Education in New York (state) facts for kids

The education system in New York State is very important! It's overseen by the University of the State of New York (USNY), along with its Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department. These groups make sure that all public schools, from elementary to high school, are running well across the state.

Did you know that the New York City Department of Education, which manages schools in New York City, is the biggest school district in the entire United States? It teaches over 1 million students in more than 1,200 schools! That's more students than the total population of some smaller U.S. states.

Learning in New York's Schools

Public high schools in New York offer many different subjects. You can learn about trades, languages, or liberal arts. There are also special programs for students who are very talented, planning to go to college, or interested in industrial arts. New York is one of only seven states that requires schools to teach about the Holocaust and genocide. This helps students learn important lessons from history.

Fair Funding for Schools

For many years, a big challenge has been how schools get their money. Most schools rely on local property taxes. This means that wealthier communities often have more money for their schools. Sometimes, people in richer areas even pay a lower tax rate than those in less wealthy areas. This can make it hard for schools in poorer communities to get enough funding. The state is always working to help these communities get more support.

Bringing Students Together

Since 1900, New York law has required schools to be integrated. This means students from all backgrounds should learn together. Before this, a law from 1894 allowed separate schools for African-American children. Even with the law, sometimes schools ended up with students from mostly one background. This happens because people often live in neighborhoods with others who are similar to them. Studies show it's really good for kids to learn with students from different economic backgrounds. To help with this, some communities use "magnet schools." These schools offer special programs to attract a mix of students.

What are Charter Schools?

Charter schools are public schools that operate a bit differently. They have more freedom in how they teach, but they still have to meet certain goals. As of 2013, there were 183 charter schools in New York. About 70,000 students attended these schools.

School Enrollment Changes

Between 2000 and 2009, the number of students in New York schools went down by 121,000. However, the number of teachers actually increased by 15,000! This meant there were fewer students per teacher, about 13 students for every teacher. At that time, New York spent about $16,000 per student, which was the highest in the country.

Going to College in New York

New York State has many amazing colleges and universities. These include large public systems and many private schools.

The SUNY System: A Huge Public University

Academic Complex at Binghamton University

The State University of New York (SUNY) is New York's public university system. It's one of the biggest public university systems in the United States! SUNY has 64 campuses all over the state. It serves almost 460,000 students who are earning degrees. Another 1.1 million people take continuing education classes.

Some of the well-known SUNY schools include University at Albany, Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, and Stony Brook University. The largest public university in New York is the State University of New York at Buffalo. It was founded by former U.S. President Millard Fillmore.

The SUNY system has different types of campuses:

• University Centers: These are large research universities.
  • University at Albany
  • Binghamton University
  • University at Buffalo (SUNY Buffalo)
  • Stony Brook University
• Other Doctoral-Granting Institutions: These also offer advanced degrees.
  • State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • SUNY College of Optometry
  • SUNY Downstate Medical Center
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute
  • SUNY Upstate Medical University
• Statutory Colleges: These are special colleges that are part of private universities but are supported by the state.
  • At Alfred University:
    • New York State College of Ceramics
  • At Cornell University:
    • New York State College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS)
    • New York State College of Human Ecology (HumEc)
    • New York State School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR)
    • New York State College of Veterinary Medicine
• Comprehensive Colleges: These offer a wide range of undergraduate and some graduate programs.
  • Buffalo State College
  • State University of New York College at Cortland
  • Empire State College
  • State University of New York at Purchase
  • State University of New York at Geneseo
  • State University of New York at Oneonta
  • State University of New York at Fredonia
  • State University of New York at New Paltz
  • State University of New York at Oswego
  • State University of New York at Potsdam
  • State University of New York at Plattsburgh
  • State University of New York at Old Westbury
  • State University of New York at Brockport
• Technology Colleges: These schools focus on technical and applied sciences.
  • Alfred State College
  • State University of New York at Canton
  • State University of New York at Cobleskill
  • State University of New York at Delhi
  • Farmingdale State College
  • State University of New York Maritime College
  • Morrisville State College
  • Fashion Institute of Technology
• Community Colleges: These offer two-year programs and often help students transfer to four-year colleges.
  • SUNY Adirondack Community College
  • Broome Community College
  • Cayuga Community College
  • Clinton Community College
  • Columbia-Greene Community College
  • Corning Community College
  • Dutchess Community College
  • Erie Community College
  • Finger Lakes Community College
  • Fulton-Montgomery Community College
  • Genesee Community College
  • Herkimer County Community College
  • Hudson Valley Community College
  • Jamestown Community College
  • Jefferson Community College
  • Mohawk Valley Community College
  • Monroe Community College
  • Nassau Community College
  • Niagara County Community College
  • North Country Community College
  • Onondaga Community College
  • Orange County Community College (SUNY Orange)
  • Rockland Community College
  • Schenectady County Community College
  • Suffolk County Community College
  • Sullivan County Community College
  • Tompkins Cortland Community College
  • Ulster County Community College
  • Westchester Community College

The CUNY System: New York City's Public University

The City University of New York (CUNY) is the public university system for New York City. It's separate from SUNY. CUNY is the largest urban university in the United States. It has 11 senior colleges, 7 community colleges, and several graduate and professional schools. More than 274,000 students are enrolled across its campuses in all five New York City boroughs.

Here are some of the colleges in the CUNY system:

• Senior Colleges:
  • Baruch College
  • Brooklyn College
  • City College of New York
  • College of Staten Island
  • Hunter College
  • John Jay College of Criminal Justice
  • Lehman College
  • Medgar Evers College
  • New York City College of Technology
  • Queens College, City University of New York
  • York College, City University of New York
• Community Colleges:
  • Borough of Manhattan Community College
  • Bronx Community College
  • Guttman Community College
  • Hostos Community College
  • Kingsborough Community College
  • LaGuardia Community College
  • Queensborough Community College
• Graduate and Professional Schools:
  • CUNY Graduate Center
  • CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
  • CUNY School of Law
  • CUNY School of Medicine
  • CUNY School of Professional Studies
  • CUNY School of Public Health
  • William E. Macaulay Honors College

Private Universities in New York

Butler Library at Columbia University in New York City.

Old Stone Row on the Arts Quadrangle, Cornell University.

New York State is also home to hundreds of private colleges and universities. Many of these are religious schools or focus on special subjects. Cornell University is a unique school. It's mostly private, but it also has public parts that are supported by the state.

Some of the most famous and highly-ranked universities in New York are Columbia University, Cornell University, New York University, and the University of Rochester. These are all world-renowned universities known for their research.

Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester.

New York also has two of the five Federal Service Academies in the nation:

• The United States Military Academy at West Point
• The United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point

The Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester is known as one of the best music schools.

New York is a very popular state for college students! More freshmen from other states choose to come to New York for college than any other state, even California.

In total, New York State has 307 colleges and universities that can grant degrees. This is the second-highest number in the country, right after California. Some other notable private institutions include: