no idea what or who they're talking about, and the media takes advantage of that and paints it out to be so much worse than it actually is. New Rochelle High School is actually a tight-knit community that makes up a family- and like all families, you don't always like who you live with. But you look out for one another anyways. Overall, there's nothing out of the ordinary here, except for the fact that New Rochelle has been educating outstanding students, athletes, and leaders for years. It has less-than-ideal food and some teachers that aren't as fun as others, but that's literally any school. I'm just fed up with a good school getting a bad rap because of people discussing something they haven't fully researched or experienced full hand.
    Read 517 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 29 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Wantagh Senior High School

    • Wantagh Union Free School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 101 reviews
    #27 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Alum: The teachers were heavily engaging and extremely involved in student life. Education quality was outstanding. Lots of school spirit activities. Sports are inescapable.

    Pretty competitive environment, but faculty/counselors are attentive and encouraging. Disability support services are exceptional. Administration allows students to go out on their lunch periods [freshmen excluded].

    Lack of diversity, not only in ethnicity, but in individuality as well. There are a lot of cliquish girls and guys who are all into "the same thing". Bullying, especially indirect harassment, is an issue.
     Typical teenage attitude is reinforced by students and staff. Little wiggle room at this school. It isn't just hobby/academic based; if you break high school stereotypes, you're either monstrously loved or nothing more than a background prop.
    Read 101 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 29 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Rush-Henrietta Senior High School

    • Rush-Henrietta Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 190 reviews
    #28 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I adore how Rush-Henrietta Senior High School has an inclusive, diverse and flourishing community. Not only is the building itself very accomodating, but the staff that runs it is absolutely amazing. It would be difficult to pass down the hallway without receiving a pleasant greeting from one of them. Additionally, the school provides students with a wide variety of academic material to choose from, such as challenging courses like AP Chemistry or AP Government, to fun classes like Cinematic Literacy or Forensic Science. This coupled with the many extracurriculars the school has to offer (such as various sports teams, a wide-variety of clubs, etc.) allows students to thrive and grow as human beings.
    Read 190 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 29 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Westhill High School

    • Westhill Central School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 104 reviews
    #29 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Sophomore: Overall an amazing place to attend but social groups are extremely clique-y and when it comes to teachers, everything boils down to a hit or miss.
    Read 104 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 32 Total Number of Sports
    View Nearby Homes

  29. Rye High School

    • Rye City School District, NY
    • 9-12
    • 72 reviews
    #30 Best High Schools for Athletes in New York

    Senior: I've had an enjoyable time at Rye although I lament it's lack of diversity and wish I'd been more exposed to different perspectives. Despite the lack of diversity, however, students at RHS are on the whole very open-minded and accepting of others. I've had a pleasant experience as an openly out LGBT person without being the victim of or witnessing bullying of any sort.

    Most of my teachers have been well-qualified and good at their jobs. A small few have been sub-par or just awful at teaching. The science department in particular I feel is lacking in strong teachers. Rye does have a strong and well-resourced art department for a public school, and breeds many creative students by offering an array of opportunities and encouraging artistic accomplishment. The school does a good job of preparing students for the rigor of college, yet the atmosphere is quite competitive and can be challenging to deal with at times, especially for the majority of students with such busy schedules.
    Read 72 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • A+
      Sports
    • 21 Total Number of Sports
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  30. Sponsored

    York Prep School

    • Private School
    • New York, NY
    • 6-12
    • 38 reviews

    Works Here: York Prep is a special school. In an ultra competitive city, where the private schools create high pressure environments, York stands out as a school that focuses on the individual students. The program is traditional and challenging, while targeted towards each individual student. This program works.
    Read 38 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 350 Students
    • 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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  35. Sponsored

    The Knox School

    • Private School
    • St. James, NY
    • 6-12
    • 18 reviews

    Parent: My child is entering her third year. Best choice we could have made. She is challenged every day to try something new. She has learned about leadership by being able to be on student council and participate in other activities that aren’t offered at other schools and we looked in to a lot. The administration is very dedicated and cares about every student like they were their own. They go out of their way to make families and students feel valued and respected. Seeing every kid in the senior class graduate and go onto places like Cornell, NYU, Stony Brook and more is amazing. I am confident my child will be prepared for college after graduating from Knox.
    Read 18 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 142 Students
    • 5:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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  36. Sponsored

    Shrub Oak International School

    • Private School
    • Mohegan Lake, NY
    • 3-12
    • 14 Students
    • 1:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
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