New York school districts have reported record-high graduation rates for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, with several districts showing significant improvements. According to state education data released in February 2025, the latest figures reveal a notable upward trend, particularly in smaller districts across the state.
Brocton Central School District in Chautauqua County registered the highest increase in graduation rates statewide, jumping 21 percentage points from 2023 to 2024. The district’s graduation rate now stands at 95%, making it one of the top-performing districts in New York.
Following closely behind, St. Regis Falls in Franklin County and Shelter Island in Suffolk County both achieved an 18 percentage point rise in graduation rates, reaching an impressive 100% graduation rate for 2024.
Similarly, listed among the top, the Syracuse City School District, which caters to a large urban student population, experienced a 4 percentage point increase in its graduation rate, improving from 69% in 2023 to 73% in 2024. This marks the district’s first improvement in three years, according to a local media outlet, and positions it among the top 120 districts with the highest gains out of 669 school districts for which the state Education Department has data.
What does the statewide trend reflect?
Overall, the high school graduation rate for New York remained steady at 86% in 2024. However, the number of high-performing districts increased, with 170 school districts achieving a graduation rate of 95% or higher and over 360 school districts reaching at least 90%.
The state has made the detailed graduation rate data available in a searchable table format, allowing users to look up specific district information by entering full or partial district or county names. The table also allows sorting by different criteria, providing insights into trends and improvements across the state. Here is the list of top 10 school districts with the highest graduation rate increases.

Note that the NY State Education Department does not publicly release data for schools with small numbers of graduates, which may explain why certain districts are not included in the reported figures. To check complete rankings of all major school districts, check the official website here.