Free data · SHSAT 2026 admissions · DOE counts 2022-2026 · rebuilt 2026-10-04
The best NYC middle schools for the SHSAT, ranked by offers per 100 test-takers
“Best” here means one thing you can check: of the eighth graders at each public middle school who sat the SHSAT in 2026 admissions, how many received an offer to a specialized high school, per 100 who took the test. 105 schools had at least 30 test-takers and a published offer count. The Anderson School comes first, with 74.2 offers per 100. Citywide, the DOE counted 4,023 offers for 26,123 test-takers: 15.4 per 100.
Ranked schools
105
Offers per 100, NYC, 2026
15.4
Minimum test-takers to rank
30
Middle school programs, Fall 2026
804
SHSAT 2026: registration October 6–30; the test is November 14–15 (School Day November 18, 9th grade November 21).
5 or fewer (not published) / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
5 or fewer (not published) / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
2025 admissionssat the test / offers / per 100
16 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
12 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
2024 admissionssat the test / offers / per 100
14 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
11 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
2023 admissionssat the test / offers / per 100
8 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
8 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
2022 admissionssat the test / offers / per 100
10 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
16 / 5 or fewer (not published)n/a
8th graders who sat the test, 2026
n/a
n/a
How it admits 6th graders
Zone Priority
Open
General education seats
46
75
Most requested program
1 applicant per seatThe Paul L. Dunbar Middle School (M.S. 301): 25 applicants, 46 seats
1 applicant per seatArchimedes Academy for Math, Science and Technology Applications: 50 applicants, 75 seats
High schools its students most often attend
Morris Academy for Collaborative Studies; Longwood Preparatory Academy; United Charter High School for Advanced Math and Science llMySchools page
Archimedes Academy for Math, Science and Technology ApplicationsMySchools page
Offers per 100 divides a year’s specialized high school offers by the students who sat the SHSAT that year, only when the DOE published both counts. “n/a” means a count of 5 or fewer was masked. Admissions figures are from the DOE’s Fall middle school file; applicants per seat is the DOE’s own rounded figure. Method and sources.
What this ranking can and cannot tell you
It counts what happened to the students who sat the test. A high figure can reflect who a school admits as much as what it teaches, and the DOE file does not separate the two. Of the 20 schools at the top of this list, 10 admit at least part of their sixth grade through a screen or a talent test, according to the DOE's Fall 2026 middle school file.
It moves from year to year. Among the schools ranked here that also had a published figure in 2025 admissions, the typical change between 2025 and 2026 was 4.3 offers per 100 (median, up or down). The 2022-2026 column smooths this out where every year is published.
It says nothing about any single child. An offer goes to one of the eight specialized high schools that admit on the SHSAT; the file does not say which one, or what scores the offers took. We do not turn any of it into a cutoff or a chance of admission.
What to do with this list
Your child is in 5th grade
The fall 2027 middle school application is open until December 11, 2026.
Compare the schools on your list here, then check how many families applied for each seat. Hunter College High School is another route: it admits students into 7th grade, and who may apply depends on 5th grade test scores.
The SHSAT comes in the fall of 8th grade. A school figure does not show where your child stands; we start with a scored official practice test, which does.
The measure. For each school, the number of eighth graders who received an offer to one of the eight testing specialized high schools, divided by the number who sat the SHSAT, times 100. “2026 admissions” is the DOE’s label: students who sat the test in the 2025-26 school year and received offers for fall 2026. Discovery program offers are not included.
The threshold. At least 30 test-takers in 2026 admissions, and an offer count the DOE published. The DOE replaces any count from 0 to 5 with “0-5”; we never treat it as zero or estimate it. Ties share a rank. The 2022-2026 figure adds offers and test-takers over every year the school is listed, and is shown only when none of those years is masked.
SHSAT data rebuilt 2026-10-04; middle school admissions file read 2026-10-04. Download the school counts as CSV or JSON. Reuse them freely; a link back to this page is appreciated.
Take the next step
A school ranking is not a plan
Tell us your child's grade and school. We start with a scored official practice test, so the plan is built on where your child actually stands.