Is Townsend Harris High School a good school?

Townsend Harris High School ranks 145 th of 1242 New York high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Townsend Harris High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,322 students attended Townsend Harris High School.

What is the racial makeup of Townsend Harris High School?

Students at Townsend Harris High School are 57% Asian, 16% White, 15% Hispanic, 6% African American, 4% Two or more races, 1% Pacific Islander.

Townsend Harris High School

Summary:

Townsend Harris High School is a top-performing public high school serving grades 9-12 in Flushing, New York, part of the New York City Geographic District #25. This exceptional school has consistently ranked among the top 25 high schools in New York state, maintaining a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger for most of the past decade.

Townsend Harris students significantly outperform their peers in the district and state on Regents/Common Core exams across all subject areas, with 99.73% proficiency in English Language Arts and 90.24% proficiency in Algebra II, compared to 69.58% and 46.13% in the district, and 78.55% and 74.04% statewide. The school's ability to support the academic achievement of all student subgroups, including traditionally underserved populations, is a testament to its commitment to equity and inclusion. Townsend Harris' four-year graduation rate ranges from 79.4% to 99.3%, significantly higher than the district and state averages, and its dropout rate is very low, ranging from 0.3% to 10.0%.

Compared to nearby schools, such as Robert F Kennedy Community High School and Queens School of Inquiry, Townsend Harris significantly outperforms on academic measures, graduation rates, and other key metrics. The school's exceptional performance and support for all students may be attributed to its higher per-student spending ($14,921 in 2022-2023) and relatively low student-teacher ratio, which facilitate more personalized instruction and support.

Detail:

Public 9-12

149-11 Melbourne Ave
Flushing, NY 11367-1306

(718) 575-5580

District: New York City Geographic District #25

SchoolDigger Rank:
145^th of 1,242 New York High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $14,921

Student/teacher ratio: 14.6

Number of students: 1,322

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

56.8%

White:

16.3%

Hispanic:

15.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 60.1%

See top rated New York high schools

Compare Townsend Harris High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Townsend Harris High School ranks better than 88.3% of high schools in New York. It also ranks first among 12 ranked high schools in the New York City Geographic District #25! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 79.06. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Townsend Harris High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Student population at Townsend Harris High School is diverse. Racial makeup is: Asian (56.8%), White (16.3%), Hispanic (15%). (See more...)

Compare Details 60.1% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Compare Details (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Townsend Harris High School is 14.6. 9 high schools in the New York City Geographic District #25 have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Townsend Harris High School employs 90.4 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Townsend Harris High School is $14,921. 10 high schools in the New York City Geographic District #25 spend more per student.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Townsend Harris High School:

SchoolDigger ranks Townsend Harris High School 145^th of 1242 New York public high schools. (See Townsend Harris High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Homeless students:

Female students:

Military Connected students:

Male students:

Asian students:

African American students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

New York City Geographic District #25:

SchoolDigger ranks New York City Geographic District #25 320^th of 865 New York school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Rating:

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Rank History for Townsend Harris High School

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Rank History for all students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2005	83.07	1^st	935	99.9%
2006	82.59	3^rd	986	99.7%
2007	80.94	9^th	1002	99.1%
2008	82.73	5^th	1027	99.5%
2009	81.75	6^th	1086	99.4%
2010	82.85	4^th	1117	99.6%
2011	83.34	8^th	1165	99.3%
2012	85.55	5^th	1198	99.6%
2013	87.03	4^th	1217	99.7%
2014	88.50	3^rd	1237	99.8%
2015	90.36	6^th	1255	99.5%
2016	90.76	11^th	1255	99.1%
2017	91.32	7^th	1221	99.4%
2018	86.86	5^th	1210	99.6%
2019	86.74	6^th	1207	99.5%
2022	86.50	23^rd	1190	98.1%
2023	82.85	71^st	1228	94.2%
2024	79.06	145^th	1242	88.3%

See the entire list of New York High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	84.86	1^st	157	99.4%
2019	79.02	15^th	165	90.9%
2022	83.78	12^th	212	94.3%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	83.18	110^th	1095	90.0%
2019	86.82	80^th	1132	92.9%
2022	86.33	69^th	1038	93.4%
2023	87.17	69^th	1130	93.9%
2024	85.61	91^st	1144	92.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	89.84	7^th	1154	99.4%
2019	89.56	5^th	1179	99.6%
2022	91.05	9^th	1101	99.2%
2023	86.49	21^st	1155	98.2%
2024	81.51	58^th	1170	95.0%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Homeless students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2022	98.81	1^st	389	99.7%
2023	95.87	7^th	531	98.7%
2024	96.16	4^th	564	99.3%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Homeless Students!

Rank History for Female students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	86.06	6^th	1176	99.5%
2019	85.90	6^th	1193	99.5%
2022	87.39	11^th	1155	99.0%
2023	83.50	64^th	1197	94.7%
2024	77.61	174^th	1219	85.7%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Military Connected students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	81.82	2^nd	15	86.7%
2024	68.88	4^th	13	69.2%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Military Connected Students!

Rank History for Male students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	85.92	9^th	1176	99.2%
2019	85.66	8^th	1190	99.3%
2022	83.51	46^th	1154	96.0%
2023	73.70	246^th	1191	79.3%
2024	77.01	181^st	1211	85.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	80.32	17^th	426	96.0%
2019	78.25	28^th	447	93.7%
2022	79.82	22^nd	386	94.3%
2023	74.39	78^th	424	81.6%
2024	68.12	129^th	426	69.7%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	92.43	8^th	679	98.8%
2022	95.26	10^th	593	98.3%
2023	90.25	21^st	671	96.9%
2024	88.05	33^rd	690	95.2%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	90.76	10^th	791	98.7%
2019	90.57	13^th	815	98.4%
2022	88.43	29^th	760	96.2%
2023	84.09	62^nd	851	92.7%
2024	80.42	94^th	865	89.1%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Townsend Harris High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	NY State Percentile
2018	84.29	2^nd	765	99.7%
2019	83.52	3^rd	793	99.6%
2022	79.71	41^st	738	94.4%
2023	75.71	76^th	776	90.2%
2024	72.40	129^th	781	83.5%

See the entire list of Best New York High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: NY State Education Department, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: NY State Education Department

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 5)

100%

Reviews:

by a citizen
Tuesday, January 29, 2013

I am a graduate of THHS. This school prepared me for college and some of graduate school!!!!! It was the best learning environment and I will always value the education that I received there. Close Quote

by a student
Monday, February 9, 2009

This school is the best... You learn sooo much form everybody and you leave here feeling like a genius. Close Quote

Enrollment information for Townsend Harris High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1989	431	166	177	69	0	n/a	n/a	0	843
1990	427	142	187	82	0	n/a	n/a	0	838
1991	442	139	196	85	0	n/a	n/a	0	862
1992	456	143	209	102	0	n/a	n/a	0	910
1993	471	134	228	103	0	n/a	n/a	0	936
1994	470	140	248	111	2	n/a	n/a	0	971
1995	468	93	331	132	1	n/a	n/a	0	1025
1996	468	93	331	132	1	n/a	n/a	0	1025
1997	525	130	255	126	4	n/a	n/a	0	1040
1998	520	123	273	110	3	n/a	n/a	0	1029
1999	540	109	288	110	3	n/a	n/a	0	1050
2000	518	100	324	106	1	n/a	n/a	0	1049
2001	560	87	320	93	1	n/a	n/a	0	1061
2002	545	65	348	102	2	n/a	n/a	0	1062
2003	545	65	348	102	2	n/a	n/a	0	1062
2004	531	72	385	104	2	n/a	n/a	0	1094
2005	439	63	473	90	1	n/a	n/a	0	1066
2006	389	77	460	122	0	n/a	n/a	0	1048
2007	354	86	524	129	0	n/a	n/a	0	1093
2008	328	81	555	129	0	n/a	n/a	0	1093
2009	309	68	579	129	0	n/a	n/a	0	1085
2010	307	66	601	133	1	n/a	n/a	0	1108
2011	288	62	607	139	2	0	0	0	1098
2012	280	67	636	148	7	0	2	0	1140
2013	257	73	625	146	5	1	9	0	1116
2014	253	69	669	144	5	0	11	0	1151
2015	248	71	664	131	9	0	10	0	1133
2016	246	65	662	138	11	0	10	0	1132
2017	239	60	635	129	10	10	26	0	1109
2018	231	60	654	123	12	10	54	0	1144
2019	229	61	654	146	11	6	76	0	1183
2020	233	62	668	139	13	7	99	0	1221
2021	235	67	683	142	12	10	121	0	1270
2022	232	75	772	180	12	12	64	0	1347
2023	216	77	751	198	12	14	53	1	1322

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Townsend Harris High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	843	41.4	20.3	n/a
1990	838	40.1	20.8	n/a
1991	862	40.9	21.0	n/a
1992	910	38.3	23.7	n/a
1993	936	40.5	23.1	n/a
1994	971	43.9	22.1	n/a
1995	1025	42.4	24.2	n/a
1996	1025	42.4	24.2	n/a
1997	1040	44.1	23.6	18.8
1998	1029	47.6	21.6	19
1999	1050	49.2	21.3	5.2
2000	1049	50.4	20.8	17.1
2001	1061	47.9	22.2	26.5
2002	1062	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	1062	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	1094	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1066	n/a	n/a	0
2006	1048	52.0	20.2	37.6
2007	1093	57.4	19.0	41.7
2008	1093	56.0	19.5	39.9
2009	1085	55.4	19.6	55.5
2010	1108	54.4	20.3	n/a
2011	1098	50.4	21.7	40.9
2012	1140	53.6	21.2	45.3
2013	1116	51.2	21.7	51.1
2014	1151	49.4	23.2	51
2015	1133	53.0	21.3	53.6
2016	1132	53.0	21.3	54.9
2017	1109	55.0	20.1	53.6
2018	1144	56.0	20.4	55.2
2019	1183	56.0	21.1	47.5
2020	1221	65.6	18.5	49.5
2021	1270	71.5	17.7	53.9
2022	1347	81.5	16.5	53.9
2023	1322	90.4	14.6	60.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Townsend Harris High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1989	843	41.4	20.3	n/a
1990	838	40.1	20.8	n/a
1991	862	40.9	21.0	n/a
1992	910	38.3	23.7	n/a
1993	936	40.5	23.1	n/a
1994	971	43.9	22.1	n/a
1995	1025	42.4	24.2	n/a
1996	1025	42.4	24.2	n/a
1997	1040	44.1	23.6	18.8
1998	1029	47.6	21.6	19
1999	1050	49.2	21.3	5.2
2000	1049	50.4	20.8	17.1
2001	1061	47.9	22.2	26.5
2002	1062	n/a	n/a	n/a
2003	1062	n/a	n/a	n/a
2004	1094	n/a	n/a	n/a
2005	1066	n/a	n/a	0
2006	1048	52.0	20.2	37.6
2007	1093	57.4	19.0	41.7
2008	1093	56.0	19.5	39.9
2009	1085	55.4	19.6	55.5
2010	1108	54.4	20.3	n/a
2011	1098	50.4	21.7	40.9
2012	1140	53.6	21.2	45.3
2013	1116	51.2	21.7	51.1
2014	1151	49.4	23.2	51
2015	1133	53.0	21.3	53.6
2016	1132	53.0	21.3	54.9
2017	1109	55.0	20.1	53.6
2018	1144	56.0	20.4	55.2
2019	1183	56.0	21.1	47.5
2020	1221	65.6	18.5	49.5
2021	1270	71.5	17.7	53.9
2022	1347	81.5	16.5	53.9
2023	1322	90.4	14.6	60.1

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

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