Education (K-12) · 2024–25 school year
New York Public Schools
Public K-12 education statistics for New York — 2,503,633 students in 4,865 schools in 2024–25, with enrollment history back to 1986 and county-level detail from 2002.
| Statistic | Value | School year |
|---|---|---|
| Student enrollment | 2,503,633 | 2024–25 |
| Public schools | 4,865 | 2024–25 |
| Teachers (full-time equivalent) | 218,235 | 2024–25 |
| Pupil-teacher ratio | 11.3 | 2024–25 |
| Free/reduced-price lunch students | 57.1% | 2024–25 |
| School poverty rate (MEPS) | 16.2% | 2022–23 |
| Charter school enrollment | 7.5% | 2024–25 |
| High school graduation rate | 83.4% | 2024–25 |
| Math proficiency (of tested) | 46.5% | 2021–22 |
| Reading proficiency (of tested) | 48.9% | 2021–22 |
| Chronically absent students | 36.5% | 2021–22 |
| White students | 39.0% | 2024–25 |
| Black students | 15.5% | 2024–25 |
| Hispanic students | 30.6% | 2024–25 |
| Asian students | 10.4% | 2024–25 |
Not every statistic is collected every year — each row shows its most recent available school year (amber when older than 2024–25). Blank/absent means not collected or below reliability floors, never zero. Some universal-meals states no longer report free/reduced-price lunch — school poverty (MEPS) is the better lens there. A 0% charter share in a state without a charter-school law is a true zero.
New York state report card
Outcomes reported directly by New York’s education agency — often more current than the federal series above. Because each state uses its own tests, definitions, and reporting windows, these figures are not comparable state-to-state; each row notes how New York measures it.
| Measure | Latest | Trend | School year |
|---|---|---|---|
5-year graduation rate How New York measures this5-year June rate for the 2020 Total Cohort (Class of 2024 cohort measured through June 30 of year 5, i.e. end of SY 2024-25). Statewide All Students row, MEMBERSHIP_DESC '2020 Total Cohort - 5 Year Outcome', 2025 High School Graduation Rate Researcher File.mdb. | 88.8% | 2024–25 | |
Dropout rate How New York measures this4-year cohort dropout rate: share of the 2021 Total Cohort (Class of 2025) who had dropped out as of June 30 of year 4 (DROPOUT_CNT/ENROLL_CNT). Same statewide row/table as grad_rate_4yr, 2025 High School Graduation Rate Researcher File.mdb. | 5.0% | 2024–25 | |
Math proficiency (state test) How New York measures thisGrades 3-8 mathematics, grades 3-8 students only (no HS students): percent of TESTED students scoring proficient (Level 3 and above), NUM_PROF/NUM_TESTED, ASSESSMENT_NAME='MATH3_8', statewide 'All Public Schools' row (ENTITY_CD 111111111111), YEAR=2025, table 'Annual EM MATH' in SRC2025_Group3.mdb. Denominator is tested students, not enrollment (enrolled: 1,124,895; NY has high test refusal). The MATH3_8 aggregate INCLUDES accelerated grade 6-8 students (predominantly grade 8) who took a Regents math exam in place of the grade-level NYSTP test: NUM_TESTED = Math3+Math4+Math5+Combined6Math+Combined7Math+Combined8Math = 958,302, where CombinedNMath = MathN + RegentsMathN per the ReadMe, and NUM_PROF = Levels 3+4+5 = 544,626 including 21,876 Regents Level-5 scores. A NYSTP-only 3-8 rate would be 492,878/895,119 = 55.1%. | 56.8% | 2024–25 | |
Reading / ELA proficiency (state test) How New York measures thisNew York State Testing Program (NYSTP) grades 3-8 ELA assessment, grades 3-8 combined only (no HS included): percent of TESTED students scoring proficient (Levels 3+4), NUM_PROF/NUM_TESTED, ASSESSMENT_NAME='ELA3_8', statewide 'All Public Schools' row (ENTITY_CD 111111111111), YEAR=2025, table 'Annual EM ELA' in SRC2025_Group3.mdb. Denominator is tested students, not enrollment (enrolled: 1,124,966; NY has high test refusal). | 53.2% | 2024–25 | |
Chronic absenteeism (recent) How New York measures thisPercent of students absent 10% or more of enrolled instructional days (NYSED ESSA accountability definition). Combined grades 1-12: computed by summing published statewide (ENTITY_CD 111111111111) numerators/denominators of tables 'ACC EM Chronic Absenteeism' (grades 1-8: 361,418/1,466,428 = 24.6%) and 'ACC HS Chronic Absenteeism' (grades 9-12: 251,882/805,114 = 31.3%), YEAR=2025, in SRC2025_Group3.mdb. Kindergarten and PK excluded from the accountability universe. | 27.0% | 2024–25 |
Source: New York Department of Education (public reporting), 2026 collection. Not comparable across states — proficiency reflects different assessments and cut scores; graduation, dropout, and college-going use each state’s own cohort definitions and windows. Absent rows mean the state doesn’t publish that measure in a comparable file.
New York schools by county
Students enrolled, 2024–25.
New York schools — FAQ
How many students attend public school in New York?+
2,503,633 students were enrolled in New York's 4,865 public K-12 schools in the 2024–25 school year, taught by 218,235 full-time-equivalent teachers (NCES Common Core of Data).
What share of New York students get free or reduced-price lunch?+
57.1% of New York public school students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch in 2024–25 — a common proxy for student economic need.
What is New York's high school graduation rate?+
83.4% of New York's adjusted cohort graduated in the 2024–25 school year — reported by New York's education agency (its 4-year ACGR, more current than the federal series, which lags to 2021–22). Graduation rates run from 2010–11 onward.
Where does this data come from?+
Core statistics (enrollment, schools, teachers, poverty, demographics) come from the National Center for Education Statistics — the Common Core of Data, EDFacts, and the Civil Rights Data Collection. The most recent graduation rates and the state report-card outcomes (proficiency, college-going, dropout, chronic absenteeism) come directly from state education agencies, which publish sooner than the federal series. Full source and license details are on the methodology page. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with NCES or any state agency.
Other states
Data: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics (CCD, EDFacts, CRDC) and ED Data Express, plus current-year graduation and report-card outcomes from state education agencies. Full source and license details on the methodology page.