2023 Best Public High Schools in the New York City Area

• Monmouth County Vocational School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  105 reviews

Senior: Choosing this high school was one of the best decisions of my life! From amazing teachers to peers that support and get along with each other, High Technology High School provided me with the best possible high school experience I could have asked for. The academics are rigorous but manageable, and the clubs provide great opportunities to meet and become friends with others who share your interests. The hour long lunch in the middle of every day is a perfect time to get some extra studying done as well as generally hanging out with friends. I have met so many great people by going to this school, and I believe that I changed for the better having gone here over my home high school. There are people from every walk of life and by going to this school I was able to learn so much, not just from academics but also from my fellow students.... Read 105 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 295

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Morris County Vocational School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.15 out of 5  39 reviews

Alum: The best experience I could have possibly had in high school. Great teachers, resources, facilities, and most importantly, people. I met people here I'll never forget. At first, the schoolwork was difficult and I thought I might not be able to stay, but the community helped me get through it. I was able to thrive at AMSE thanks to that same community and would recommend it for anyone interested in STEM in the future!... Read 39 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 182

• Student-teacher ratio —

• New York City Geographic District No. 10, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  1,030 reviews

Parent: Excellent academics, almost every AP possible offered, lots of students taking post AP classes. Large school (~2800 kids), but brilliant student body with a wide range of interests and passions. This is the school where one can find high performing athletes with interests in performing arts and computers science or biology or math or physics or engineering. As one of the Specialized high school of the city, students come from all boroughs, making a 2-4 hours daily commute a regular part their 4-year high school journey. Very large number of clubs, sports, student activities. Teachers and administrators are top notch and dedicated. Perfect? Of course not, as it is after all a public school, but the Alumni foundation and the Parent Association are extremely active and generous both with time and resources to make up for what the Dept of Education budget does not cover. Go Wolverines!... Read 1,030 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,937

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 2, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.1 out of 5  1,126 reviews

Junior: Stuyvesant High School is extremely rigorous, and the experience is super different from any other school in New York City, even other specialized high schools. However, the Stuy community is also unlike any other, and despite the difficult and college-level classes, the school provides a large array of materials and resources to ensure that students can preform to their best ability. Not everyone is going to be happy at Stuy, and I think a genuine love for learning and education is really important so as not to get overwhelmed here. However, if you want to challenge yourself, I think Stuyvesant is the best school in the city. If I would change one thing about Stuyvesant it would definitely be the diversity. The school is over seventy percent Asian, and a lot of other ethnic groups don't get an equal opportunity at getting in. However, a great many diverse groups are represented in the school's clubs and organizations, and the school is making an active effort to be more inclusive.... Read 1,126 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 3,357

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  546 reviews

Junior: I am a junior at Bergen County Academies and I have had a good experience so far. The teachers at Bergen County Academies are for the most part very knowledgeable in their fields. They are willing to go above and beyond. I also appreciate the fact that the school tries to ensure college readiness through guidance seminar and an overall competitive environment. One thing that I would like to see change at Bergen County Academies is the availability of resources for students. While the school does have a lot of resources available, I feel like there could be more support for students who are struggling academically or who need extra help. Another issue students may encounter is the fact that they are locked into their chosen academy. Overall, my experience at Bergen County Academies has been positive. It is a great school with a strong focus on academics and extracurricular activities, but getting involved in those activities might be difficult due to the already extended school day.... Read 546 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,118

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 31, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.35 out of 5  771 reviews

Junior: You will be exposed to a multitude of resources during your time here and welcomed into a great community! While this school may not be for those unwilling to take on a rigorous academic experience, you will certainly be given the choices to take easier classes. The courseload can demanding at times, but most teachers are reasonable as long as you communicate with them. Ultimately, Tech will offer you many things to enhance and enrich your high school experience, but it is up to YOU to take advantage, whether that be through an internship, mentorship, sport, club, SING, etc.... Read 771 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,336

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 25, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  678 reviews

Sophomore: I'm a sophomore at Townsend Harris, and my experience has been great! I really like that every year there are some school "holidays" that are special to our school only! The school was quite challenging academically since it required me to change my studying habits (I used to procrastinate a lot). The classes were nice. You could choose if you wanted to choose AP classes. But during freshman year you get automatically put into Pre-AP World History. Then in sophomore year, it's required to take AP World History. The students, teachers, and staff are all friendly! There are so many extracurriculars too, so if you're looking to do stuff in your free time there are a lot of options. The sports department is great too because of the variety. There's basketball, soccer, table tennis, badminton, handball, swimming, and many more!... Read 678 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,270

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Monmouth County Vocational School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  120 reviews

Freshman: I like the education and the people in the school, but the environment can be very stressful especially during important tests because everyone crams a lot of information. This also leads to a lot of people being depressed and overly stressed out about college. That is because it is an IB school and all of the classes are more rigorous and demanding. The school has some great teachers too on the bright side, especially in the science section. If you like science and you liked to pushed to the best of your abilities, I would recommend this school.... Read 120 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 315

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Union County Vocational-Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  143 reviews

Senior: Magnet is a school that is very near and dear to me. Throughout my time here, I have made many friends that I will stay in touch with for the rest of my life. I relish the opportunity to interact with so many intelligent people and feel that the culture is one that stimulates growth and improvement. The teachers are above average and it feels like they truly care about their students. I would highly recommend any students in the Union County area to apply to Magnet. It will absolutely be worth it.... Read 143 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 297

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Jericho Union Free School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  182 reviews

Sophomore: I really like the supportiveness at Jericho High School. The wide variety of classes caters to students interested in pursuing many paths in the future, from music to STEM to literature. I feel comfortable exploring opportunities with the support of my teachers, who go the extra mile to ensure that I'm always doing my best. The competitive environment is also very different from most schools, so it is not just the teachers encouraging you to do your best, its peers and classmates. Combined, all of this makes a healthy environment that ensures success!... Read 182 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,205

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Great Neck Public Schools, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.18 out of 5  262 reviews

Senior: Very, very academically toxic environment, it's not really competitive until you realize it is by having interactions with — normal people. Certain people here can be complete jerks, but others are nice. This school has a variety of types of people in it despite low racial diversity. The only very good sports teams are in badminton, fencing and track & field. Some other programs like tennis and swim are good sometimes, but they are generally just average. All the other sports are embarrassingly bad. (Core subject) teachers here are either average or very, very good. The largest redeeming factor for this school is that some of the teachers are world-class, and even perspective-changing, if their teaching method resonates with you. If you challenge yourself and take difficult classes, school will be hard. Some of the competition clubs are very good, some overfunded, others not funded at all. If you want to give your life for a grade and don't have bad social experiences, it's a 10/10.... Read 262 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,226

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 10, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  141 reviews

Senior: The High School of American Studies has created a rigorous academic environment in which students are pushed to do their best academically, striving for success on the daily. Teachers are always willing to help students with questions and test preparation, making it clear that they wish for each and every student to succeed. The history program is unmatched, as a curriculum of US History that would regularly take up one year is stretched into 3, allowing the students to truly learn the complexities of American history. Although the school is incredibly small, this acts as a positive in the overall experience. Students become incredibly comfortable with their peers and can easily trust anyone around them for help. The class size being small allows teachers and students to foster a closer relationship with much more daily specialized attention. The facilities are not exceptional in the high school itself, however the ability to use Lehman College's facilities makes up for any faults.... Read 141 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 385

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 5, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  199 reviews

Junior: I love the overall attention every individual student receives at HSMSE. Being a small school of 150 students a grade, HSMSE is able to provide every student the help they may need. Students are given the opportunity to create a closer bond with their teachers, making them more likely to participate during class and approach teachers after class. Additionally, every teacher is more than willing to offer students assistance. Being the rigorous school that it is, students may feel the need to seek review or extra clarification on a topic. This assistance is extremely easy to receive as there is a schedule handed out to every student regarding the teacher's office hours. Conveniently, teachers offer both morning office hours and afternoon office hours. Creating a tight knit community makes the school environment a safer and more comfortable place for everyone.... Read 199 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 496

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Union County Vocational-Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.09 out of 5  122 reviews

Senior: The Academy for Information Technology is a great school to attend if you are pursuing a business/information technology path as a career. You have focused vocational classes teaching business to programming languages like Java. However, the school does not provide the greatest of technological resources. Students only have Chromebooks and Desktops at the school often have their issues which makes it hard to use. Funding dedication in this area isn't the greatest. The counselors help you every step along the way in assisting your application up to college. The food here is average, not the greatest but there are secondary choices always such as hamburgers aside from the main lunch.... Read 122 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 284

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Bergen County Vocational Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  252 reviews

Senior: Bergen Tech Teterboro is really a wonderful school in so many ways! It has offered me so many different opportunities to further my academic career as well as many different ways to pursue my passions. One thing I love about our school is that since we're a technical school we have majors, Digital Media for the win, we have the chance to not only learn skills that we would have to wait for college to learn, but we also have the opportunity to work with industry standard equipment and materials that prepare us for entry into the workforce. Our senior internship program also allows the seniors another opportunity to intern and get real work experience in professional settings as high school seniors!... Read 252 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 677

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Syosset Central School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  368 reviews

Junior: Overall, my experience at Syosset High School has been pretty good. There is a lot of diversity among my peers, & the teachers as well. It's a competitive school, & has a lot to offer. There are many different class options depending on what your interests are. For example, different cooking classes, science classes (like A.P Bio, Anatomy & Physiology, Physics, etc). You even have the opportunity to get lifeguard certified through the school & have a job ready for you in the summer! However, in the future I would prefer to see more options for the medical field of study, for example an addition of classes similar to sports medicine.... Read 368 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,208

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Middlesex County Vocational & Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.51 out of 5  47 reviews

Junior: The academics at the school are amazing, and so are the teachers. They are very understanding and open to your opinions. However, I would like to see more diversity and more opportunities in sports and the arts. High school sports are something that you see throughout almost all high schools throughout America, but in the Academy, there's only one sport (soccer). We are studying almost all the time (and therefore, sitting), so it'd be great to get some more physical activity and get more sports into the Academy (football, volleyball, etc.).... Read 47 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 169

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Jersey City School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  290 reviews

Freshman: I went to Mcnair for 9th grade, when I was in lockdown. Thus, my entire freshman year was virtual, so please remember that. First of all, I want to say that the teachers are awesome. They sincerely care about the students -- not just academically, but also emotionally and socially, and in preparation for college. You also have classmates who are very focused on the college admissions process, which, depending on your worldview, is either good or bad. More me socially, I struggled at first to make friends(virtual), but then I started to reach out more to my classmates. I still keep in touch with some of them(11th grade). One thing though, is that the system is a bit rigid. I was advanced enough to take AP Stats as a freshman, but at first they put me in Geometry. My mother had to send 5 emails to let me take the placement test. Maybe its because its a bigger school compared to my old one, idk... Read 290 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 713

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Roslyn Union Free School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  133 reviews

Sophomore: I am a current sophomore at Roslyn High School. So far, feel very prepared for college thus far and I can't even imagine what could come next! I love all the opportunities that this school has given me whether it comes to sports, clubs, or even classes. I have had the opportunity to take various levels of courses, which has been great in challenging me. The teachers are always there to help, with office hours, extra help, email, and even after class. They have stayed lenient and understanding during the Covid-19 pandemic, which I am extremely grateful for. Although we have great opportunities the there is a lack of POC and culture from those communities, however, there is no divide between any of the communities, anyone can be friends with anyone. Overall I have had a very good experience so far.... Read 133 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,025

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Union County Vocational-Technical School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  133 reviews

Freshman: I love this school! I love having the opportunity to take a class specifically involving health sciences and learning more about my future career before college. This school has great a great environment and has a great curriculum. The learning experience is amazing and I feel like I learn a lot more than any of the other schools I have been. The teachers are great and even now in a virtual environment, they are trying their best to teach and be supportive of the students. I also love how this school has many amazing clubs and student life experiences. They give students a chance to try out different activities and hobbies with clubs as well as get to know more about each other. This school has many diverse students because they accept students from all over the county. It's great if you want to get to know about other cultures and interact with different people. Overall this school is amazing and I'm completely enjoying my experience, even as an online student.... Read 133 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 305

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Manhasset Union Free School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  74 reviews

Senior: Manhasset is quite a wealthy area, and its affluence is clear in our abundant resources. We have a very strong sports presence, seen in the large portion of the budget goes there. Our academia is quite rigorous, to the point that there is very stiff competition. A large percentage of the student body takes honors/AP courses. A 4.0+ weighted gpa (we have a 4.33 unweighted system) is quite common. However, the teachers are usually pretty willing to help you out whenever you need; I have personally sent quite a few 2 AM emails to them on the verge of a breakdown begging for extra help and they are quite ready to supply it. Socially, it is quite cliquey (athletes, geniuses, theatre kids, miscellaneous) but it is possible to make very good friends here. Clubs and the fine arts are ok; they're pretty overshadowed by sports but are still mediocre. Lots of college obsessions (some kids do ecs just for college). Overall, there's a lot of good people here and the academia is hard enough :)... Read 74 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 976

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 13, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  2,246 reviews

Senior: Brooklyn Technical High School is the quintessential NYC school. The largest public high school in the state if not the country. While smaller schools advertise their student-teacher ratio and other such statistics Tech holds different strengths. In my experience, Tech is more akin to a medium-sized college than a high school. As a magnet students will need adequate testing skills and prep for admission. Accountability is everything. Making friends, bonding with teachers, and receiving help demands communication skills. Like our city, you need to know how to speak up. Tech's size is a double-edged sword; while it means less individual attention, slower and less organized bureaucracy, it also means a plethora of opportunities, communities, and even academic majors! Tech builds character and prepares you for the real world by demanding self-sufficiency, dedication, and confidence. Ambitious, driven, and adventurous students will thrive at Tech. Freshman, learn your cardinal directions!... Read 2,246 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 5,943

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Scarsdale Union Free School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  123 reviews

Alum: In terms of academics, this school is great. Most of the teachers I had were amazing and I felt sufficiently prepared for college. In terms of the school environment, it can be difficult for international students because of lack of diversity. It is also very competitive, which prepares you better for college but could potentially cause a lot of stress. Other than that, it is a great school to attend!... Read 123 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,508

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Herricks Union Free School District, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  199 reviews

Senior: There have a good learning environment, strict school system. The teacher is very responsible for the students, and the school has a lot of extracurricular activities, there are many plants in the school, and the air is good. There are too many advantages to justify. The teaching equipment is relatively complete, and the teachers work hard. The school environment is elegant, the structure is harmonious, the teaching is strict, and education is the focus. Teachers can be stricter and more serious about people. They pay attention to students' psychological problems, and can understand students in time and correct their deficiencies. Efforts are made to improve school facilities, attach importance to students' morality and ability, and the school environment has a good atmosphere.... Read 199 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,347

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Monmouth County Vocational School District, NJ•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  114 reviews

Junior: I really like this school because of the opportunity it gives me to study health care from every angle. I have learned about the history of medicine, standard protocols used in health care, the anatomy and physiology of the body, the impact of nutrition on the body, etc. I also enjoy attending my school because of the people at the school! My teachers make learning fascinating and support their students in any way they can, academically or otherwise. In addition, I enjoy spending time with my peers, as they encourage me to do my best academic work, serve as people who I can relate to, and make me feel like I belong at the school. One action I would take to change my school would be to enlarge its campus. The size of the campus makes the hallways feel very crowded and limits the space for students to play games and sports outside. Overall, however, the good features of the Academy of Allied Health and Science outweigh the bad ones and distinguish it from any other high school.... Read 114 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 306

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1