New York Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 62 counties.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Avg Graduation Rate

85.3%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$14,719

Avg School Score

63/100

Total Schools

4,812

1,103 districts

State Overview

About Schools in New York

This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.

A Tale of Two Systems Across 62 Counties

Educational performance varies wildly across the state, with school scores ranging from 92.7 in Hamilton County to a low of 47.5 in the Bronx. Graduation rates show a similar 22-point gap, peaking at 93.4% in Putnam County while dropping to 71.1% in Bronx County. This data highlights a massive disparity in outcomes between New York's top-performing suburbs and its urban centers.

Funding Doesn't Always Equal Higher Graduation Rates

New York's spending fluctuates dramatically, from $26,327 per student in Hamilton County to just $8,755 in Kings County. Interestingly, Hamilton's massive budget only yields an 85.2% graduation rate, which is lower than many counties spending significantly less. This suggests that while funding is high statewide, the ROI on graduation outcomes is not uniform.

State Score Context

How New York Counties Are Distributed

62 of 62 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.

Scored county coverage

Counties with complete enough data for the composite score

100%

Higher measured signal

Score range 70-100

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in New York

For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in New York, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.

Short answer for New York

Putnam County is the strongest county-level starting point in New York by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 89/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

62 of 62 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.

State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $14,719.

Top measured county school signals

Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.

1Putnam CountyGraduation 93.4% · Spending $19,99389/100 2Genesee CountyGraduation 92.5% · Spending $13,13284/100 3Nassau CountyGraduation 91.6% · Spending $18,90881/100 4Essex CountyGraduation 91.4% · Spending $18,63881/100 5Schuyler CountyGraduation 91.8% · Spending $13,85181/100 6Saratoga CountyGraduation 91.4% · Spending $12,24978/100 7Orleans CountyGraduation 90.8% · Spending $13,20677/100

Graduation-focused starting point

Putnam County

93.4%

Putnam County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in New York. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.

Funding context to inspect

Hamilton County

$26,327

Hamilton County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.

Counties to research carefully

Bronx County

39/100

Bronx County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in New York. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.

District research

Compare New York public school districts before narrowing by address

New York has 1,103 public school district records and 4,812 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.

View District Rankings

All New York Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for New York.
County	School Score	Graduation Rate	Per-Pupil Spending
Putnam County Graduation 93.4% Per pupil $19,993	89/100	93.4%	$19,993
Genesee County Graduation 92.5% Per pupil $13,132	84/100	92.5%	$13,132
Nassau County Graduation 91.6% Per pupil $18,908	81/100	91.6%	$18,908
Essex County Graduation 91.4% Per pupil $18,638	81/100	91.4%	$18,638
Schuyler County Graduation 91.8% Per pupil $13,851	81/100	91.8%	$13,851
Saratoga County Graduation 91.4% Per pupil $12,249	78/100	91.4%	$12,249
Orleans County Graduation 90.8% Per pupil $13,206	77/100	90.8%	$13,206
Westchester County Graduation 89.5% Per pupil $18,577	73/100	89.5%	$18,577
Suffolk County Graduation 89.4% Per pupil $18,493	73/100	89.4%	$18,493
Wyoming County Graduation 89.6% Per pupil $13,262	72/100	89.6%	$13,262
Rensselaer County Graduation 89.6% Per pupil $13,120	72/100	89.6%	$13,120
Lewis County Graduation 89.5% Per pupil $13,187	72/100	89.5%	$13,187
Livingston County Graduation 89.6% Per pupil $12,633	72/100	89.6%	$12,633
Wayne County Graduation 89.1% Per pupil $13,979	72/100	89.1%	$13,979
Ontario County Graduation 89.1% Per pupil $13,545	71/100	89.1%	$13,545
Allegany County Graduation 88.8% Per pupil $14,497	71/100	88.8%	$14,497
Orange County Graduation 87.5% Per pupil $16,681	68/100	87.5%	$16,681
Schoharie County Graduation 87.2% Per pupil $15,859	68/100	87.2%	$15,859
Cattaraugus County Graduation 87.4% Per pupil $13,691	67/100	87.4%	$13,691
Columbia County Graduation 87.0% Per pupil $16,979	67/100	87.0%	$16,979
Ulster County Graduation 86.5% Per pupil $18,662	65/100	86.5%	$18,662
Steuben County Graduation 86.4% Per pupil $15,057	65/100	86.4%	$15,057
Chenango County Graduation 86.7% Per pupil $13,815	64/100	86.7%	$13,815
Madison County Graduation 86.5% Per pupil $14,011	64/100	86.5%	$14,011
Rockland County Graduation 86.1% Per pupil $18,848	64/100	86.1%	$18,848
Cortland County Graduation 86.4% Per pupil $14,398	64/100	86.4%	$14,398
Franklin County Graduation 86.1% Per pupil $15,625	64/100	86.1%	$15,625
Greene County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $16,146	64/100	86.0%	$16,146
Tompkins County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $16,187	64/100	86.0%	$16,187
Yates County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $15,808	64/100	86.0%	$15,808
St. Lawrence County Graduation 86.0% Per pupil $14,888	63/100	86.0%	$14,888
Tioga County Graduation 86.2% Per pupil $13,347	63/100	86.2%	$13,347
Clinton County Graduation 85.8% Per pupil $15,334	63/100	85.8%	$15,334
Hamilton County Graduation 85.2% Per pupil $26,327	63/100	85.2%	$26,327
Albany County Graduation 86.1% Per pupil $13,066	63/100	86.1%	$13,066
Herkimer County Graduation 85.2% Per pupil $13,615	61/100	85.2%	$13,615
Broome County Graduation 84.9% Per pupil $14,116	61/100	84.9%	$14,116
Dutchess County Graduation 84.5% Per pupil $15,992	61/100	84.5%	$15,992
Monroe County Graduation 84.8% Per pupil $13,249	60/100	84.8%	$13,249
Washington County Graduation 84.4% Per pupil $13,688	60/100	84.4%	$13,688
Erie County Graduation 84.5% Per pupil $12,451	59/100	84.5%	$12,451
Otsego County Graduation 83.5% Per pupil $14,980	59/100	83.5%	$14,980
Oswego County Graduation 83.4% Per pupil $14,219	58/100	83.4%	$14,219
Chautauqua County Graduation 83.3% Per pupil $13,693	58/100	83.3%	$13,693
Jefferson County Graduation 84.0% Per pupil $12,261	58/100	84.0%	$12,261
Onondaga County Graduation 83.5% Per pupil $13,194	58/100	83.5%	$13,194
Oneida County Graduation 83.7% Per pupil $12,692	58/100	83.7%	$12,692
Warren County Graduation 82.6% Per pupil $14,511	57/100	82.6%	$14,511
Niagara County Graduation 82.1% Per pupil $13,123	56/100	82.1%	$13,123
Seneca County Graduation 81.2% Per pupil $14,666	56/100	81.2%	$14,666
Delaware County Graduation 80.9% Per pupil $15,824	56/100	80.9%	$15,824
Richmond County Graduation 82.2% Per pupil $12,346	55/100	82.2%	$12,346
Schenectady County Graduation 82.1% Per pupil $12,242	55/100	82.1%	$12,242
Sullivan County Graduation 79.3% Per pupil $18,781	55/100	79.3%	$18,781
New York County Graduation 78.5% Per pupil $21,940	54/100	78.5%	$21,940
Cayuga County Graduation 80.5% Per pupil $13,380	54/100	80.5%	$13,380
Fulton County Graduation 79.1% Per pupil $13,631	53/100	79.1%	$13,631
Montgomery County Graduation 79.1% Per pupil $13,569	53/100	79.1%	$13,569
Chemung County Graduation 73.9% Per pupil $12,020	49/100	73.9%	$12,020
Queens County Graduation 80.7% Per pupil $8,804	44/100	80.7%	$8,804
Kings County Graduation 77.1% Per pupil $8,755	41/100	77.1%	$8,755
Bronx County Graduation 71.1% Per pupil $8,811	39/100	71.1%	$8,811

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in New York

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About New York Schools

Which New York counties have the highest graduation rates?

Putnam County (93.4%), Genesee County (92.5%), and Schuyler County (91.8%) currently lead New York among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.

What is per-pupil spending like in New York?

Across New York counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $14,719. The highest current county values are Hamilton County ($26,327), New York County ($21,940), and Putnam County ($19,993). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.

What are the best school counties in New York?

Putnam County, Genesee County, Nassau County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in New York, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.

Which New York county has the strongest measured school score?

Putnam County has the highest school score in New York with a score of 89/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.

What is the average graduation rate in New York?

The average high school graduation rate across New York counties is 85.3%, based on NCES data.

Which county in New York has the lowest school score?

Bronx County has the lowest school score in New York with a score of 39/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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