2024 Best Elementary Schools in New York

The Complete Guide to Elementary Schools in New York

As the 4th largest state by population in America, New York has numerous elementary schools to choose from, more than four thousand in fact (4,026) - that’s a remarkable 3.9 times more than the average state. Interestingly, despite having so many total schools, New York actually has 16% fewer elementary schools per capita than the average state, which ranks it 44th in the nation per capita. New York grade schools in aggregate score a B, the same as the national average. So in general, although there are lots of options, there’s actually fewer per person - but the overall quality is pretty much the same there as in any other state.

Delving deeper into the specifics, of the more than four thousand total grade schools in New York, about 41% are considered above the national average, which leaves about 1,658 good quality options for parents and families trying to provide a particularly strong education for their young ones. For those after an even higher level of education quality, the state houses just over a thousand schools (1,071) that are considered to be in the top 25% of all elementary schools nationwide.

Are public elementary schools in New York a good option?

In New York, of the 4,026 total grade schools, the large majority (73%) are public schools, and the average score of those 2,937 schools is a solid B. Once again, although that seems like lots of options, when normalized for population size, the state actually has 19% fewer per capita than most states.

The most common type of public school in the nation (and in New York) are traditional public schools. Of the nearly three thousand options (2,937), traditional public schools make up 88%, yielding 2,589 different traditional grade schools to choose from. As mentioned earlier, if you’re looking to narrow that number down, just over half (53%) are considered above the national average in terms of quality, which still leaves 1,360 to choose from.

What is the best public elementary school in New York?

If you’ve got your sights set on the optimal public school for your child, one of the best options is New Explorations into Science, Technology & Math School. As you can tell by the name, there’s a heavy technical focus, which can really ignite a child’s curiosity. The school is located right in the city of New York itself, and is home to just under 2,000 students (1,797 to be specific). The school scores an A+ grade, despite having fewer teachers per student than typical, having about 1 teacher for every 17 students. If class size is something that you feel may inhibit your little one’s learning progress, it may make sense to dive deeper with the school into how they manage class sizes that are about 21% larger than the national average.

Key statistics about charter elementary schools in New York

Shifting now to a public school type that continues to grow in popularity, charter schools. New York is home to 250 different charter schools, which is quite a bit higher than a normal state per capita (+34%). Unfortunately though, the average grade as whole suffers some and is only a C+. Given that fact, it’s not surprising that only 21% of such schools are graded above the national average. That leaves just 53 paths for the ambitious student to pursue.

What is the best charter elementary school in New York?

One of the strongest contenders to be the outright winner for best charter elementary school in New York is Williamsburg Collegiate Charter School. It is located just a bit south of Manhattan in Brooklyn, and received a glowing A+ grade. The school is known for its small and highly engaged size, having just 265 total students.

Everything you need to know about magnet elementary schools in New York

Magnet schools are also becoming more commonplace as traditional public school alternatives. In total, the state of New York has about 98 such schools, about 9% more than the average state per person (which places it in the 24th rank in terms of states which have the most magnet schools). Statewide, magnet schools received a C+ grade, which unfortunately misses the mark of the national average of a B. It’s worth noting that there are still 29 magnet schools that score above average, which equates to about 30% of all such schools. So although there may not be an overwhelming number of options, there’s still some strong potential fits.

What is the best magnet elementary school in New York?

The best magnet grade school in the state of New York is P.S. 195 - City Honors School. It received an A grade and is located in the northern part of the state right near the Canadian border in the city of Buffalo. With just over one thousand students (1,070), the school still manages to keep a relatively low student to teacher ratio of 16:1, although that still lands about 14% higher than the average elementary school.

All you need to know about private elementary schools in New York

Turning focus now to private school options, there’s about 936 such schools to choose from in New York, which is about 12% fewer than the average state, per resident. On a good note, the average private school scores a grade of A, which is actually very good considering that metric is computed based on nearly a thousand different options (936, as noted earlier).

Are religious elementary schools a good option?

Amongst private schools, an impressive 69% are religiously affiliated, which means there’s 645 different religious schools to pick from. That total just sits below per capita average by about 15%, but it still ranks New York 34th nationally in terms of quantity. The school quality is also a favorable A– vs. the national average of a straight B, which is great news for parents looking for academic options with more religious influence. As a whole, the most common religious grade school in New York is of Catholic influence, there’s about 295 of them.

What is the best religious elementary school in New York?

Although there are many highly ranked Catholic schools, there’s also outstanding Episcopal selections. One of which can arguably be crowned the best, it’s called Trinity School and it’s located right in New York. With one thousand attending students (1,001) and an A+ rating, it’s little surprise that the school has nearly 60% lower student to teacher ratio than the average American school, meaning parents will be thrilled to hear that only 6 students will be taught be 1 teacher at any given time (given the 6:1 ratio).

Are there private schools that aren’t religious in New York?

If you’re looking for outstanding private options, but want something more secular, New York offers 23% more of such schools than the average state per person. There are 285 total alternatives to select from, which means that private, non-religious elementary schools make up just 7% of all grade schools in the state. In aggregate, these schools receive an A+ grade in the state, which is outstanding, considering that’s calculated amongst close to 300 different options (285). Furthermore, 35% score well above the national average, but there’s limited data on many of the others.

What is the best non-religious private elementary school in New York?

Of the 285 private (non-religious) school choices, the top-rated is Riverdale Country School. With 1,273 students - it still manages to boast a shockingly low 4:1 student to teach ratio. Although smaller class sizes doesn’t necessarily unequivocally lead to stronger academic achievement, it’s certainly a positive factor that typically only improves a child’s performance. Parents should be thrilled to hear that Riverdale beats the student/teach national average by 71%. Lastly, the school is located in the Bronx, just northeast of Manhattan.

All-boy, All-girls and online elementary school options in New York

What is the best all-boys elementary schools in New York?

New York offers 84 different all-boys elementary schools, which is an impressive 10x the national average. So in terms of finding great fits for all-boys schools, it’ll be challenging to find a better state than New York. in this particular case, claiming the throne as the #1 all-boys elementary school is The Browning School, located right in New York City itself. With just 399 total students, the school has also figured out how to keep class sizes very small, as they’re under the average student to teacher rate by a significant 57%. This means, typically your young will be in groups of no more than 6 per each instructor, given the 6:1 ratio.

What is the best all-girls elementary school in New York?

Another very strong metric for New York is the quantity of all-girls alternatives that the state offers, as evidenced by the fact that the state has 13 times more all-girls options per capita than the average state (which ranks New York as having the 2nd most of any state per resident). Those 66 different schools also hail a grade of B+ which is slightly above the national average, and means there’s likely to be many agreeable options, even for the overachieving parent that’s looking for the best possible route for their little ones. Certainly one of the best possible choices would be the Brearley School, earning the top grade possible of A+. The school has just 6 students per teacher (57% lower than the national average), despite still having a rather large student population of 772. This can often mean that the faculty are able to keep students highly engaged, which often helps students better absorb the curriculum.

What is the best fully-online elementary school in New York?

Given the dramatic educational shifts due to the pandemic, online learning has certainly taken off nationally. New York however, for an assortment of reasons, has very few elementary schools that are offered exclusively online, our tally shows just 3 at present, which is nearly 90% less than the typical state per capita (–87% lower). It’s worth noting however, that all 3 score an A+, which means of the few options that there are, at least their very strong candidates. The top choice would likely be Avenues The World School - Online. While located in the city of New York, of course the online offering is accessible from anywhere. The school has about 152 students and still manages to fall 50% below the national average in terms of student to faculty ratios, which is remarkable given the typical tendency for remote schools to have very large class sizes. Caregivers can rest assured that with just 7 students per instructor (7:1 ratio), your young children will receive significant personal attention, despite the virtual nature of the school.