At a Glance
A heavily-oversubscribed unscreened high school where families feel heard and suspensions are nearly nonexistent.
Best suited for
Families who value a calm, well-programmed neighborhood high school with strong parent voice and genuine inclusion of students with disabilities, and who are comfortable with a predominantly Black student body and modest supplemental fundraising.
Overall Rating
Rating = average of 4-year graduation, English Regents college-ready and Regents completion · DOE 2025 report
Bands are Motley's thresholds on a 0–100 scale, not New York State performance levels.
How this is scored→What stands out
- 1,146 applicants for 124 seats — effectively 11-to-1 demand for a school with a limited unscreened admissions model.
- Zero suspensions in the data year, in a district where the average suspension rate is about 0.55%.
- Teacher-rated instructional quality at 97%, far exceeding the district's 89.1% average.
- A program richness score of 90/100 — rugby, cricket, bowling, AP coursework, peer-mentoring, school magazine, debate and more are all on offer.
- A separate SE grade designation and 22% IEP enrollment signal serious commitment to students with disabilities.
Things to consider
- Teacher-principal trust sits at 72%, well below the 91–97% range on every other climate metric — there may be internal leadership friction parents should ask about on a tour.
- PTA fundraising comes to about $2 per student, compared with the district average of $44 — so don't expect the same supplement-the-budget energy as at more affluent schools.
- The student body is 81% Black with a diversity index of 34%, so families seeking a more racially mixed peer environment may want to weigh this carefully.
- Family and teacher survey response rates are low (29% and 26%), which means the very strong satisfaction numbers reflect a self-selected group of respondents.
- The nearest subway stations are 8 to 13 minutes on foot, which matters on dark winter mornings.
Based on 2024-25 data
School SummaryDistrict 17
District 17 is dominated by high-performing Success Academy charters scoring in the high 90s, which sets a high bar in this part of Brooklyn. Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts occupies a different lane — a traditional public school — and stands out for parent voice, climate, and program breadth rather than the test-score profile the charters are known for.
Academics
Academic proficiency data for the school isn't included in this dataset, so we can't compare it directly to the district's 60.5% ELA and 57.3% math averages. What we can see is that the school offers AP courses, STEM and Humanities tracks, ELL support, and Regents prep, and that teachers rate instructional quality at 97% — well above the district average of 89.1% — which suggests the classroom experience is strong even if state-test outcomes aren't documented here.
Culture
Parents clearly love this school: satisfaction sits at 92%, parent-teacher trust at 94%, and parent-principal trust at 93% — all above district norms. Teachers rate the quality of instruction at a striking 97% and report strong collegial trust at 91%. The number worth flagging is teacher-principal trust at 72%, meaningfully below the other trust metrics, which hints at some friction between faculty and leadership that doesn't seem to reach parents. Discipline is a bright spot: zero suspensions in the data year against a district average suspension rate of about 0.55%.
Community
The student body is 81% Black, 16% Hispanic, with small Asian, White, and Native American shares — a diversity index of 34% that reflects the historic character of this part of central Brooklyn. The economic need index of 75.6 means most students come from low-income households, and 22% have IEPs, which is higher than typical and signals real inclusion of students with disabilities. By contrast, the surrounding neighborhood is more mixed economically: a 15.9% poverty rate and a median household income around $73,345, with a college-educated share of about 42%.
Neighborhood
Prospect Lefferts Gardens-Wingate is a predominantly renter neighborhood — only about 22.5% of households own their homes — sitting just east of Prospect Park. The area has a sizable young-family population and a middle-income median household income around $73,345, paired with a 15.9% poverty rate that reflects the real economic mix of central Brooklyn. Most commutes to school happen via the 2 and 5 trains running along Nostrand Avenue, since the closest stations are a solid walk.
From the 2/5 line, Winthrop St is about an 8-minute walk, Sterling St about 10 minutes, and Church Av about 13 minutes — plan on a bit of a hike no matter which stop you use.
Survey Results
NYC School Survey (2025) · 129 families responded (29% rate)
Programs & Activities
Admissions Demand
This is an ideal school for students who want the best academic and technological foundation to prepare them for college or career. We have challenging blended-learning and online classes with opportunities for students to succeed in a supportive and friendly community. Students go to college early, and monthly trips are part of a curriculum that allows them to experience the ever-changing world. We use a variety of technology to enhance learning and develop life-changing 21st century skills.
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
NYC DOE InfoHub · 2022-23
PTA Fundraising
Source: DOE Local Law 171 disclosure
Discipline
NYSED Student & Educator Database
Economic Need & Special Populations
How to get in, step by step
High school (9th grade)
High school is one citywide application, made in 8th grade. Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts admits through one program, and each one has its own admissions method:
- Brooklyn Institute for Liberal ArtsLimited UnscreenedEvent priority108 seats
High school application
- Opened
- Tue, Oct 6
- Closes
- Fri, Dec 4
- Offers
- Wed, Mar 3
The DOE’s published dates.
- 1Apply on MySchools during the high school application, in 8th grade.
- 2Programs marked “Event priority” put families who attended an open house, tour or information session first — sign in when you go.
- 3Rank programs in true preference order — the match places your child in the highest-ranked one that offers a seat.
Open houses and tours
We haven’t seen open-house dates for this school yet.
A program here gives priority to families who attended an event — sign in when you go.
From the MySchools admissions calendar, checked weekly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts a good school?
- On Motley, Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts earns an overall rating of 54/100 — the average of the school's four-year graduation rate, the share of its students scoring college-ready (70+) on the English Regents, and its Regents completion rate, shown out of 100.
- What grades does Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts serve?
- Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts serves grades 9 to 12.
- How do students get into Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts?
- Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts admits mostly by lottery, with a modest preference for students who show interest (a tour or info session).
- Is Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts public, charter, or private?
- Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts is a public school in NYC Community School District 17.
- What neighborhood is Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts in?
- Brooklyn Institute for Liberal Arts is in Prospect Lefferts Gardens-Wingate, Brooklyn.