Eight of the nine schools admit solely by SHSAT score. The ninth, LaGuardia, admits by audition and academic record review instead. All nine are tuition-free NYC public schools open to any eligible city resident, regardless of neighborhood or home school.
Manhattan
Stuyvesant High School
One of the original three specialized high schools alongside Bronx Science and Brooklyn Tech. Historically the highest SHSAT cutoff of the nine, with a heavy STEM and research orientation. Alumni network is unusually deep across finance, tech, and academia.
High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at City College (HSMSE)
The smallest of the nine by enrollment, which means a tighter, more personal school culture than its larger siblings. Being on a college campus gives students early access to CCNY facilities and coursework.
Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts
The only specialized high school that doesn't use the SHSAT. Admission runs through a live audition or portfolio review specific to each arts major (music, visual art, drama, dance, and more), plus academic record. Each major is applied to separately.
The Bronx
Bronx High School of Science
One of the original three, with one of the largest concentrations of Nobel laureate alumni of any high school in the world. Was among the first of the three to go co-ed. Strong emphasis on independent research tracks alongside standard coursework.
High School of American Studies at Lehman College
The only specialized high school built around humanities and history rather than STEM. Smaller enrollment, with a curriculum leaning into primary-source research, debate, and writing rather than a math/science track.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn Technical High School
The largest single-campus high school in the country and one of the original three. Admits more students than any other specialized high school, with the widest range of engineering-focused majors students choose into after 9th grade.
The Brooklyn Latin School
The newest of the specialized high schools, opened in 2006. Built around a classical-education model, every student studies Latin, and the school follows a house system modeled on classical academies rather than typical NYC public school structure.
Queens
Queens High School for the Sciences at York College
Queens' only specialized high school, and one of the smaller campuses. College-campus location gives students early exposure to York's science labs and facilities alongside the standard curriculum.
Staten Island
Staten Island Technical High School
Staten Island's only specialized high school, with a strong record of sending graduates into engineering and service-academy pathways. Smaller than the Manhattan/Brooklyn/Bronx campuses, with a correspondingly tighter-knit school culture.