Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts is New York City's only specialized high school where admission is earned entirely by audition or portfolio review — not the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). Located on Amsterdam Avenue adjacent to Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side, LaGuardia enrolls approximately 2,365 students from all five boroughs in grades 9–10 through 12.
Students choose one of six conservatory-level arts studios: Dance (Ballet and Modern), Drama, Fine Arts (Visual Arts), Instrumental Music, Vocal Music, or Technical Theater. Alongside roughly two to three hours of daily arts training, students complete a rigorous college-preparatory academic curriculum. Classes run approximately 8:00 AM–3:35 PM, with rehearsals and commitments often extending after school and during school vacations.
To audition, students must be NYC residents entering 9th or 10th grade and must have earned a final grade of at least 65 in each core subject (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies). Applications and audition materials are submitted through the NYCDOE MySchools platform each fall. Some studios (Dance, Drama, Fine Arts, Music) include callback rounds. Students may audition for multiple studios and receive offers for each qualifying score.
LaGuardia students have performed at Carnegie Hall and collaborated with industry professionals. Annual productions bring together Drama, Music, Dance, and Technical Theater studios. Tuition is free as a NYC public school.
