Overview
Brooklyn Technical High School, commonly known as Brooklyn Tech, is a specialized public high school in Brooklyn, New York City, whose curriculum centers on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). It is part of the New York City public school system, and it describes itself as the nation’s largest specialized public high school for STEM [1]. Admission is determined by the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test (SHSAT), which is administered by the New York City Department of Education [1].
Because Brooklyn Tech is a specialized high school rather than a zoned neighborhood school, its students are drawn from across the city: the school reports that all of its roughly 6,000 students reside in the five boroughs of New York City [1].
In its own materials, the school describes a campus environment intended to support what it calls transformational education and personal growth, with classrooms and laboratories it characterizes as comparable to university and industry standards, and with technology as a central element of instruction [1]. These are the school’s own descriptions of its program rather than independent evaluations.
Location and School Identity
Brooklyn Technical High School is located in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. Its 2024–25 college profile refers to a physical plant renewed for the twenty-first century [1]. The profile does not list a street address, and readers who need the exact campus location or travel directions should consult the school’s official website.
Two points of identity are worth noting for anyone researching the school:
- It is a specialized high school, not a zoned school. Brooklyn Tech does not enroll students by attendance boundary. Eligibility runs through the SHSAT admissions process, and the student body comes from all five boroughs of New York City [1].
- Name. The full official name is Brooklyn Technical High School; the school is widely referred to as Brooklyn Tech. Its official website is bths.edu [2].
A school’s physical location does not establish enrollment eligibility here. Living in Brooklyn, or in any particular neighborhood, is not by itself a route into the school, because offers are based on the SHSAT score, the applicant’s ranking of the school, and seat availability [1].
Grades and Academic Programs
Brooklyn Tech is a high school serving grades 9 through 12. Students enter the school through the specialized high school admissions process, in which eighth and ninth graders take the SHSAT and are admitted into the incoming cohort [1].
Required coursework
According to the school, all Brooklyn Tech students are required to complete the following [2]:
- 2 semesters of Design & Drafting for Production, which satisfies the New York State Education Department art requirement
- 2 semesters of AP Principles of Computer Science
- 8 semesters of English language arts
- 8 semesters of social studies (4 semesters of Global History, 2 of U.S. History, 1 of U.S. Government, and 1 of Economics)
- 6 semesters of mathematics (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry)
- 6 semesters of science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
- 6 semesters of a world language (Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish)
- 8 semesters of physical education and 1 semester of health education
- A major concentration
Completion and passing of the corresponding New York State Regents examinations are also required [2].
Diploma pathways
All students at Brooklyn Tech must pursue the Advanced Regents Diploma. According to the school, that diploma requires passing Regents examinations in English language arts (grade 11); Global History (grade 10) and U.S. History (grade 11); Algebra (grades 8 or 9), Geometry (grades 9 or 10), and Trigonometry (grades 10 or 11); Living Environment (grades 8 or 9), Chemistry (grade 10), and Physics (grades 9 or 11); and a world language (grades 10 or 11) [2].
The school also offers the NCSSSMST Brooklyn Tech Diploma. In addition to the Advanced Regents Diploma requirements above, that diploma requires passing two semesters of Design & Drafting for Production, passing two semesters of AP Principles of Computer Science, passing Chemistry and Physics along with their Regents examinations, passing all courses required for the student’s specific major, and completing required community service [2].
Majors, electives, and physical education
Every student pursues a major concentration, and course sequences vary by major [2]. Advanced Placement electives are available depending on a student’s grades in certain prerequisite courses, and other electives are offered depending on space availability and on flexibility within the student’s major schedule [2].
Physical education is a substantial part of the weekly schedule: students take eight semesters of physical education and one semester of health education, with physical education meeting anywhere from two to five days per week [2].
Enrollment and School Data
The figures below come from the school’s 2024–25 college profile and describe that reporting period. They are school-reported values and may differ from figures collected through state or federal data systems [1].
- Enrollment: approximately 6,000 students [1].
- Faculty: 279 full-time faculty members, of whom 92% hold advanced degrees and 13% hold terminal degrees [1].
- Economic background: more than 61% of students are entitled to free or reduced-price lunch [1].
- Language: the majority of students are described as multilingual [1].
These numbers describe who attends the school and how it is staffed. They are not measures of school quality, and the profile does not report a student–teacher ratio, so none is calculated here. Demographic information about a student body should not be read as an explanation of any outcome.
Admissions and Enrollment
Admission to Brooklyn Tech is determined by the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test administered by the New York City Department of Education. According to the school’s 2024–25 profile, a student receives an offer based solely on the SHSAT score, how the student ranked Brooklyn Tech among the other specialized high schools, and seat availability [1].
The same profile reports that approximately 30,000 eighth and ninth graders take the test each year, and that between 1,450 and 1,600 students are admitted into the incoming cohort [1]. Those figures describe the period covered by that profile. Test dates, registration deadlines, seat counts, and eligibility rules for any given admissions cycle are set by the New York City Department of Education and should be confirmed with the department and the school before applying.
There is no neighborhood or attendance-zone route into the school, and living in Brooklyn does not by itself establish eligibility [1]. Admission is competitive and is not guaranteed for any applicant.
Student Services and Family Information
The school materials reviewed for this profile document academic requirements, diploma pathways, and the admissions process, but they do not describe specific student support services, accessibility arrangements, transportation, or family programs [1][2]. Families who need information about accommodations, counseling, language support, or travel should contact the school directly or consult the New York City Department of Education, rather than assuming that a particular service is available.
One documented characteristic of the student body is relevant to families planning costs and supports: the school reports that more than 61% of its students are entitled to free or reduced-price lunch, and that the majority are multilingual [1].
Recognition and Community Context
Brooklyn Tech is one of New York City’s specialized high schools, a group of schools whose admissions run through the SHSAT process [1]. Its 2024–25 profile notes recognition as a Blue Ribbon School, a New American High School, a Project Lead The Way Model High School, and an Intel School of Distinction in Science [1].
The same profile states that the school is recognized annually in US News and Newsweek as a Gold Medal School, reports a national ranking of 67th, and reports a third-place position in the Niche Standout High School rankings, which the profile describes as ranking schools where at least 50% of students are identified as economically disadvantaged [1]. These are recognitions and rankings reported by the school in its own 2024–25 profile. Rankings depend on the methodology, measures, and year used by each publisher, and they should be treated as a single data point rather than as a complete assessment of a school.
How to Verify Current Information
- Brooklyn Technical High School official website: https://www.bths.edu — for current course requirements, majors, calendars, and school announcements [2].
- School profile: the 2024–25 college profile cited in the references below, for the enrollment, faculty, and admissions figures quoted here [1].
- New York City Department of Education: for SHSAT registration, test dates, and the specialized high school admissions process, which the department administers [1].
Because admissions rules, deadlines, course offerings, and reported statistics can change from year to year, readers should treat the dated figures in this profile as historical and confirm current details with the school and the New York City Department of Education.