Best Schools in Syracuse, New York
62 schools · 36 Elementary · 9 Middle · 9 High · 8 Other
Choosing a school in Syracuse?
Use this page to compare every school in Syracuse 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.
Westhill High School
High · Westhill Central School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Onondaga Hill Middle School
Middle · Westhill Central School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central
High · Syracuse City School District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Syracuse for 2026 are Westhill High School (7.3/10), Onondaga Hill Middle School (7.2/10), and Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central (7.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 41 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
62
45 public · 17 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$148,700
home value · ACS
Districts
12
serving the city
Schools
62
45 public · 17 private
Avg Score
5.6
out of 10
Median Home
$148,700
home value · ACS
Districts
12
serving the city
Rates 7.2/10 despite 72% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.8 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 Syracuse schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +14.5 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Syracuse schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Syracuse
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 41 rated schools; 62 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westhill High School | 7.3 / 10 |
| 2 | Onondaga Hill Middle School | 7.2 / 10 |
| 3 | Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central | 7.2 / 10 |
| 4 | Syracuse Latin School | 7.1 / 10 |
| 5 | Cherry Road Elementary School | 7.0 / 10 |
| 6 | Expeditionary Learning Middle School | 6.9 / 10 |
| 7 | Porter Elementary School | 6.5 / 10 |
| 8 | Roxboro Road Elementary School | 6.4 / 10 |
| 9 | Van Duyn Elementary School | 6.1 / 10 |
| 10 | Webster Elementary School | 6.0 / 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
- 5.6/10
- Median household income
- $61,319
- Median home value
- $148,700
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 35%
- Avg commute
- 19 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 55%
17% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Syracuse compares
New York rank
#419 of 473
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.8
below New York avg (6.4)
Median household income
$61k
66% of New York median
Schools in this city
59
Education Snapshot
Syracuse, New YorkSyracuse operates 58 schools across 12 districts, enrolling roughly 27,455 students. The level mix leans heavily toward elementary — 34 of the 58 schools serve that grade band — alongside 9 middle schools, 8 high schools, and 7 combined or alternative programs. Four charter schools round out the public options. The city's average MySchoolScout composite rating of 5.0/10, drawn from 56 scored schools, lands 1.2 points below the New York state average of 6.2/10. The economic backdrop is similarly below the state norm: the median household income of $58,959 runs 37% below the New York statewide median of $93,975, and 33% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Across the city's 12 districts, school-level ratings vary considerably, so individual school pages give parents a more reliable picture than this city-wide average alone.
Syracuse City School District runs 67% of Syracuse's public schools
Syracuse touches 12 districts, but Syracuse City School District is the one most addresses actually attend.
Syracuse City School District accounts for 30 of 45 public schools (67%). The other 11 districts hold the remaining 15.
Among 41 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.3 to 7.3 — the spread is inside Syracuse, not a citywide average.
- Syracuse City School District30 public · 67%
- Westhill Central School District4 public · 9%
- North Syracuse Central School District2 public · 4%
- Citizenship and Science Academy of Syracuse Charter School1 public · 2%
- Lyncourt Union Free School District1 public · 2%
About Schools in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York has 44 ranked public schools with an average score of 4.6 out of 10 — a landscape that skews toward the lower half of the performance range, making school selection here more consequential than in higher-performing metro areas. Only 3 schools, or 7% of the ranked total, clear the 7-out-of-10 threshold, so strong options exist but are concentrated rather than spread evenly across the city.
Cherry Road Elementary School leads the city with a 7.9 rating, the highest score among all 44 ranked schools. Two other elementary schools rank in the top five: Roxboro Road Elementary (7.0) and Onondaga Road Elementary (6.6). That concentration of strong performers at the elementary level means parents of younger children have more solid entry points than parents of high schoolers. At the secondary level, Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central (7.3) and Westhill High School (6.9) stand out as the clearest options for families prioritizing academic performance.
The city's average of 4.6 tells parents what to expect from a typical neighborhood assignment. Schools near that mean will serve many families adequately, but the gap between the top performers and the city average is real — Cherry Road's 7.9 is more than three points above the city norm. For families with flexibility on address or school choice enrollment, that gap is worth investigating before committing to a particular neighborhood.
Practically, parents researching Syracuse should start by mapping attendance zones for Cherry Road, Roxboro Road, and Onondaga Road at the elementary level, then check feeder patterns to see which middle and high schools those zones connect to. Institute of Technology at Syracuse Central operates as a career and technical program, so admission may involve an application rather than automatic zone assignment — confirm enrollment requirements early. With fewer than one in ten schools scoring above 7, home address and proactive school choice research matter more here than in cities with broader high-performer distribution.
Elementary Schools
36 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 644 students · Pre-K–8th | 7.1 |
| 2 | 369 students · 2nd–4th | 7.0 |
| 3 | 301 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.5 |
| 4 | 430 students · Kindergarten–4th | 6.4 |
| 5 | 334 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.1 |
| 6 | 625 students · Pre-K–5th | 6.0 |
| 7 | 434 students · Pre-K–8th | 5.9 |
| 8 | 436 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.9 |
| 9 | 675 students · Pre-K–8th | 5.8 |
| 10 | 323 students · Pre-K–5th | 5.7 |
Show all 36 elementary schools in Syracuse
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 563 students · 5th–8th | 7.2 |
| 2 | 174 students · 6th–8th | 6.9 |
| 3 | 438 students · 5th–8th | 5.5 |
| 4 | 705 students · 5th–7th | 4.8 |
| 5 | 350 students · 6th–8th | 4.5 |
| 6 | 363 students · 6th–8th | 3.7 |
| 7 | 263 students · 6th–8th | 3.6 |
| 8 | 482 students · 6th–8th | 3.4 |
| 9 | 601 students · 6th–8th | 3.3 |
High Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 552 students · 9th–12th | 7.3 | ||
| 2 | 568 students · 9th–12th | 7.2 | ||
| 3 | 1,297 students · 9th–12th | 5.2 | ||
| 4 | 1,244 students · 9th–12th | 4.7 | ||
| 5 | 1,443 students · 9th–12th | 4.7 | ||
| 6 | 1,077 students · 9th–12th | 4.7 | ||
| 7 | 253 students · 9th–12th | 3.4 | ||
Private Schools2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | 246 students · 7th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Christian Brothers AcademyPrivate 732 students · 7th–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
8 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,089 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.7 | ||
| 2 | 992 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 3 | 10 students · 3rd–11th | — | ||
Private Schools5 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Ihsan School of ExcellencePrivate 88 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Manlius Pebble Hill SchoolPrivate 298 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | Parkview JR AcademyPrivate 63 students · Pre-K–9th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | Faith Heritage SchoolPrivate 210 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | Living Word AcademyPrivate 247 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York · 62 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 14 ZIP codes
Median Income
$61,319
Median Home Value
$148,700
Median Rent
$1,015/mo
Population
200,026
College Educated
35%
Homeownership
55%
Avg Commute
19 min
Poverty Rate
21.6%
Community Profile
Syracuse has a median household income of $61,319. It is an area where 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $148,700, with a median rent of $1,015/month. The area has a poverty rate of 21.6%, indicating some economic challenges in the community. Residents enjoy a short average commute of 19 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- New York
- Elementary
- 36
- Middle
- 9
- High
- 9
- Other
- 8
Resources
School Districts (12)
SOUTHSIDE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 697 students
SYRACUSE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 992 students
NEW YORK STATE OFFICE MENTAL HEALTH (OMH)
10 schools · 137 students
ONTECH CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL
1 school · 253 students
CITIZENSHIP AND SCIENCE ACADEMY OF SYRACUSE CHARTER SCHOOL
1 school · 704 students
WESTHILL CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
4 schools · 1,747 students
LYNCOURT UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
1 school · 440 students
NORTH SYRACUSE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
11 schools · 7,990 students
SOLVAY UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT
3 schools · 1,367 students
SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
31 schools · 18,072 students
WEST GENESEE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
7 schools · 4,522 students
ONONDAGA-CORTLAND-MADISON 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 Syracuse, New York
How many schools are in Syracuse, New York?
Syracuse has 62 schools, including 45 public and 17 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Syracuse, New York?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Syracuse is 5.6 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 Syracuse, New York?
The top-ranked school in Syracuse on MySchoolScout is Westhill High School with a composite score of 7.3/10.
What is the best elementary school in Syracuse, New York?
The top-ranked elementary school in Syracuse on MySchoolScout is Syracuse Latin School with a composite score of 7.1/10.
What is the best middle school in Syracuse, New York?
The top-ranked middle school in Syracuse on MySchoolScout is Onondaga Hill Middle School with a composite score of 7.2/10.
What is the best high school in Syracuse, New York?
The top-ranked high school in Syracuse on MySchoolScout is Westhill High School with a composite score of 7.3/10.
How many school districts serve Syracuse, New York?
Syracuse is served by 12 school districts: Southside Academy Charter School, Syracuse Academy of Science Charter School, New York State Office Mental Health (omh), Ontech Charter High School, Citizenship and Science Academy of Syracuse Charter School, Westhill Central School District, Lyncourt Union Free School District, North Syracuse Central School District, Solvay Union Free School District, Syracuse City School District, West Genesee Central School District, Onondaga-Cortland-Madison Boces.
What is the education level in Syracuse, New York?
According to Census data, 35% of adults in Syracuse have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Syracuse, New York?
The median household income in Syracuse is approximately $61,319 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Syracuse, New York?
Yes, Syracuse has 17 private schools alongside 45 public schools. The top-rated private school is Most Holy Rosary School with a score of 8.4/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Syracuse, New York?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Syracuse is 11.0:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Syracuse, 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
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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.