New York City Geographic District #21

501 West Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

New York City Geographic District #21 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 2025-26 school year, there are 12 public high schools serving 12,184 students in New York City Geographic District #21. This district's average high testing ranking is 4/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public high schools in New York.
Public High Schools in New York City Geographic District #21 have an average math proficiency score of 49% (versus the New York public high school average of 55%), and reading proficiency score of 65% (versus the 59% statewide average).
Public High School in New York City Geographic District #21 have a Graduation Rate of 85%, which is less than the New York average of 89%.
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
1,459 Schools
# Students
33,559 Students
947,121 Students
# Teachers
2,508 Teachers
84,923 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
13:1
13:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

New York City Geographic District #21, which is ranked #280 of all 1,008 school districts in New York (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 84% has increased from 75% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (NY)
#268 out of 1017 school districts
(Top 30%)
59%
52%
59%
49%
81%
78%
84%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

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 Public High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
John Dewey High School
(Math: 55% | Reading: 89%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
50 Ave X
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 373-6400
Gr: 9-12 | 2,186 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 78%
Rank: #22.
Edward R Murrow High School
(Math: 59% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
1600 Ave L
Brooklyn, NY 11230
(718) 258-9283
Gr: 9-12 | 3,595 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 70%
Rank: #33.
Life Academy High School For Film And Music
(Math: 50-59% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7750
Gr: 9-12 | 214 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #44.
Leaders High School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: 80-84% )
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7700
Gr: 9-12 | 373 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 74%
Rank: #55.
Kingsborough Early College School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 66%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7850
Gr: 6-12 | 722 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 74%
Rank: #66.
Abraham Lincoln High School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 40-49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
2800 Ocean Pkwy
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 333-7400
Gr: 9-12 | 2,163 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 86%
Rank: #77.
Brooklyn Studio Secondary School
(Math: 39% | Reading: 51%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
8310 21st Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 266-5032
Gr: 6-12 | 879 students Student-teacher ratio: 11:1 Minority enrollment: 58%
Rank: #88.
International High School At Lafayette
Magnet School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 35-39% )
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7860
Gr: 9-12 | 335 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: #99.
Liberation Diploma Plus
(Math: 21-39% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2865 W 19th St
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 946-6812
Gr: 9-12 | 152 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 91%
Rank: #1010.
Rachel Carson High School For Coastal Studies
(Math: 45-49% | Reading: 20-29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
521 West Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11224
(718) 265-0329
Gr: 9-12 | 589 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #1111.
High School Of Sports Management
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 30-39%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2630 Benson Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11214
(718) 333-7650
Gr: 9-12 | 328 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: #1212.
William E Grady Career And Technical Education High School
Vocational School
(Math: 15-19% | Reading: 20-29%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
25 Brighton 4th Rd
Brooklyn, NY 11235
(718) 332-5000
Gr: 9-12 | 648 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 76%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 40 schools
  • Grades: PK-12
  • Enrollment: 33,559 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 13:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 67%
  • : 84% (Top 50% in NY)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 59% (Top 50%)
  • : 59% (Top 30%)
  • : 81% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), NY Dept. of Education

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