New York Schools & Education
School quality and education data for all 62 counties.
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
High Spending Meets Mixed Results in New York
New York invests $14,719 per pupil, surpassing the national average of $13,000 by over 13%. Despite this investment, the state's 85.3% graduation rate falls short of the 87.0% national benchmark. However, New York's average school score of 67.7 remains significantly higher than the national median of 50.0.
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.
Putnam and Nassau Lead the State in Performance
Hamilton, Putnam, and Nassau counties secure the top three spots for overall school scores. Putnam County delivers the state's highest graduation rate at 93.4% while spending roughly $20,000 per student. Nassau County follows with an impressive 91.6% graduation rate and a school score of 80.1, signaling a strong balance of investment and results.
Strong Schools with Significant Geographic Disparities
New York is a competitive state for education, maintaining an overall school score well above the national median. Families find the most consistent success in counties like Putnam and Nassau, where graduation rates frequently exceed 90%. While the state spends more than most of the country, the highest quality outcomes are concentrated in specific high-performing districts.
Top Performing School Counties
All New York Counties
— = data pending from NCES pipeline.
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Data Sources
Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics.
Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.