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Suffolk County schools again shined in the 2025 Best Schools in America report by Niche, with seven districts landing in the top 50 in New York state.
Leading the pack for Suffolk is Half Hollow Hills, ranked No. 6 in the state and an impressive No. 20 in the United States. The district, which serves 7,221 and boasts a 96% graduation rate, earned an overall grade of A+ from Niche, a platform that provides in-depth analysis of schools and neighborhoods across the country.
Three Village Central School District also secured a high ranking, coming in at No. 20 in New York state. Cold Spring Harbor followed closely at No. 27, with Harborfields, Commack, South Huntington, and Westhampton Beach also placing among the top 50 districts in New York, according to the report.
Among Suffolk’s top-performing districts, six earned an overall grade of A+ from Niche, which provides rankings based on a variety of factors, including academic performance, teacher quality, student diversity, and feedback from students and parents.
Below is a breakdown of Suffolk’s top 20 school districts in the Niche report.
1. Half Hollow Hills
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 96%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $32,461
2. Three Village
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 97%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $34,112
3. Cold Spring Harbor
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 98%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $24,847
4. Elwood
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 95%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $29,339
5. Harborfields
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 99%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $29,048
6. Commack
Overall Niche grade: A+
Graduation rate: 97%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $29,788
7. South Huntington
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 91%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $30,753
8. Westhampton Beach
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 89%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $29,263
9. Smithtown
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 97%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $23,518
10. Mount Sinai
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 97%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $26,056
11. Hauppauge
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 96%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $34,081
12. Bay Shore
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 89%
Niche teachers grade: A
Expenditure per student: $28,766
13. Northport-East Northport
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 96%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $33,463
14. Port Jefferson
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 100%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $43,438
15. Shoreham-Wading River
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 99%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $33,202
16. Kings Park
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 99%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $30,468
17. Deer Park
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 95%
Niche teachers grade: A-
Expenditure per student: $27,636
18. Lindenhurst
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 93%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $26,654
19. Southampton
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 87%
Niche teachers grade: A
Expenditure per student: $47,259
20. Bayport-Blue Point
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 98%
Niche teachers grade: A-
Expenditure per student: $37,836
21. Mattituck-Cutchogue
Overall Niche grade: A
Graduation rate: 88%
Niche teachers grade: A+
Expenditure per student: $36,518
The New York State Department of Education is the source for the graduation and expenditure statistics.
Top photo: Cold Spring Harbor students during pre-game festivities for the district’s Remembrance Bowl football game in September (Facebook).