Long Island School Performance & Rankings
Long Island is home to some of New York’s highest-performing public schools, with more than 125 districts across Nassau County and Suffolk County. Performance varies by community, district size, grade configuration, student population, local tax base, and educational programming. This page presents a district-by-district graduation-rate snapshot using the latest New York State Education Department report-card data available at the time of review.
The graduation-rate tables below reflect All Students, 4-year cohort, August outcome for the 2023–24 school year. For official district-level test proficiency, accountability indicators, enrollment, chronic absenteeism, fiscal transparency, and per-pupil spending, readers should use the NYSED district report-card links and financial transparency tools referenced below.
Long Island Education Snapshot
| Category | Nassau County | Suffolk County | Long Island Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public School Districts | 56 | 69 | 125 |
| Graduation Rate Measure | All Students, 4-year cohort, August outcome | ||
| Graduation Data Year | 2023–24 NYSED Report Card / Graduation Rate Database | ||
| Spending Data Source | NYSED Financial Transparency reports and district-level fiscal data | ||
| Other Official Metrics | Enrollment, test proficiency, accountability, chronic absenteeism, demographics, and school-level indicators available through NYSED Report Cards | ||
Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED) Report Cards, Graduation Rate Database, and Financial Transparency reports. Graduation rates shown here reflect the 4-year cohort, All Students, August outcome for the 2023–24 school year.
County Averages — 4-Year Graduation Rate (All Students, 2023–24, August)
| County | Cohort Size | Graduates | Graduation Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | 16,075 | 15,181 | 94.4 |
| Suffolk County | 19,360 | 17,373 | 89.7 |
Note: County averages are weighted by district cohort size using graduates divided by total cohort. District-by-district results are listed below. Elementary-only districts do not graduate students and are not included in graduation-rate comparisons.
Graduation Rates by District — Nassau County (2023–24, 4-Year Cohort, August)
| District | Grad (%) |
|---|---|
| Baldwin | 96 |
| Bellmore-Merrick | 96 |
| Bethpage | 98 |
| Carle Place | 94 |
| East Meadow | 95 |
| East Rockaway | 97 |
| East Williston | 98 |
| Farmingdale | 97 |
| Freeport | 86 |
| Garden City | 100 |
| Glen Cove | 85 |
| Great Neck | 96 |
| Hempstead | 82 |
| Herricks | 98 |
| Hewlett-Woodmere | 93 |
| Hicksville | 91 |
| Island Trees | 97 |
| Jericho | 98 |
| Lawrence | 83 |
| Levittown | 96 |
| Locust Valley | 96 |
| Long Beach | 95 |
| Lynbrook | 97 |
| Malverne | 95 |
| Manhasset | 98 |
| Massapequa | 97 |
| Mineola | 95 |
| North Shore | 96 |
| Oceanside | 96 |
| Oyster Bay-East Norwich | 100 |
| Plainedge | 96 |
| Plainview-Old Bethpage | 99 |
| Port Washington | 99 |
| Rockville Centre | 98 |
| Roosevelt | 79 |
| Roslyn | 98 |
| Seaford | 98 |
| Sewanhaka | 96 |
| Syosset | 97 |
| Uniondale | 88 |
| Valley Stream | 95 |
| Wantagh | 97 |
| West Hempstead | 93 |
| Westbury | 83 |
Nassau County also includes elementary-only and other non-graduating districts that feed into high school or central high school districts. Those districts should be evaluated through NYSED report-card indicators such as enrollment, proficiency, absenteeism, and fiscal data rather than graduation rate.
Graduation Rates by District — Suffolk County (2023–24, 4-Year Cohort, August)
| District | Grad (%) |
|---|---|
| Amityville | 82 |
| Babylon | 95 |
| Bay Shore | 91 |
| Bayport-Blue Point | 98 |
| Brentwood | 77 |
| Bridgehampton | 89 |
| Comsewogue | 92 |
| Center Moriches | 93 |
| Central Islip | 77 |
| Cold Spring Harbor | 100 |
| Commack | 97 |
| Connetquot | 94 |
| Copiague | 89 |
| Deer Park | 92 |
| East Hampton | 88 |
| East Islip | 94 |
| Eastport-South Manor | 95 |
| Elwood | 95 |
| Fishers Island | 67 |
| Greenport | 73 |
| Half Hollow Hills | 93 |
| Hampton Bays | 93 |
| Harborfields | 98 |
| Hauppauge | 95 |
| Huntington | 88 |
| Islip | 96 |
| Kings Park | 93 |
| Lindenhurst | 91 |
| Little Flower | N/A |
| Longwood | 87 |
| Mattituck-Cutchogue | 88 |
| Middle Country | 90 |
| Miller Place | 97 |
| Mount Sinai | 94 |
| North Babylon | 92 |
| Northport-East Northport | 95 |
| Patchogue-Medford | 87 |
| Port Jefferson | 98 |
| Riverhead | 79 |
| Rocky Point | 96 |
| Sachem | 93 |
| Sag Harbor | 90 |
| Sayville | 95 |
| Shelter Island | 100 |
| Shoreham-Wading River | 98 |
| Smithtown | 97 |
| South Country | 83 |
| South Huntington | 89 |
| Southampton | 89 |
| Southold | 80 |
| Three Village | 97 |
| West Babylon | 92 |
| West Islip | 99 |
| Westhampton Beach | 94 |
| William Floyd | 86 |
| Wyandanch | 64 |
Small districts may show large year-to-year percentage changes because each student represents a larger share of the cohort. Readers should review NYSED district report cards for cohort size, subgroup data, and trend history before drawing conclusions from a single year.
Per-Pupil Spending & Fiscal Transparency
Long Island school spending is among the highest in New York and the nation, but per-pupil spending can be measured in several ways. NYSED Financial Transparency reports provide school-level and district-level spending figures and are the best official source for comparing expenditures. These reports may include categories such as instructional spending, central services, districtwide spending, and other costs, so figures should not be compared unless the same NYSED category and school year are being used.
| County | Previously Reported Avg. Per-Pupil Figure | Important Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nassau County | $26,165 | Use NYSED Financial Transparency for district-level and school-level spending categories. |
| Suffolk County | $28,875 | Use NYSED Financial Transparency for district-level and school-level spending categories. |
Note: The per-pupil figures above are retained as a broad county-level reference from the prior version of this page, but official district comparisons should be made directly through NYSED Financial Transparency because spending categories, enrollment bases, exclusions, and school-year reporting periods can differ.
District Directory – Official NYSED Pages
For each district’s per-pupil spending, test proficiency, enrollment, chronic absenteeism, accountability status, graduation indicators, and other official measures, use NYSED’s public report-card tools.
- NYSED Report Cards search: data.nysed.gov → Search by district name, school name, county, or BEDS code.
- Financial Transparency: On each district or school profile, open the financial or fiscal transparency section to review per-pupil spending and expenditure categories.
- Test proficiency: NYSED report cards include ELA, math, science, Regents, accountability, participation, and subgroup measures where applicable.
How to Read These Rankings
Graduation rate is an important education indicator, but it is not a complete measure of school quality. A district with a high graduation rate may still vary in college readiness, test proficiency, advanced coursework, special education services, chronic absenteeism, student support, and fiscal efficiency. Likewise, a lower graduation rate may reflect socioeconomic challenges, student mobility, English-language learner populations, district size, or other factors that require context.
For that reason, this page should be used as a starting point for comparing Long Island school districts, not as a final ranking of educational quality. Parents, residents, and researchers should review NYSED report cards, district budgets, school profiles, board materials, and community-level factors before making decisions based on school performance data.
Methodology
- Graduation data source: New York State Education Department Graduation Rate Database and district report-card data.
- Graduation measure: Tables show All Students, 4-year cohort, August outcome for the 2023–24 school year.
- County averages: County rates are weighted by cohort size, using total graduates divided by total cohort size across the districts included in the calculation.
- Scope: Public school districts in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. Elementary-only districts, BOCES programs, special-act districts, charter schools, and non-graduating entities may require separate review in NYSED data tools.
- Per-pupil spending: Spending figures should be reviewed through NYSED Financial Transparency reports because categories, exclusions, and enrollment bases can differ across reports.
- Limitations: Graduation rates can change annually, and small cohorts can produce large percentage swings. Test-score and spending comparisons should be made using official NYSED district pages and consistent school years.
Data Sources & Updates
Data Last Updated: June 2026.
The education information presented on this page is compiled from official and public education sources, primarily the New York State Education Department (NYSED), NYSED Report Cards, the NYSED Graduation Rate Database, and NYSED Financial Transparency Reports. Graduation-rate data is based on the most recent district-level report-card data reviewed for this page, while spending, testing, accountability, enrollment, and other performance indicators should be checked directly through NYSED for the latest district and school-level figures.
NYSED typically updates report-card and accountability data annually. Because school data is released on state reporting schedules, some figures may reflect the most recent finalized school year rather than the current school year. This page should be reviewed and updated when NYSED releases newer graduation-rate, accountability, fiscal transparency, and district performance data.
