15 Largest Public High Schools in New York City

We all know how big the population of New York City is, so it’s only natural to create a list of the largest public high schools in New York City.

New York City is home to some of America’s biggest companies. It’s said to be the US’s center of commerce and it’s also famous for its many universities. According to the NY Daily News, New York City’s public high schools dominated the top 10 high schools in the entire state. The top was determined according to the diversity of the students and the quality of education they provide. It isn’t shocking, then, that when you look at the largest high schools they’re also probably some of the best.

What we’ve aggregated here is a list of the largest public high schools. This will be determined according to the number of students enrolled in an academic year. The more enrollments, the larger the school. It’s fairly logical methodology. According to the NYC Department of Education, the city has a total of 1.1 million students, and with over 500 public high schools in the city, it’s the largest school district in America. It’ll be interesting to take a look at and see if any are in or near the 10 Worst, Poorest, and Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in New York City.

In order to find our data for this list, we searched for the public high schools with the highest enrollment. The data was sourced from the NYC Department of Education and the New York Post. We also got some information about each school’s offerings since big schools tend to offer a lot of extracurriculars. Keep reading to learn about the largest public high schools in New York City.

15. Arlington High School

Lagrangeville, NY

Enrollment: 3,313

This high school has plenty of clubs and activities that not only improve academics but are also great for adding to the extracurricular activities section of a resume. There are also winning music programs.

14. Newburgh Free Academy – Main Campus

Newburgh, NY

Enrollment: 3,337

This school that ranked 14th on our list of largest public high schools in New York City has great academic qualities and it also offers social and athletic programs.

13. New Utrecht High School

Brooklyn, NY

Enrollment: 3,351

This school has a lot of international students, which provides great cultural diversity among its student population. Most of the teachers are also bilingual, which makes it easier for the students to understand their lessons.

12. New Rochelle High School

New Rochelle, NY

Enrollment: 3,427

With an 81% graduation rate and great academics rate, you know this school is not only among the largest but also among the competitive ones in the city.

11. Susan E. Wagner High School,

Staten Island, NY

Enrollment: 3,437

This school has a great music program alongside its academic and athletic programs.

10. Benjamin N. Cardozo High School,

Bayside, NY

Enrollment: 3,633

This public high school has a culturally diverse student population. It also has several clubs for students’ interests and offers various extracurricular activities.

9. John Bowne High School

Flushing, NY

Enrollment: 3,694

With diverse programs available, you are sure to find your niche in this school. The staff is said to also be supportive of students.

8. Forest Hills High School,

Forest Hills, NY

Enrollment: 3,793

High scores in safety and diverse academic programs make this school one of the most sought after. That is also why there is so much enrollment, making it a great fit in the largest public schools in New York City.

7. Midwood High School at Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, NY

Enrollment: 3,872

Students get to be involved in this school because of many athletic programs and school clubs. It is also said to be among the most culturally diverse public high schools in the city.

6. Tottenville High School

Staten Island, NY

Enrollment: 3,931

This high school offers lots of programs, including great sports programs as extracurriculars. Teachers and staff are said to be very caring and supportive of their students as well.

5. Brentwood High School

Brentwood, NY

Enrollment: 4,012

We are continuing our list of largest public high schools in New York City with the school that has a great environment and has supportive teachers and staff as well. There are also a lot of academic programs and clubs for students to choose from.

4. Edward R. Murrow High School

Brooklyn, NY

Enrollment: 4,017

This public high school is best for people who are inclined in arts, as it is known for its great arts programs.

3. Francis Lewis High School

Fresh Meadows, NY

Enrollment: 4,031

This school, one of the largest public high schools in New York City has a really good ROTC program enhancing its students’ skills in leadership. Their core classes are also high quality.

2.  Fort Hamilton High School

Brooklyn, NY

Enrollment: 4,294

With a very diverse student population comprised of different ethnic races, this school is great for everyone who’s after a good education.

1. Brooklyn Technical High School

Brooklyn, NY

Enrollment: 5,457

This school has a wide array of programs and majors for every student interest. There are also plenty of opportunities available.

New York City is known for many things, and one of those is having some of the biggest and the best public high schools in the country. The largest public high schools in New York City, all have great reasons why these students trust them for their education and future.