Top Rankings
New York City Geographic District #21 School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in New York for:
Category
Attribute
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 12 public high schools serving 12,184 students in New York City Geographic District #21 School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 6/10, which is in the top 50% of public high schools in New York.
Public High Schools in New York City Geographic District #21 School District have an average math proficiency score of 70% (versus the New York public high school average of 67%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 59% statewide average).
Public High School in New York City Geographic District #21 School District have a Graduation Rate of 83%, which is less than the New York average of 88%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Kingsborough Early College School, with ≥95% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in New York or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 73% of the student body (majority Hispanic and Black), which is more than the New York public high school average of 61% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (NY)
# Schools
40 Schools
1,462 Schools
# Students
33,559 Students
948,443 Students
# Teachers
2,508 Teachers
85,120 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
New York City Geographic District #21 School District, which is ranked #242 of all 1,015 school districts in New York (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 82% has increased from 74% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#248 out of 1020 school districts
(Top 30%)
(Top 30%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
54%
46%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
59%
49%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
81%
78%
Graduation Rate
82%
87%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.75
0.72
% American Indian
1%
1%
% Asian
25%
9%
% Hispanic
27%
30%
% Black
12%
18%
% White
33%
39%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
2%
3%
All Ethnic Groups
Best New York City Geographic District #21 School District Public High Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
John Dewey High School
(Math: 87% | Reading: 89%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
50 Ave X
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 373-6400
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 373-6400
Grades: 9-12
| 2,186 students
Rank: #22.
Edward R Murrow High School
(Math: 89% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1600 Ave L
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258-9283
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258-9283
Grades: 9-12
| 3,595 students
Rank: #33.
Life Academy High School For Film And Music
(Math: 80-89% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7750
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7750
Grades: 9-12
| 214 students
Rank: #44.
Leaders High School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: 80-84% )
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7700
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7700
Grades: 9-12
| 373 students
Rank: #55.
Kingsborough Early College School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 66%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7850
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7850
Grades: 6-12
| 722 students
Rank: #66.
Abraham Lincoln High School
(Math: 73% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
2800 Ocean Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 333-7400
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 333-7400
Grades: 9-12
| 2,163 students
Rank: #77.
Rachel Carson High School For Coastal Studies
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 20-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
521 West Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 265-0329
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 265-0329
Grades: 9-12
| 589 students
Rank: #88.
Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
(Math: 34% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
8310 21st Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 266-5032
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 266-5032
Grades: 6-12
| 879 students
Rank: #99.
Liberation Diploma Plus
(Math: 21-39% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
2865 W 19th St
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 946-6812
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 946-6812
Grades: 9-12
| 152 students
Rank: #1010.
High School Of Sports Management
(Math: 40-49% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7650
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7650
Grades: 9-12
| 328 students
Rank: #1111.
International High School At Lafayette
Magnet School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 35-39% )
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7860
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7860
Grades: 9-12
| 335 students
Rank: #1212.
William E Grady Career And Technical Education High School
Vocational School
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 20-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
25 Brighton 4th Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 332-5000
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 332-5000
Grades: 9-12
| 648 students
Recent Articles

Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.

Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.

Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.