You can learn a lot more than the three “R’s” in New York City schools — these teach you a trade as well.
1. Aviation Career & Technical Education High School
156-10 Baisley Blvd., Queens
Admission: Open to NYC students, two selective programs
Enrollment: 2,231
Graduation rate: 86.4%
College ready: 72.7%
College enrollment: 81.5%
Taking SAT: 423
Average total SAT score: 1441
Taking AP tests: 266
AP pass rate: 47.6%
With a history stretching back to the 1930s, Aviation has adapted and expanded along with the industry. Its intense FAA-sponsored program, the nation’s largest, helps students earn industry certifications in aircraft repair and maintenance, leading some into well-paid jobs right out of high school. Yet an average 82% of graduating seniors head to college. The Sunnyside school offers a range of AP classes, including calculus, English and world history. Students devote serious time to their craft: By junior year, they spend four periods a day in shop classes, known as “labs.” That prepares them for internships with airlines and at John F. Kennedy International Airport and for entry into a competitive, optional fifth-year program that lets students work on a donated Boeing 747 in the school’s dedicated annex at JFK.
2. Academy for Careers in Television and Film
36-41 28th St., Queens
Admission: Priority to New York City residents who attend an info session
Enrollment: 470
Graduation rate: 94.8%
College ready: 46.9%
College enrollment: 75.6%
Taking SAT: 90
Average total SAT score: 1276
Taking AP tests: 63
AP pass rate: 57.9%
Perched on the edge of the East River in a striking new building, this Long Island City school is a movie studio in miniature, with everything from props and costume departments to sound stages and an editing lab on site. Students take a sequence of introductory production classes in their first two years, then choose an area of concentration in 11th grade. New York’s thriving film industry provides many internship opportunities for juniors and seniors (Silvercup Studios, WNET and shows like “The Good Wife” among them). The school itself, with an in-house video production company, gets kids collaborating with partners like the National Dance Institute and Socrates Sculpture Park on several film projects each year. Strong academic supports result in an impressive graduation rate, and with most students heading to college.
3. Bronx Design and Construction Academy
333 E. 151st St., The Bronx
Admission: Priority to Bronx students or residents who attend an info session, then NYC residents who attend info session, then Bronx students or residents, then NYC residents
Enrollment: 429
Graduation rate: Too new
Taking AP tests: 21
AP pass rate: 0
This new school in Melrose section focuses on sustainable building practices, offering smaller-than-average classes and a skills-based approach to learning. Features like a rooftop garden, which allows for hands-on study of solar energy, reinforce the theme. So does the federal grant won in 2014 that MTA is using to implement a new transit-careers program. With 13 applicants per seat, BxDCA’s architecture and design track is highly sought-after. Architecture students train first in mechanical drafting and later in AutoCAD. On the building construction and design track, students can choose to major in HVAC, plumbing, carpentry or electrical specialties. Many earn certifications that help them head into construction and design jobs after graduation.
4. High School of Computers and Technology
800 East Gun Hill Rd, The Bronx
Admission: Priority to NYC residents who attend an info session, then all.
Enrollment: 556
Graduation rate: 83.2%
College ready: 14%
College enrollment: 53.1%
Taking SAT: 81
Average total SAT score: 1132
Taking AP tests: 54
AP pass rate: 6.4%
Students are encouraged to jump in and do practical problem-solving at this hands-on Williamsbridge school. With an emphasis on computer repair and programming, professional certifications can be earned in a student’s first year. The curriculum follows a logical sequence, training students in Internet and computing, then in computer repair and finally in networking before placing them in 15-hour-a-week internship assignments in senior year. The year-by-year reinforcement likely plays a part in the school’s strong 85 percent graduation rate. While the world of tech is the focus here, out-of-school activities, like freshman camping trips and senior movie days, help students build teamwork and shared purpose. Teachers strive to enhance students’ knowledge on a larger scale as well: In 2014, some classes used the Globalize 13 curriculum to raise awareness about slavery in the modern world and to brainstorm solutions to the problem.
5. Thomas A. Edison High School
165-65 84th Ave., Queens
Admission: Open to NYC residents
Enrollment: 2,168
Graduation rate: 84.5%
College ready: 50.8%
College enrollment: 67.1%
Taking SAT: 412
Average total SAT score: 1395
Taking AP tests:280
AP pass rate: 30.7%
This long-established career and technical school in Jamaica Hills offers an extensive array of tracks in seven main subject areas: visual arts, information technology, computer-assisted design, electrical installation, automotive tech, robotics and medical careers. “We are the true definition of ‘college and career readiness,’ ” says Principal Moses A. Ojeda. “We offer dual-enrollment for career and technical education courses, College Now courses and Advanced Placement courses in every core subject.” The well-equipped work areas and shop facilities are constantly expanding. Last year, Edison won a $50,000 makeover grant from the Collision Repair Foundation and also installed a state-of-the-art auto-spray paint booth, the only one in any city school. A $20,000 grant from Lowe’s stores is building a garden for a botany program that will teach agriculture and food management. A newly renovated lab hosts a computer forensics program, covering cybersecurity and “ethical hacking.” Edison is committed to the concept of education for all. While the school boasts a 90% overall graduation rate, it takes equal pride in its 79% graduation rate for students with disabilities.
6. Urban Assembly New York Harbor School
10 South St., Slip 7, Manhattan
Admission: Priority to NYC residents who attend an information session, then all
Enrollment: 439
Graduation rate: 74.2%
College ready: 40.4%
College enrollment: 50.6%
Taking SAT: 80
Average total SAT score: 1296
Taking AP tests: 30
AP pass rate: 20%
What better place than Governors Island, smack-dab in the middle of the harbor, for a school that concentrates on marine policy, science and technology? Here and in other locations all around the city’s waterways, students learn to dive, sail, swim, build, plant, farm and grow. The school aims to encourage a passion for our maritime heritage and fosters a sense of responsibility for this nurturing ecosystem. Courses in marine biology, vessel operations, ocean engineering, and scuba diving lead to professional certifications. Partnerships with local institutions and industries offer unique opportunities for students. In 2014, for example, young Harbor School divers interned at the New York Aquarium to plunge into its tanks and scrub algae from faux coral reefs.
Other career schools by category
Advertising & media
High School for Innovation in Advertising and Media
1600 Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn
Tracks in media applications and computer software are enriched by advertising-industry internships and mentoring opportunities.
Manhattan Early College School for Advertising
411 Pearl St., Manhattan
A communications-focused program that offers college courses through the Borough of Manhattan Community College starting in 10th grade.
Architecture
City Polytechnic High School of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology
105 Johnson St., Brooklyn
Offers programs in civil engineering, construction management, and architecture courses in partnership with New York City College of Technology.
Williamsburg High School for Architecture and Design
257 North 6th St., Brooklyn
A Post “Hidden Gem” — see feature story.
Automotive
Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School
33 E. 151st St., Bronx
Offers programs in automotive technology, auto body collision repair and computer- graphics technology, with a bilingual track for Spanish speakers.
Automotive High School
50 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn
The automotive track trains students for work as car technicians on graduation. Law enforcement, and mechanical engineering tracks offered, too. Academically struggling school threatened with state takeover.
Commerce
Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce
2005 Madison Ave., Manhattan
This small, nurturing school immerses students in the field of supply-chain management — transporting goods from producers to consumers around the world.
Commercial art & design
Art and Design High School
245 E. 56th St., Manhattan
Students learn about all fields of commercial art, including graphic design, cartooning and fashion, with specialized tracks in film/video and architecture.
Chelsea Career and Technical Education High School
131 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan
Incorporates two academies, one dedicated to graphic and communication arts, the other to computer networks and telecom technology.
Computers
Bronx Academy for Software Engineering (BASE)
2474 Crotona Ave., Bronx
Computer-science program includes classes in software design, app development and programming; connects students to internships with industry leaders.
Academy of Innovative Technology
999 Jamaica Ave., Brooklyn
Students can earn professional certification in various programming languages and applications while studying game design, Web design or computer repair.
Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH)
150 Albany Ave., Brooklyn
P-TECH’s big-time corporate and academic partnerships, its computer science focus and its path-to-college program make it a popular choice for STEM-minded students.
Business Technology Early College High School
230-17 Hillside Ave., Queens
Students have up to six years to earn a high-school diploma and an associate degree — free of cost — from Queensborough Community College. Learn career-ready skills such as computer programming and software design and development. Hands-on job training through internships and apprenticeships.
Urban Assembly Gateway School for Technology
439 W. 49th St., Manhattan
With its computer-science focus, students major in IT, health IT or digital animation / Web design, earning industry certifications as early as ninth grade.
Construction
Stephen T. Mather Building Arts & Craftsmanship High School
439 West 49th St., Manhattan
With a focus on historic preservation, students gain key skills — including carpentry, masonry and archaeology — leading to hands-on careers.
High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture
94-06 104th St., Queens
A project-based curriculum gives students practical experience in architecture, engineering, and construction, leading to professional certification in one of these areas.
Urban Assembly Maker Academy
411 Pearl St., Manhattan
A Post “Hidden Gem” — see feature story.
Emergency management
Urban Assembly School for Emergency Management
439 W. 49th St., Manhattan
Partnerships with FEMA, the Red Cross and other agencies help students train in emergency management, emergency tech and response and recovery.
Energy
High School for Energy and Technology
2474 Crotona Ave., The Bronx
Highly motivated faculty prepares students for careers in engineering and building technology, such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Energy Tech High School
36-41 28th St., Queens
A Post “Hidden Gem” — see feature story.
Entertainment
Crotona International High School
2474 Crotona Ave., The Bronx
Serving English language learners — admission is limited to students in the US for fewer than four years — the program offers training in digital recording and entertainment technology.
Environment
Urban Assembly School for Green Careers
145 W. 84th St., Manhattan
Students get hands-on experience in horticulture, energy management, environmental engineering, green building design and other earth-friendly fields.
Fashion
High School of Fashion Industries
225 West 24th Street, Manhattan
Majoring in design, marketing, or graphics/illustration, students explore all aspects of the fashion world with help from industry giants like Macy’s.
Finance
Benjamin Franklin High School for Finance & Information Technology
207-01 116th Ave., Queens
Preparing students for careers in IT and finance, with opportunities to earn industry certifications in Web design, graphic design and applications.
Food
Food and Finance High School
525 W. 50th St., Manhattan
Popular program dedicated to the culinary arts trains future chefs in partnership with Cornell University, industry professionals and local restaurants.
Health care
H.E.R.O. High (Health, Education, and Research Occupations High School)
455 Southern BLVD., The Bronx
A Post “Hidden Gem” — see feature story.
Academy for Health Careers
150 Albany Ave., Brooklyn
Year-long concentrations in emergency medicine, biomedical technology and patient care prepare students for work in the growing health-care industry.
Clara Barton High School
901 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn
Focuses on nursing, dental assistant and vision technology training; provides bilingual programs for students who speak Russian or Haitian Creole.
Inwood Early College for Health and Information Technologies
650 Academy St., Manhattan
With industry partners like Microsoft and New York-Presbyterian, the school trains students for the growing field of digital medical records management.
Union Square Academy for Health Sciences
40 Irving Place, Manhattan
Project-based curriculum trains students in a pharmacy technician track and a dental assistant program
Institute for Health Professions at Cambria Heights
207-01 116th Ave., Queens
Prospective EMTs and future nurses get hands-on training in programs affiliated with North Shore LIJ Hospital.
Sports
Business of Sports School
439 W. 49th St., Manhattan
Sports-focused business program helps students prepare for careers as marketers, analysts, journalists and support staff, partnering with ESPN and local teams.
Tourism & hospitality
School for Tourism and Hospitality
900 Tinton Ave., The Bronx
In partnership with the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers, this school offers industry certifications alongside the high-school diploma.
Transportation
Transit Tech Career and Technical Education High School
1 Wells St., Brooklyn
Partnerships with Amtrak and the MTA help students prepare for transit electrical, transit electronics, transit tech and computer-engineering careers.
Various
George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School
105 Johnson St., Brooklyn
Since 1919, Westinghouse offers programs in computer systems, culinary arts, electrical installation, engineering and multimedia technology.
W. H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School
145 Pennsylvania Ave., Brooklyn
Offers vision technology, cosmetology and communications media tracks, along with courses in fashion design and medical careers.
William E. Grady Career and Technical Education High School
25 Brighton 4th Rd. Brooklyn
Up-to-date equipment helps students complete three-year sequences in automotive technology, construction technology, culinary arts, health careers and information technology.
Queens Vocational and Technical High School
37-02 47th Ave., Queens
With a new wing housing up-to-date labs and equipment, students learn plumbing, cosmetology, computers and electronics, graphic arts and electrical wiring.
Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School
290 St. Marks Place, Staten Island
Staten Island’s only career and technical high school offers programs in architectural drafting, automotive tech, electrical engineering, graphic arts and computer software.