Which Specialized High School is the Hardest to Get In To?

Students who are preparing for the SHSAT often ask, "Which specialized high school is the most difficult to get into?"

It's a simple question, and one which parents may ask as well, but the answer isn't so simple.

The cutoff score, which is the minimum score with which a student wins a seat to a particular school, isn't set in stone. The score changes every year, depending on the number of students who take the exam--usually 25,000 to 30,000--and on how those students rank their choice of schools.

Students can select and rank up to eight specialized high schools when they register to take the SHSAT. After the scores are calculated, the top scorer wins admission to her first choice school. If her first choice school is Staten Island Tech, then she wins admission to Staten Island Tech. Then, the second highest scorer gets her desired high school seat. And so on, we go down the list. Seats are filled in this manner until all available seats at the eight specialized high schools are filled up.

Historically, Stuyvesant High School has been the most in-demand specialized high school and their seats fill up first because of the school's reputation, amenities, and location. The school is one of the few public high schools in the city with its own swimming pool. And located in Battery Park near the southern tip of Manhattan, Stuyvesant High School draws students from all five boroughs of the city. In comparison, students from Brooklyn and Staten Island are much less likely to trek north to Bronx Science, or the High School for American Studies at Lehman College.

The size of a school can also impact the relative demand for a school. Each year, Stuyvesant sets aside and fills approximately 800 seats for incoming 9th graders solely on the results of the SHSAT. The High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College (HSMSE), a much smaller school, fills just around 120 seats. The number of available seats is even less at the High School for American Studies at Lehman College, which fills just around 100.

The above factors all play a role in making up the cutoff score. It is possible that at some point in the future, Stuyvesant High School may lose its standing as the most in-demand specialized high school to one of the other specialized high schools. But for now, it remains as the specialized high school with the highest cutoff score. It admits students who usually score among the top 5% of all test-takers in any given year. The cutoff score for Stuyvesant in spring 2026 was 561. To put that score into context, in most years, the mean score for all test takers hovers around 400, and the median score rests usually around 380.

Here is a table that shows the cutoff scores for the specialized high schools for the most recent five years.

Specialized High School Cutoff Scores

		*2026	2025	2024	2023	2022
School	Raw Score (Percentage) *Only applies to 2026 scores	Cutoff Score Scaled Scores are out of perfect 700	Cutoff Score	Cutoff Score	Cutoff Score	Cutoff Score
Stuyvesant High School	91%	561	556	561	561	563
High School for Mathematics, Science, and Engineering at City College (HSMSE)	89%	539	526	542	518	532
Queens H.S. for Sciences at York College	89%	531	518	524	527	523
Bronx Science	88%	525	518	526	521	524
Staten Island Tech	88%	517	527	519	521	527
H.S. of American Studies at Lehman College	86%	507	504	514	510	516
Brooklyn Tech	86%	506	505	507	503	506
Brooklyn Latin	84%	495	496	492	493	497

It's important to recognize that the process of helping students gain admission to a specialized high school can be daunting, and many parents experience anxiety regarding their children's chances. Understanding the admissions criteria and the significance of the SHSAT can help alleviate some of these worries.

While each specialized high school has its own unique challenges, the focus should be on supporting your student through preparation and encouraging them to do their best. Remember, regardless of the outcome, the skills they develop during this process will benefit them in the long run.

Proper and early preparation is the key to success in the heated competition for a coveted specialized high school seat. We can help. Our SHSAT program is designed to help your child win a ticket to the specialized high school of her choice.

To learn more about our SHSAT program or to schedule a free diagnostic session, please contact us at info@nycgprep.com