At a Glance
A highly selective arts magnet school where auditioned students dive deep into visual arts, music, and dance — and the data shows it
Families whose students have demonstrated talent in visual arts, instrumental music, or dance and are willing to navigate competitive auditions. Parents who value a wide-ranging program (100/100 richness), a school with no suspensions, and strong teacher trust — and who are comfortable with a school where parent satisfaction runs slightly below local averages. Families should be prepared for a commute from across Brooklyn, as this is not a zoned neighborhood school.
- Zero suspensions — a rare achievement in any high school
- 100/100 program richness score with extensive arts, STEM, languages, and extracurricular offerings
- Audition-based admissions ensuring a cohort of dedicated arts students
- Very high teacher trust scores (92-93%) across all measured dimensions
- Three specialized arts tracks: Visual Arts, Instrumental Music, and Dance — each highly competitive (12-25% offer rates)
- Audition-based admissions means most applicants are not offered seats — this is not a zoned school
- Parent satisfaction (89%) runs below the District 15 average (93%)
- No academic proficiency data provided, so it's difficult to benchmark academic performance against district peers
- Low survey response rates (21% families, 39 teachers) mean these metrics may not fully represent community sentiment
- Located in a neighborhood with low safety percentile scores — families should factor this into their calculus
- Only 15% of neighborhood households have children, so the school draws from well beyond its immediate area
Based on 2024-2025 data
School SummaryDistrict 15
Among District 15 schools, Brooklyn High School of the Arts occupies a unique niche as the sole audition-based arts high school in a district known for high-performing zoned schools like P.S. 321 (90/100) and P.S. 107 (91/100). Unlike those elementary schools, this is a citywide arts magnet drawing talent from across Brooklyn. The 100/100 program richness and zero suspensions put it in rarefied territory, though parent satisfaction below the district average is notable. It's not directly comparable to the K-5 peer schools listed but represents the district's most specialized secondary option.
Academic performance data was not provided for this arts-focused school, which is common for specialized high schools where student selection is based on talent auditions rather than traditional test metrics. The school offers AP Courses, and teacher instruction quality scores 92% — above the District 15 average of 89%, suggesting strong classroom practice despite the arts-heavy focus.
This is a school with exceptional climate metrics: zero suspensions in the most recent period, and teachers report 92-93% trust in leadership and colleagues. Parent trust in both teachers (93%) and the principal (93%) runs high, though overall parent satisfaction at 89% sits below the District 15 average of 93% — a gap worth noting. The family survey response rate of 21% is relatively low, so the satisfaction picture may not be complete. Instruction quality rated by teachers at 92% reflects strong classroom culture.
The student body is predominantly Black (55%) and Hispanic (26%), with smaller populations of White (8%), Asian (5%), and Multi-Racial (2%) students. The diversity index of 63% reflects a heterogeneous community. Nearly 60% of students qualify for economic need support, and 17% have IEPs — indicating the school serves a economically diverse population despite its selective admissions. The neighborhood around the school is affluent (median household income $150K), highly educated (73% BA+), but only 15% of households have children — making this school's draw from beyond the immediate area notable.
Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill is a neighborhood of contrasts: extremely well-connected transit (98th percentile), high education orientation (85th percentile), and a large childless professional population (only 15% households with children). Median home values exceed $1.4 million, yet the poverty rate is 15.5%. Safety scores here are low (21st percentile), with elevated crime density and environmental health concerns including elevated lead and asthma rates. The area is rapidly developing with new residential towers and cultural institutions.
Excellent transit access — the 98th percentile transit score reflects multiple subway lines serving Downtown Brooklyn. Families walking from Boerum Hill or the brownstone blocks find the area very walkable, though those coming from farther neighborhoods rely heavily on subway.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 182 families responded (21% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
The Visual Arts Studio is a rigorous four year curriculum that develops the student's technical abilities, critical-thinking skills and personal voice. Students have received honors like the Scholastic Art Awards, exhibition awards at the MOMA, admission to pre-college programs at local schools and scholarships for college. Courses include Foundational Art, Advanced Drawing, Painting, Mixed Media, Sculpture, Advanced Gallery, and Senior Portfolio Preparation, as well as Digital Art and Design.
Students pursue a rigorous program of solo and ensemble playing as well as studying basic music theory and music history. Students have the opportunity to work closely with top professional musicians in the New York scene through our various partnerships. Classical, contemporary and "pop" literature, as well as world music, is studied and performed. Offerings include String Orchestra, Concert Band, Jazz Band, Guitar, and Digital Music, as well as Music Theory and Composition courses.
The studio offers dance students the opportunity to develop skills in professional venues with professional teaching artists. Students gain performance skills and understanding of the techniques of Lester Horton and Martha Graham. Students develop their talents in classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance.Technique classes include ballet, modern, and jazz. Two years of specialty classes in choreography, composition, pointe, college portfolio, and audition classes are offered as well.
The Vocal Studio is an intensive study of music theory, vocal production and performance, and utilizes a repertoire that includes classical, jazz, gospel, contemporary, and folk. We offer multiple levels of choir, exploring all styles from traditional choral greats to pop music of today. Choirs perform regularly at professional venues throughout New York City. The Select Choir studies and performs NYSSMA level five or six pieces, and participates annually in the NYSSMA competition.
The studio provides theater students with rigorous, differentiated and sequential high quality theater training in order to reach their full potential in college and careers in theater and other fields. Daily classes are provided by professional theater artists. Students have the opportunity to explore a vast spectrum of theater work, including acting, voice and diction, movement, theater history, set design, directing and creating original work. Students perform on Broadway stages citywide.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Economic Need & Special Populations
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Brooklyn High School of the Arts a good school?
- Published quality ratings aren't available for Brooklyn High School of the Arts yet on Motley. It's a public school serving grades 9 to 12 in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill.
- What grades does Brooklyn High School of the Arts serve?
- Brooklyn High School of the Arts serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into Brooklyn High School of the Arts?
- Brooklyn High School of the Arts admits by audition — applicants are judged on a performance, portfolio, or talent area.
- Is Brooklyn High School of the Arts public, charter, or private?
- Brooklyn High School of the Arts is a public school in NYC Community School District 15.
- What neighborhood is Brooklyn High School of the Arts in?
- Brooklyn High School of the Arts is in Downtown Brooklyn-DUMBO-Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.
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