## Education Statistics
New York has one of the largest education systems in the United States, including extensive public K-12 districts, charter schools, private schools, community colleges, SUNY campuses, CUNY campuses, and private universities.
### Education profile - **Literacy rate:** A single official state literacy-rate figure is not commonly reported in the same way as national adult literacy estimates. - **High school graduation:** New York State Education Department regularly publishes graduation-rate data by district and statewide cohort. - **Higher education presence:** The state is home to major public systems: - **State University of New York (SUNY)** - **City University of New York (CUNY)** - **Globally recognized universities in New York State** include: - **Columbia University** - **Cornell University** - **New York University** - **University of Rochester** - **Stony Brook University** - **University at Buffalo** - **Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute** - **Syracuse University**
### What is widely known about education in New York - New York has a **high concentration of colleges and universities** relative to most U.S. states. - Educational outcomes vary sharply by **region, income, and district resources**. - New York City contains the **largest public school system in the United States**. - Specialized public high schools, suburban districts, and selective private institutions contribute to the state's strong academic reputation.
### Main official data sources - **New York State Education Department (NYSED)** for graduation rates, assessment results, district profiles, and accountability data. - **National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)** for comparative national data. - **SUNY** and **CUNY** for enrollment and institutional reporting. - **U.S. Census Bureau** for educational attainment.
### Snapshot table | Area | Notes | |---|---| | K-12 system | Large and regionally diverse; includes urban, suburban, and rural districts | | Public university systems | SUNY and CUNY | | Major research universities | Columbia, Cornell, NYU, Rochester, Stony Brook, Buffalo and others | | School performance | Strong in many districts, but uneven across communities | | Official statistics source | NYSED, NCES, Census |
For current percentages and rankings, district-by-district and year-specific figures should be checked directly through NYSED and NCES.