Career & technical
These career and technical education (CTE) schools offer a complete academic curriculum while preparing students for trades and certifications
1Aviation Career and Technical Education High School
45-30 36TH ST., QUEENS
ADMISSION: OPEN TO NYC; GRADES 81-100; STATE EXAMS: LEVELS 2.5-4.5; ATTENDANCE
ENROLLMENT ........................ GRADUATION RATE ............ COLLEGE READY ................. COLLEGE ENROLLMENT .... % TAKING SAT ..................... AVERAGE TOTAL SAT SCORE ... AP PASS RATE ..................... 2,114 92.9% 74.1% 73.2% 74.6%
1446 21.8%
This Long Island City school — with its own annex at JFK Airport — combines a solid college-prep program with hands-on CTE courses that prepare students to become FAA-certified airframe and powerplant mechanics. Hardworking kids get down and dirty with real planes in multipleperiod aviation maintenance courses while also taking a full load of academic, music, and art classes, and have nine AP courses to choose from. Plenty of internship and mentorship opportunities in the industry, with regular visits to partner facilities at Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways.
2Academy for Careers in Television and Film
1-50 51ST AVE., QUEENS ADMISSION: OPEN TO NYC; SCHOOL VISIT ENROLLMENT ........................... 545 GRADUATION RATE ............ 98.4% COLLEGE READY .................... 62% COLLEGE ENROLLMENT .... 74.3% % TAKING SAT ..................... 95.3% AVERAGE TOTAL SAT SCORE ... 1363 AP PASS RATE ..................... 27.9%
TvF offers a traditional college-prep curriculum alongside a four-year television and film production program that gives students real-world industry experience. Freshmen and sophomores take two years of production classes, then specialize with professional work in onsite editing labs, sound stages, equipment companies and prop and costume shops.
Students do internships with partners like WNET and work in the school’s own non profit film production company; last year, several crews documented classroom experiences, field trips, and service learning projects under a city contract.
3Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School
165-65 84TH AVE., QUEENS
ADMISSION: OPEN TO NYC; GRADES 75–100; STATE EXAMS: LEVELS 2.0–4.5; ATTENDANCE
ENROLLMENT ........................ 2,090 GRADUATION RATE ............ 93.1% COLLEGE READY ................. 71.2% COLLEGE ENROLLMENT ....... 73% % TAKING SAT ..................... 81.4% AVERAGE TOTAL SAT SCORE ... 1480 AP PASS RATE ..................... 13.3%
This well-equipped Jamaica Hills school with plenty of up-to-date tech offers CTE programs in seven disciplines. The drone curriculum, new this year, results in an FAA drone pilot’s license along with a high school diploma. An intense program in robotics/coding leads to an associate degree in engineering/ technology by the end of senior year. Special education students in the school’s culinary program grow their own vegetables in the onsite hydroponic farm, and a new makerspace facility encourages project-based learning across the curriculum.
4High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture
94-06 104TH ST., QUEENS
ADMISSION: OPEN TO NYC; GRADES 80-100; SCHOOL VISIT ENROLLMENT ........................ 1,015 GRADUATION RATE ............ 96.2% COLLEGE READY ................. 70.6% COLLEGE ENROLLMENT ....... 78% % TAKING SAT ..................... 87.7% AVERAGE TOTAL SAT SCORE.... 1407 AP PASS RATE ..................... 14.5%
Housed in a funky modern building, this Ozone Park school prepares students for careers in the building trades – and for college, too. It offers three dis- tinct tracks: construction trades and management, architectural design, and engineering.
State-of-the-art labs dedicated to model building, construction technology, mechanical drafting, and computer-aided design offer plenty of opportunities for hands-on experience during school hours. Partnerships with city agencies and internationally known architecture and engineering firms, including Gensler Architects and Thornton Tomasetti, allow students to make site visits, take internships, and work apprenticeships.
5High School of Fashion Industries
225 W. 24TH ST., MANHATTAN
ADMISSION: OPEN TO NYC; AUDITION, WITH EXAM AND PORTFOLIO; GRADES 65-100; ATTENDANCE ENROLLMENT ........................ 1,671 GRADUATION RATE ............ 95.2% COLLEGE READY ................. 47.9% COLLEGE ENROLLMENT .... 72.3% % TAKING SAT ..................... 89.7% AVERAGE TOTAL SAT SCORE ... 1294 AP PASS RATE ....................... 9.8%
This Garment District school traces its history back to 1926 and has occupied its current location — a 10-story Art Deco building — since 1940. Students tackle a complete college-prep curriculum while earning diploma endorsements in one of three programs of study: art illustration and graphic design, fashion design, or business marketing.
Professional tools and facilities include computer labs, darkrooms, and sewing machines. A long list of industry partners, like Swarovski, Lord & Taylor, Kleinfeld Bridal, and the International Center of Photography, offer extended learning opportunities.