Best Schools in Albany, New York
51 schools · 32 Elementary · 5 Middle · 9 High · 5 Other
Choosing a school in Albany?
Use this page to compare every school in Albany by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Albany School of Humanities
Elementary · Albany City School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Montessori Magnet School
Elementary · Albany City School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys
Elementary · Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Albany for 2026 are Albany School of Humanities (8.7/10), Montessori Magnet School (8.6/10), and Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys (8.5/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 31 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Schools
51
35 public · 16 private
Avg Score
6.8
out of 10
Median Home
$236,390
home value · ACS
Districts
13
serving the city
Schools
51
35 public · 16 private
Avg Score
6.8
out of 10
Median Home
$236,390
home value · ACS
Districts
13
serving the city
Rates 8.4/10 despite 92% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 2.8 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Albany schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +29.9 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Albany schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Albany
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 31 rated schools; 51 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany School of Humanities | 8.7 / 10 |
| 2 | Montessori Magnet School | 8.6 / 10 |
| 3 | Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys | 8.5 / 10 |
| 4 | Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls | 8.4 / 10 |
| 5 | Saddlewood Elementary School | 8.1 / 10 |
| 6 | New Scotland Elementary School | 8.0 / 10 |
| 7 | Shaker Road Elementary School | 8.0 / 10 |
| 8 | Eagle Point Elementary School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 9 | Lisha Kill Middle School | 7.8 / 10 |
| 10 | Veeder Elementary School | 7.6 / 10 |
See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 6.8/10
- Median household income
- $71,828
- Median home value
- $236,390
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 43%
- Avg commute
- 20 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 43%
49% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Albany compares
New York rank
#185 of 473
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.4
above New York avg (6.4)
Median household income
$72k
77% of New York median
Schools in this city
45
13 districts draw attendance lines through Albany
Albany is not one school system. 13 districts cut across the city limits, and the largest still holds only 46% of the public campuses.
Albany City School District is the largest slice at 16 of 35 public schools — not a majority. Choosing a Albany address is choosing a district first.
Among 31 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.5 to 8.7 — the spread is inside Albany, not a citywide average.
7 of the 35 public schools are charters (20%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Albany City School District16 public · 46%
- South Colonie Central School District8 public · 23%
- Albany Leadership Charter School For Girls1 public · 3%
- Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga Boces1 public · 3%
- Brighter Choice Charter School For Boys1 public · 3%
About Schools in Albany, New York
Albany, New York has 32 ranked public schools with an average score of 5.9 out of 10 — a middling baseline that masks real variation across the city. Ten schools, or 31% of the total, score 7 or higher, meaning families who research carefully have a genuine shot at above-average options.
The top of the list skews elementary. Montessori Magnet School leads the city at 8.5 out of 10, a standout by any local measure. Shaker Road Elementary and Forest Park Elementary both score 8.1, and Saddlewood and Veeder Elementary round out the top five with scores of 7.9 and 7.8 respectively. That cluster of five strong elementary programs gives parents of younger children more to work with than the city average suggests. The absence of middle and high schools in the top tier is a meaningful signal — families with elementary-aged kids have the clearest path to a high-scoring school, while parents of older students face a narrower set of options.
Practically, the 5.9 city average means about half of Albany's ranked schools fall below that mark. Parents who default to the nearest neighborhood school without checking scores are more likely to land in the lower half of the distribution. The 31% above-7 threshold is useful framing: Albany is not a city where strong schools are rare, but they are concentrated enough that address and enrollment strategy matter.
Magnet programs deserve attention here. Montessori Magnet's top ranking signals that Albany uses magnet enrollment as a lever for quality — worth investigating whether other magnet or choice programs exist at upper grades, since the open-enrollment structure can give families access to schools outside their immediate zone. Check district enrollment deadlines early; magnet seats in high-scoring Albany schools tend to fill before general enrollment closes.
Elementary Schools
32 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 332 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.7 |
| 2 | 324 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.6 |
| 3 | 247 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.5 |
| 4 | 318 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.4 |
| 5 | 376 students · Pre-K–4th | 8.1 |
| 6 | 459 students · Pre-K–5th | 8.0 |
| 7 | 329 students · Kindergarten–4th | 8.0 |
| 8 | 286 students · Pre-K–5th | 7.8 |
| 9 | 484 students · Pre-K–4th | 7.6 |
| 10 | 536 students · Kindergarten–5th | 7.5 |
Show all 32 elementary schools in Albany
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
5 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 646 students · 5th–8th | 7.8 |
| 2 | 882 students · 5th–8th | 7.2 |
| 3 | 488 students · 6th–8th | 5.8 |
| 4 | 573 students · 6th–8th | 4.8 |
| 5 | 630 students · 6th–8th | 4.6 |
High Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,561 students · 9th–12th | 6.8 | ||
| 2 | 2,768 students · 9th–12th | 6.4 | ||
| 3 | 392 students · 6th–12th | 5.1 | ||
| 4 | 428 students · 6th–12th | 4.9 | ||
| 5 | 18 students · 9th–12th | — | ||
| 6 | 16 students · 9th–12th | — | ||
Private Schools3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Lasalle SchoolPrivate 56 students · 7th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Academy of the Holy NamesPrivate 210 students · 6th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | St Anne InstitutePrivate 38 students · 7th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
5 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 302 students · Kindergarten–12th | 7.2 | ||
| 2 | 421 students · 15–15 | — | ||
Private Schools3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 138 students · 3rd–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Albany AcademiesPrivate 620 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | Maimonides Hebrew Day SchoolPrivate 92 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Albany
Albany, New York · 51 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 11 ZIP codes
Median Income
$71,828
Median Home Value
$236,390
Median Rent
$1,318/mo
Population
148,819
College Educated
43%
Homeownership
43%
Avg Commute
20 min
Poverty Rate
19.9%
Community Profile
Albany has a median household income of $71,828. It is a well-educated community where 43% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $236,390, with a median rent of $1,318/month. The area has a poverty rate of 19.9%. The average commute for residents is 20 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- New York
- Elementary
- 32
- Middle
- 5
- High
- 9
- Other
- 5
Resources
School Districts (13)
BRIGHTER CHOICE CHARTER SCHOOL FOR BOYS
1 school · 247 students
BRIGHTER CHOICE CHARTER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
1 school · 318 students
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
1 school · 421 students
KIPP TECH VALLEY CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 821 students
KIPP ALBANY COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 676 students
GREEN TECH HIGH CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 428 students
HENRY JOHNSON CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 349 students
ALBANY LEADERSHIP CHARTER SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
1 school · 392 students
ALBANY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
16 schools · 8,329 students
GUILDERLAND CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
7 schools · 4,906 students
SOUTH COLONIE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
8 schools · 4,990 students
SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
31 schools · 18,072 students
ALBANY-SCHOHARIE-SCHENECTADY-SARATOGA BOCES
1 school
Other Major Cities in New York
Top metros statewide by school count.
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Albany, New York
How many schools are in Albany, New York?
Albany has 51 schools, including 35 public and 16 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Albany, New York?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Albany is 6.8 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.
What is the top-ranked school in Albany, New York?
The top-ranked school in Albany on MySchoolScout is Albany School of Humanities with a composite score of 8.7/10.
What is the best elementary school in Albany, New York?
The top-ranked elementary school in Albany on MySchoolScout is Albany School of Humanities with a composite score of 8.7/10.
What is the best middle school in Albany, New York?
The top-ranked middle school in Albany on MySchoolScout is Lisha Kill Middle School with a composite score of 7.8/10.
What is the best high school in Albany, New York?
The top-ranked high school in Albany on MySchoolScout is Colonie Central High School with a composite score of 6.8/10.
How many school districts serve Albany, New York?
Albany is served by 13 school districts: Brighter Choice Charter School for Boys, Brighter Choice Charter School for Girls, New York State Department of Corrections, Kipp Tech Valley Charter School, Kipp Albany Community Charter School, Green Tech High Charter School, Henry Johnson Charter School, Albany Leadership Charter School for Girls, Albany City School District, Guilderland Central School District, South Colonie Central School District, Syracuse City School District, Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga Boces.
What is the education level in Albany, New York?
According to Census data, 43% of adults in Albany have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Albany, New York?
The median household income in Albany is approximately $71,828 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Albany, New York?
Yes, Albany has 16 private schools alongside 35 public schools. The top-rated private school is Blessed Sacrament School with a score of 8.4/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Albany, New York?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Albany is 11.2:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Albany, New York?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
Related reading
- Best States for Public Schools in 2026: A Complete Rankingdata insights
- Charter Schools vs Public Schools: What the Data Actually Shows (2026)school choice
- The New School Choice Map: Is Your State Participating in the Federal Tuition Tax Credit?data insights
- Student-Teacher Ratio by State: Complete 2026 Rankingsdata insights
Get school insights in your inbox
New rankings and parent guides, free. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data, New York State Education Dept., and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.