Staten Island Tech vs Brooklyn Tech
They share 'Tech' in the name but they’re different kinds of schools. ~975 students vs ~5,800. Uniform STEM curriculum vs 17 majors. A 22-point cutoff gap that reflects supply-and-demand, not quality.
| Staten Island Tech | Brooklyn Tech | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 cutoff | 527 | 505 |
| Seats / year | ~250 | ~1,800 |
| Total students | ~975 | ~5,800 |
| Location | Staten Island | Brooklyn |
| Founded | 1988 | 1922 |
| Focus | STEM, engineering | 17 majors, STEM |
- Both have "Tech" in the name — are they similar?
- No. Staten Island Tech is a small (~975 students) borough-focused school with a uniform STEM curriculum. Brooklyn Tech is a large (~5,800 students) school with 17 specialized majors. Different scales and structures despite the shared name.
- Which has the higher cutoff?
- Staten Island Tech, by 22 points (527 vs 505). SIT has consistently had one of the highest specialized high school cutoffs, second only to Stuyvesant in most recent years.
- Why is SIT so selective?
- Limited seats meet high local demand. SIT has only ~250 seats per year, and Staten Island families heavily rank it as their top choice. The competition for those seats pushes the cutoff up.
- Are they comparable academically?
- Yes, with different strengths. SIT has strong engineering and research programs in a small-school setting; Brooklyn Tech offers more program options but with the trade-offs of scale. Both schools have strong college admission outcomes.
The honest framing
Families confuse these two schools surprisingly often because of the shared name. Beyond the name, they're different kinds of schools with different audiences. Staten Island Tech serves primarily Staten Island families with a small, tight-knit STEM-focused environment. Brooklyn Tech serves the largest specialized high school population in NYC with a comprehensive 17-major structure.
The 22-point cutoff difference (527 vs 505) reflects this: SIT's small seat count plus strong borough loyalty creates a high-demand, low-supply dynamic. Brooklyn Tech's 1,800 seats absorb much more demand, keeping its cutoff lower despite the school's strong reputation.
Size: the central difference
Staten Island Tech has about 975 total students and admits roughly 250 freshmen each year. Brooklyn Tech has about 5,800 total students and admits roughly 1,800 freshmen each year. The implications:
- SIT: Faculty know every student. Small class sizes throughout. One uniform curriculum that all students experience together. Cohesive school identity. Fewer clubs and sports teams, but each one has serious participation. Common to take 4 years of courses with the same peers.
- Brooklyn Tech: Comprehensive scale. Hundreds of clubs and teams. Different majors produce different daily experiences. Easier to find your specific niche; also easier to feel anonymous. Class size varies; large lecture-style classes exist alongside small seminars.
Curriculum: uniform vs majors
Staten Island Tech has a comprehensive STEM-focused curriculum that all students take. Strong math, science, and engineering electives. Research opportunities through the school's science program. Students who want depth in a particular STEM area pursue it through electives and individual projects, but the institutional structure is one school, one general program.
Brooklyn Tech offers 17 majors that students enter for 11th and 12th grade after completing a core in 9th and 10th. Majors include Aerospace Engineering, Architecture, Biological Sciences, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Mathematics, Finance, Industrial Design, Law and Society, Mechatronics and Robotics, Software Engineering, and more. The major track determines a substantial portion of the student's 11th-12th grade schedule.
Location and commute
Staten Island Tech is at 485 Clawson Street in Staten Island. It's served by Staten Island's bus network. For Staten Island families, the commute is generally 15-40 minutes. For students from other boroughs, the commute typically involves the Staten Island Ferry plus a connecting bus, totaling 60-90 minutes from most Manhattan or Brooklyn starting points.
Brooklyn Tech is at 29 Fort Greene Place in downtown Brooklyn. It's served by the C, G, R, 2, 3, 4, 5 trains and the LIRR. Accessible from most of Brooklyn (15-30 minutes), much of Queens via the LIRR (30-45 minutes), Manhattan (30-50 minutes), and the Bronx (45-70 minutes).
For Staten Island families, the commute difference is the most important practical factor — SIT is much easier to reach, and four years of a 90-minute commute to Brooklyn Tech is a real cost.
Selectivity reality
SIT's cutoff (527) is the second-highest of the SHSAT-based specialized schools, just behind Stuyvesant (556). Students who clear SIT generally have practice composites well above 530. Students considering SIT should treat it as a near-Stuyvesant-difficulty target.
Brooklyn Tech's cutoff (505) is among the lower of the specialized schools, but the seats fill with high-performing students from across the city. The cutoff reflects supply (1,800 seats) and demand, not lower student quality — strong students at Brooklyn Tech are academically competitive with strong students at SIT.
Which school fits?
Choose Staten Island Tech if…
- You live in Staten Island — commute makes most other specialized schools impractical
- Your practice composite is comfortably above 530, giving buffer over the 527 cutoff
- Your student would thrive in a small school where faculty know every student individually
- You value a unified curriculum over a major-track structure
- You want strong STEM preparation without committing to a specific career discipline by 11th grade
Choose Brooklyn Tech if…
- Your student has a specific career interest (engineering discipline, architecture, finance, etc.) that maps to a Brooklyn Tech major
- You live in Brooklyn, Queens, or anywhere with a short Brooklyn Tech commute
- Your practice composite is in the 505-525 range — Brooklyn Tech is realistic, SIT is uncertain
- You value the variety and scale of a 5,800-student school (clubs, sports, social diversity)
- You'd prefer the structure of choosing a specific major over a general curriculum
Common questions
Why is Staten Island Tech's cutoff so high?
Limited supply (only ~250 seats) meets concentrated local demand. Staten Island families heavily rank SIT as their top choice because alternative specialized schools require long commutes. The competition for those 250 seats pushes the cutoff to ~527, second only to Stuyvesant's 556.
Can I attend Brooklyn Tech if I live in Staten Island?
Yes, but the commute is substantial. From most Staten Island locations, reaching Brooklyn Tech requires the Staten Island Ferry plus subway or bus connections, totaling 60-90 minutes each way. Over four years, that's a real cost — many Staten Island students who got into both choose SIT for this reason alone.
Which has better engineering?
Both have strong engineering programs. Brooklyn Tech offers more specialized engineering majors (Aerospace, Mechatronics, Civil, Chemical, Electrical) with dedicated faculty and curriculum tracks. SIT has a strong general engineering and research culture without the formal major-by-discipline structure. For students certain about a specific engineering discipline, Brooklyn Tech's dedicated track may be a better fit. For students who want strong general engineering preparation, SIT's integrated curriculum works well.
Is Staten Island Tech easier than Brooklyn Tech academically?
No. SIT's higher cutoff means its student body has higher average test scores, and its academic standards are at least as rigorous as Brooklyn Tech's. The smaller scale produces more individual attention and tighter cohort norms, but doesn't mean lower expectations.
Which has better college admissions outcomes?
Both have strong college outcomes. SIT's smaller size produces more concentrated cohorts at specific universities; Brooklyn Tech's scale and major variety produce wider distribution across many universities. Individual student performance and the specific major/track matter far more than which of these schools the student attends.