By Mike Pesce & Ron Lanzillotta, The Pesce & Lanzillotta Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty

For many families shopping on Long Island's North Shore, the first question isn't about square footage. It's about schools. When U.S. News & World Report releases its annual Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings, buyers and homeowners in Syosset, Manhasset, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Dix Hills and Melville pay attention.

The 2027 rankings came out on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Below is what they show for the towns we serve, how to read them, and what they mean if you're buying or selling.

What U.S. News Measured This Year

U.S. News says the 2027 edition covers about 46,000 public elementary schools and more than 24,000 middle schools nationwide, ranked within each state and district. Schools are judged on student performance in math and reading/language arts, weighed against student background, with student-teacher ratios used to break ties.

This year there is an important change. U.S. News added data collected directly from state education agencies (gathered by RTI International) alongside U.S. Department of Education data. Greater Long Island noted that some of the year-over-year movement may reflect that change rather than anything that happened inside a classroom. Keep that in mind before reading too much into any single jump or drop.

One more piece of context: New York City public schools dominated the statewide lists, taking 83 of the top 100 elementary spots and 78 of the top 100 middle-school spots, according to Greater Long Island's analysis of the rankings.

Syosset: Five Schools in the State's Top 100

Syosset Central School District had the strongest showing of any Nassau district, placing five schools in New York's top 100:

  • Willits Elementary School — No. 40 (up from No. 183 last year, the biggest jump in the county)
  • South Grove Elementary School — No. 61
  • Village Elementary School — No. 78
  • H.B. Thompson Middle School — No. 52
  • South Woods Middle School — No. 54

For Syosset buyers, that's a district-wide story, not a single standout building, which is exactly what many families want to see.

Manhasset: Nassau's Top Middle School

Manhasset placed three schools in the state's top 100. Manhasset Middle School ranked No. 39 in New York, the highest of any middle school in Nassau County. Shelter Rock Elementary School came in at No. 66, and Munsey Park Elementary School at No. 82.

Manhasset's 11030 ZIP code also landed on PropertyShark's 2026 list of the 100 most expensive ZIP codes in the country, and results like these help explain why: in Manhasset, families are buying the school district as much as the house.

Cold Spring Harbor and Lloyd Harbor

On the Suffolk side, Cold Spring Harbor Junior/Senior High School ranked No. 26 on the state's middle-school list, up from No. 70 last year and the highest-ranked school on Long Island in that category. The district doesn't have a separate middle school; seventh and eighth graders attend the grades 7–12 building.

At the elementary level, Cold Spring Harbor's West Side School ranked No. 166 (down from No. 21 last year) and Lloyd Harbor School ranked No. 259. Both were among Suffolk's top 10 elementary schools.

Here's a detail buyers often miss: West Side School is physically located in Syosset, in Nassau County, but it belongs to the Suffolk-based Cold Spring Harbor School District. Mailing addresses and school district lines don't always line up on the North Shore.

Huntington, Dix Hills and Melville

Suffolk placed only two schools in the state's top 100 overall, but several schools in our target towns made the county's top-10 lists:

  • Flower Hill School, Huntington — No. 249 statewide elementary
  • Paumanok Elementary School, Half Hollow Hills (Dix Hills) — No. 335
  • Vanderbilt Elementary School, Half Hollow Hills (Dix Hills) — No. 402
  • Candlewood Middle School, Half Hollow Hills (Dix Hills) — No. 361 statewide middle school
  • West Hollow Middle School, Half Hollow Hills (Melville) — No. 381

Half Hollow Hills placed two schools on each of Suffolk's top-10 lists, a solid showing for Dix Hills and Melville families.

How Buyers and Sellers Should Use These Rankings

Rankings are a starting point, not a verdict. A few practical tips from our side of the closing table:

  • Verify the district for the specific property. Town names, ZIP codes and school districts overlap in Syosset, Woodbury, Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Dix Hills and Melville. Confirm the district and the assigned elementary school before you fall in love with a house.
  • Look at more than one year. With this year's methodology change, big swings in either direction deserve a look at several years of results.
  • Visit the schools. Programs, class sizes, activities and the feel of a building matter as much as a number on a list.
  • Sellers: tell the story accurately. If your home is in a district that performed well, it belongs in your marketing, stated correctly and with the source.
“For so many of the families we work with, the school district is the first thing on the list, and these rankings give them a useful place to start the conversation. But a ranking can't tell you which street fits your family or which elementary school a specific house is zoned for. That's where Mike and I come in. Whether you're buying in Syosset, Manhasset or Cold Spring Harbor, or wondering how your district helps your home's value, give us a call and we'll help you sort it out.”

— Ron Lanzillotta, The Pesce & Lanzillotta Group

Thinking About a Move Within the North Shore?

If schools are driving your search, or you're a homeowner in one of these districts wondering how today's buyers see your home, Mike and Ron can walk you through recent sales, district boundaries and what's available right now. Reach Mike Pesce or Ron Lanzillotta at 516.888.9711 or info@pl-team.com.

Mike Pesce & Ron Lanzillotta, The Pesce & Lanzillotta Group | Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Laffey International Realty | 8223 Jericho Turnpike, Woodbury | 516.888.9711 | info@pl-team.com

Explore our Lloyd Harbor guide and homes for sale, read our North Shore fall 2026 market report, or contact Mike and Ron for help with your search or a property-specific valuation. Confirm school attendance eligibility directly with the district for the exact property address; MLS school information does not guarantee enrollment.

Sources

Photo credits

Manhasset Secondary School, Manhasset, New York. Photo: LINYperson615 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Image extracted from the supplied article; may be cropped for display.