For the 2025 school year, there are 13 public schools serving 5,117 students in Ithaca, NY (there are , serving 468 private students). 92% of all K-12 students in Ithaca, NY are educated in public schools (compared to the NY state average of 85%).
The top ranked public schools in Ithaca, NY are Ithaca Senior High School, New Roots Charter School and Northeast School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking.
Ithaca, NY public schools have an average math proficiency score of 55% (versus the New York public school average of 47%), and reading proficiency score of 56% (versus the 49% statewide average). Schools in Ithaca have an average ranking of 8/10, which is in the top 30% of New York public schools.
Minority enrollment is 39% of the student body (majority Asian and Hispanic), which is less than the New York public school average of 60% (majority Hispanic).
Best Public Schools in Ithaca, NY (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Ithaca Senior High School
(Math: 96% | Reading: 90-94%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
1401 N Cayuga St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2145
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2145
Grades: 9-12
| 1,362 students
Rank: #22.
New Roots Charter School
Charter School
(Math: ≥80% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
116 N Cayuga St
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607) 882-9220
Ithaca, NY 14851
(607) 882-9220
Grades: 9-12
| 108 students
Rank: #33.
Northeast School
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
425 Winthrop Dr
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-2121
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-2121
Grades: K-5
| 395 students
Rank: #44.
Cayuga Heights Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
110 E Upland Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-8557
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-8557
Grades: PK-5
| 270 students
Rank: #55.
Boynton Middle School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 63%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1601 N Cayuga St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2241
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2241
Grades: 6-8
| 534 students
Rank: #66.
Dewitt Middle School
(Math: 51% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
560 Warren Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-3222
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-3222
Grades: 6-8
| 508 students
Rank: #77.
South Hill School
(Math: 50-54% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
520 Hudson St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2129
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2129
Grades: PK-5
| 370 students
Rank: #88.
Lehman Alternative Community School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
111 Chestnut St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2183
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2183
Grades: 6-12
| 271 students
Rank: #99.
Belle Sherman School
(Math: 40-44% | Reading: 40-44%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
501 Mitchell St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2206
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2206
Grades: PK-5
| 319 students
Rank: #1010.
Fall Creek Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 35-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
202 King St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2214
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2214
Grades: PK-5
| 218 students
Rank: #1111.
Beverly J Martin Elementary School
(Math: 25-29% | Reading: 15-19%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
302 W Buffalo St
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2209
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2209
Grades: PK-5
| 278 students
Rank: #1212.
Enfield School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
20 Enfield Main Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2221
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 274-2221
Grades: PK-5
| 177 students
Rank: n/an/a
Tompkins-seneca-tioga Boces
Special Education School
555 Warren Rd
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-1551
Ithaca, NY 14850
(607) 257-1551
Grades: 1-12
| 307 students
Ithaca, New York Public Schools (Closed)
School
Location
Grades
Students
Group Homes Of Tompkins County (Closed 2004)
Alternative School
225 S Fulton St
Ithaca, NY 14850
Ithaca, NY 14850
Grades: n/a
| n/a students
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top ranked public schools in Ithaca, NY?
The top ranked public schools in Ithaca, NY include Ithaca Senior High School, New Roots Charter School and Northeast School.
How many public schools are located in Ithaca?
13 public schools are located in Ithaca.
What percentage of students in Ithaca go to public school?
92% of all K-12 students in Ithaca are educated in public schools (compared to the NY state average of 85%).
What is the racial composition of students in Ithaca?
Ithaca public schools minority enrollment is 39% of the student body (majority Asian and Hispanic), which is less than the New York public schools average of 60% (majority Hispanic).
Which public schools in Ithaca are often viewed compared to one another?
Popular comparisons of public schools in Ithaca include: Dewitt Middle School vs. Boynton Middle School, Boynton Middle School vs. Dewitt Middle School, New Roots Charter School vs. Lehman Alternative Community School
Recent Articles
Parents’ Guide to Special Education
Special education law is not easy to decipher, with several regulations that govern special education services for disabled students. In this article, learn about the core components of the laws, rights, and individual education plans that can help create the best public school environment for your child.
Surveillance Cameras: Violation of Rights or Improved Security?
A school district in Virginia has given the green light to schools that want to install surveillance cameras in common areas like cafeterias and hallways. We’ll look at whether this is a violation of student privacy or the best way to keep order in schools.
Teachers in 19 States Allowed to Physically Punish Students
As of 2014, nineteen states still allow corporal punishment – spanking and paddling the most common choices – in their public schools. However, some argue that not only are these punishments physically harmful, they also are disproportionately administered to students of color. As a result, House democrats have taken up the issue in a new bill that would ban all forms of corporal punishment nationwide.
