2023 Best Public Schools in Theater District

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  1,023 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 1,023 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  1,117 reviews

Senior: Stuyvesant High School is a very rigourous school, requires a high score in a very difficult entrance exam (SHSAT), and maintains a strong academic environment to support students. Many of the facilities and programs that are developed are meant to aid students in gaining acceptance to top universities. Additionally, Stuyvesant High School students have a strong sense of community with alumnis returning year after year to provide their own scholarships, aid, and knowledge to current students. Stuyvesant High School has a lack of diversity but is able to still support minorities with clubs that draws students with common backgrounds together.... Read 1,117 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 3,357

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  672 reviews

Junior: The townsend harris high school is an excellent source of rigor without the restraint of standardize tests deeming admissions. Not only does this school have an excellent collaboration of humanities and stem it also has unique traditions including an ephebic oath and classical language classes. Overall, this school is a testament to the public school system and how normal teenagers can thrive in an environment!... Read 672 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,270

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.06 out of 5  138 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 138 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  198 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 198 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 496

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 24, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.16 out of 5  388 reviews

Junior: Bard was created to combat New York's deeply-segregated school system, so it provides great opportunities for low-income students. Students graduate in four years not only with a high school diploma but also with sixty college credits and an associate's degree in the arts. The literature and humanities programs are very eye-opening and life-changing. In the college program, they offer very interesting college courses such as anthropology, cinemas of South Asia, philosophy in science fiction, and so on. Students often complain about the fast-paced math classes, but the teachers are very kind, caring, and will always offer office hours. It's a small school (I've had only 9 students in one of my classes!) and the students are mostly friendly and welcoming. The school is very welcoming to undocumented students, is LGBTQ-friendly, and accepting of racially and religiously diverse students. The workload is very heavy and will be stressful at times, but you have a great team to help you!... Read 388 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 653

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  159 reviews

Sophomore: ELRO is a small school allows easier community building and working together for similar goals (different classes, respect for others…). I enjoy weekly advisories that go over the topic of the month or week(s) such as: Lunar New Year, Black traditions, etc. These subjects are respectfully and collaboratively spoken, while understanding the differences between each and every person. It’s crucial for a community that’s trustworthy in order to dive deeper into quite sensitive topics such as violence, politics, and personal opinions. Adding on, from my two years at ELRO, I saw that it used to be a white dominated or majority high school. But, I see the changes for acceptance of students that grew to a diverse range of backgrounds in these two years. In addition, one change can be showing respect or speaking on different religions that shouldn’t only be in history-based classes. I see hostility and bias that sees others as dangerous and unfriendly like the historical people and events.... Read 159 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 546

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 1, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  291 reviews

Junior: In a nutshell, Bard High School Early College reflects its motto exactly... it is "a place to think." Both inside and outside classes, there are intellectual, stimulating discussions taking place between faculty and students. The Bard experience is unique in that everyone takes their education very seriously and actually enjoys learning! That being said, the work (and workload) is rigorous, challenging, even competitive, and requires a lot of time and energy. This means that students can collectively become exhausted, stressed, obsessive, competitive, and overwhelmed. As a result, many students tend to not prioritize socializing or partying. Rather, they have a few close friends but their life is mainly concerned with schoolwork and extracurriculars. The faculty are similar in nature as well. They are passionate, dedicated professors who love to learn and teach. Many, however, are so invested in their profession that their social life is neglected. Overall, Bard is what you make it!... Read 291 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 635

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 30, NY•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  235 reviews

Senior: BSGE is a very very good high school. You will learn a lot from the rigorous coursework and high expectations. To all the middle school students who are considering this high school, I would definitely recommend it. The teachers are very respectful, nice, and caring. However, the coursework load can be really demanding, but it is manageable. As you go higher in the grade, you will face different types of challenges and learn new things from all your classes. You will need to work hard, sometimes you have to give it your all. You will find this school to be very rewarding!... Read 235 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 579

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 1, NY•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  215 reviews

Parent: NEST+M is a warm and nurturing community. The student body is kind. The faculty is great and encourages and empowers students. Students' mental health and well-being are foremost at NEST. Teachers and staff work hard to address the pressure students experience at a school of NEST's caliber, particularly during the college application season. Although NEST+M is known as an excellent stem school, the humanities are outstanding and should get their due! The administration is on top of things and responsive. However, like most city public schools, it can be inflexible and bureaucratic at times. The downsides are the limited athletics and art options. It is also crowded during passing time. All in all, NEST+M has exceeded my expectations.... Read 215 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,797

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 3, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  1,174 reviews

Alum: During my time there, the teachers I had were kind, understanding, and knowledgeable about their respective fields. The classes were about 45 minutes each and a full school day ends at 4:00. You get to choose your classes from when you are a sophomore till when you are a senior. The graduating classes are big so if you like big schools then this is for you!... Read 1,174 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,722

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 14, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  287 reviews

Alum: The Brooklyn Latin School is a great school for academics since it offers the rigorous IB program. The teachers at the school are passionate and kind, they also write great recommendation letters for college. The school has a close-knit community due to its smaller class population and it is generally easy to find your community at the school. This school will push you to participate in group discussions and public speaking which is a great way for students to step out of their comfort zone. One setback of the school is that the options for extracurriculars are not so diverse therefore students often look for extracurricular offers outside of the school. Overall, this is an excellent school for students who are dedicated to academics.... Read 287 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 809

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  198 reviews

Senior: I love Lab so much and I’m really going to miss it. I have made many life long friends here and my grade feels like a second family to me. There are different friend groups, but almost everyone is welcoming and friendly. It is not clicky, or at least not in my grade. Almost all of the teachers are supportive and friendly, and you can actually build close relationships with them. Most of the classes are challenging for students, especially the APs, but the teachers make them fun and engaging. I always look forward to coming into school and my classes. I also always feel safe and comfortable in my classes, the hallways, and the bathrooms, which just got renovated this year! Over these past four years, Lab has really become a second home to me.... Read 198 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 482

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 3, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  188 reviews

Niche User: One of the things that stood out to me most about MHSHS was the high level of academic rigor. The school has a reputation for being challenging, and it certainly lived up to that reputation. However, the teachers were incredibly supportive and always willing to help students who were struggling. The school also offered a wide range of advanced courses and extracurricular activities, which allowed me to pursue my interests and challenge myself in new ways. Beyond academics, the community at MHSHS was one of the best things about the school. Everyone from the teachers to the students was passionate about learning and dedicated to making the school a better place. I made lifelong friendships while at MHSHS, and I still keep in touch with many of my former classmates today.... Read 188 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 452

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 3, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.97 out of 5  513 reviews

Senior: The Beacon School is a very well-rounded school academically as well as in the arts, and the culture of the student and administrative community is one that fosters continuous progress and improvement in many areas. Beacon offers many academic resources including four college counselors plus interns, designated office hour every Friday along with additional office hours a teacher may offer, a weekly college bulletin that is sent to juniors and seniors, and high quality lab equipment. I personally benefitted a lot from having an accessible college counselor. In terms of emotional support resources, Beacon has four guidance counselors, a social worker, and a plethora of clubs dedicated to student wellbeing. The building is very well-maintained, visually pleasing, and cleaned often. All of my history and mathematics teachers have been phenomenal and helped me grow tremendously as a writer and critical thinker. I have met some certainly life-long friends here.... Read 513 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,510

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 28, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  209 reviews

Sophomore: I'm a current student at QHSS and I do like the school. Everyone, from the students to the teachers, are all extremely nice and caring towards people in the school. The major problems lie in the fact we are borrowing a building from York College. I mean for one of the highest ranked high schools in the state and even the country, we really don't have a good budget. All our classes are mainly on one floor that's a small rectangle. Our cafeteria is the size of a classroom so many people eat outside or in the college's cafeteria when it's cold. We have to borrow the college's gym, which is one block away from the main building. We don't have an auditorium and the clubs aren't that good. But since we have only 500 students, this is all manageable.... Read 209 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 512

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 22, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  311 reviews

Senior: Since they started admitting students based on zip code, the academics and ranking of this school has gone down. The underclass men fool around and frequently get into fights. The reputation of this school has really gone down after quarantine. Some of the teachers are high key kinda racist and have been reported many times but nothing has been done about it. Student body is clichey but you’ll find a group easily. The white students are very stuck up and rude. It’s called a “High school for the sciences” but honestly I don’t even know half of the science teachers aren’t fired yet. The food is very bad generic school lunch. I have lunch last period and they always run out of food by that time. However they have a school store with lots of unhealthy snacks. The school is located in the middle of nowhere near only the B1 bus which gets extremely crowded as high school students AND college students take this bus. I happen to live very far away so this was very inconvenient.... Read 311 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,019

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 4, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.89 out of 5  778 reviews

Sophomore: I think this school is overall a decent High School. They offer many resources for students to succeed, such as ASR( Advanced Science Research), Mandatory SAT prep, and tutoring. The people there are also very positive in the school community. I have met many friendly people there who are willing to help me when I need it. But I wish there were more creative programs in the school. There are many existing clubs, but I think the uniqueness of the clubs needs to upgrade. The teachers are also very interested in their work and want to help students succeed. One downside of this school is that it is located in a poorly maintained neighborhood. Or that means there are many accidents that have occurred near the school building. There is also very little transportation near the building. You would have to walk quite a bit to get to the train or bus.... Read 778 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,633

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Jersey City, NJ•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3.08 out of 5  12 reviews

Parent: My children goes to this school since it opened its gates. It has a very welcoming environment and a family friendly school. Approaching the management is very easy and always get the information we are looking for. Academically, this school follows a very positive approach and set a very high standards for student's learning. Apart from the State testing NJSLA (former PARCC), this school also assess the children via MAPS. This testing method will be three times during the year, to continuously monitor student's progress. Teachers are very much committed to make the students acheive their academic goals set during the starting of the years. This school also has Micro-society program which is the concept that it is being built on and all the children will take part in this every day for one school hour. Most of the children are academically stronger and has a very good character. I strongly recommend this school!!... Read 12 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 507

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 22, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  1,451 reviews

Senior: In general, there are either really good teachers or subpar level teachers. Its all about luck when it comes to that but there are so many AP courses available which is great to meet the needs of so many different students. In addition, there are so many clubs to choose from which can make the overall school experience more fun! The learning experience and the overall quality of life in Midwood is really great.... Read 1,451 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 4,117

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 15, NY•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  145 reviews

Senior: It offers a wide range of academics and extra curricular activities, which helps with students engagement. The staff seems dedicated to the students, and trying to help them be their best. Millennium Brooklyn provides a high school experience that is different than other schools, as it more diverse than the average school in Brooklyn. Students are able to mingle with various cultural backgrounds, and explore these backgrounds through respective clubs that encourage diversity and student engagement. The location provides many opportunities for students to spend their outside lunch privileges at many locations on 7th avenue. Overall Millennium Brooklyn High School provides an excellent high school experience through student engagement, academics, and community.... Read 145 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 691

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  282 reviews

Senior: BCCHS is a really academically rigorous school that provides a lot of resources to succeed. There are many AP classes you can take throughout your years of high school and you can even take college calculus at Baruch College as your math class in senior year. There is a lot of activism and leadership going on. However, the halls are often crowded and the school is underfunded sometimes. The printers would sometimes break. But overall, it is a really good school!... Read 282 reviews

• grade A

• Students 493

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

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

• 4-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: This school is a hidden gem. The structure of this school is rigid and effective. I am so thankful that my daughter is part of the Ballet Tech community.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 142

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• New York City Geographic District No. 3, NY•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.8 out of 5  5 reviews

Alum: This is a great school. I went to Anderson for 7 years (K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) and I thought it was great for my development as a student in the community of learning. The academics are amazing, the teachers are very encouraging, and I was lucky to be in the best class ever. The school is small, but it brings the community together really well. I loved Anderson through many ups and downs. It prepares students really well for high school admissions and I truthfully think that it was super helpful during my early years as a student. They have great programs and experiences, especially for the kids in K-4. I wouldn't be where I am today without Anderson, and I am eternally grateful for all that this wonderful school has taught me. This school has a great environment. Anderson focuses on integrity and gratitude. It's the kind of school where the life lessons you learn will stick with you forever. It certainly has stuck with me. For anybody out there considering, I would recommend Anderson.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 516

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

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

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  284 reviews

Senior: Millennium provides a very academically intense environment for its students. While this can be challenging, especially as a Freshman, it does improve students' time-management skills and ultimately prepares them for college. The teachers I have had at Millennium have been wonderful and greatly supportive. I have never been given "busy work"; what we do in class always has a purpose. I am leaving Millennium as a more dedicated student and a more developed person, and for that, I am truly grateful.... Read 284 reviews

• grade A

• Students 699

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1