School of the Arts

School of the Arts

Public Middle, High School | Grade 7-12
45 Prince St,  Rochester, NY
East Avenue Neighborhood
Rochester City School District
3.7
3.7
1,077 Students
B-
Niche Grade
School of the Arts 45 Prince St., Rochester, NY 14607 585-242-7682 Located at the corner of Prince Street and University Avenue in Rochester, New York, the School of the Arts (SOTA) is nestled at the heart of the Neighborhood of the Arts. SOTA students enjoy close proximity to the Memorial Art Gallery, Eastman Theater, and other cultural organizations. Not surprisingly, this secondary school proudly prioritizes students’ academic, artistic, and humanistic success. A component of the Rochester Public School District, SOTA serves 1200 students in grades seven through 12. Traditional academics are complemented by a unique fine arts curriculum, offering a wide variety of courses in creative writing, theater, music, visual arts, and dance. As a result of this required fine arts sequence, SOTA graduates earn more than the required number of course credits mandated by New York State. The School of the Arts maintains a solid reputation as a top-rated and high-performing city school.

School Details

Head of School
Principal - Ms. Brenda Pacheco
Student Teacher Ratio
11:1
Average SAT Score
1140
Average ACT Score
24
Math Proficiency
35%
Reading Proficiency
42%
Average GPA
3.47
Graduation Rate
95%

Niche Grade

C+
Academics
B+
Teachers
B-
College Prep
C+
Administration
B
Resources/Facilities
B
Clubs and Activities
B-
Sports
C
Food
Source: Niche
Niche Grades

Niche grades and rankings are calculated using dozens of public data sets and millions of reviews. Niche data scientists and user researchers rigorously analyze data and user opinions to assess the key aspects of K-12 Schools, Colleges, and Places to Live. Every month, millions of students and families use the Niche grades and report cards to find the right school or neighborhood.

Niche Grade Details

Academics
Average GPA
3.47
Reading Proficiency
42%
Math Proficiency
35%
Teachers
Student Teacher Ratio
11:1
Teachers
96
Full Time Teachers
96
Teachers in First or Second Year
8%
College Prep
Average SAT
1140
Math
560
Verbal
590
Average ACT
24
Math
23
English
24
Reading
25
Science
22
Number of AP Courses
8
AP Pass Rate
52%
AP Math Enrollment
Very Low
AP Science Enrollment
Average
Other AP Enrollment
High
Clubs and Activities
Girls Athletic Participation
Low
Boys Athletic Participation
Average

GreatSchools Rating

4
Test Scores
2
Equity
3
Student Progress
6
College Readiness
Source: GreatSchools
GreatSchools Rating
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology

GreatSchools Rating Details

Test Scores

Science
25%
State Average
20%
Math
31%
State Average
22%
GreatSchools Test Scores Rating
GreatSchools
The Test Score Rating reflects annual state test results for this school compared with scores statewide.

Teachers and Staff

Students Per Counselor
1,105:1

Student Diversity

Female
65.4%
Male
34.3%
Black
47.6%
Hispanic
25%
White
23.1%
Asian or Pacific Islander
2.9%
Two or more races
<1%
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
<1%
Native American
<1%
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School Rankings

#39 Best HS for the Arts in New York
Source: Niche

Specialty School Programs

AP Programs Offered
Free/Reduced Lunch Offered
Athletics Program

Colleges Students are Considering

Students are most interested in or go on to attend these colleges.
Rochester Institute of Technology 128 Students
University at Buffalo, SUNY 99 Students
University of Rochester 92 Students
SUNY Monroe Community College 88 Students
New York University 80 Students
St. John Fisher University 80 Students
Syracuse University 73 Students
Nazareth University 71 Students
SUNY Brockport 65 Students
Pace University 59 Students

What Students Want to Study

Niche users from this school are most interested in the following majors.
Psychology 60 Students
Nursing 50 Students
Business 36 Students
Biology 29 Students
Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration 25 Students
Film and Video Studies 23 Students
Criminology 22 Students
Political Science and Government 21 Students
Computer Science 20 Students
Pre-Medicine Studies 19 Students

This School’s Reviews

Niche Reviews
3.7 144 Reviews
1.0 Parent
6/26/2024
This is just another city school, where the kids are rough the parents are rougher when you get everybody together you have a fight. No one's professional no one can contain themselves. It's embarrassing. I would not recommend sending your child to this school. You might as well just send them to a city school.
5.0 Senior
12/13/2023
I believe that School of the Arts is a very diverse and opportunistic community. Several majors are there, ranging from Theater Tech to Orchestra, and even double majors that students can partake in. My school has several clubs after school to participate in, like the Gardening club, Chess club, Weight lifting club, and more. Personally, the best parts of my experience here as a senior have been the school plays, concerts, and art shows. They positively engage all grades in the school community and leave an impact on some, giving them the confidence to be a part of a show or event in the future. I don't have any 'worst' parts of my experience at SOTA, but I will say that it would be nice to have different majors interact with one another a bit more. My major at school is Visual Arts, and I can't recall a time when we were called to create something or do something for the drama majors or the creative writing majors here. Overall, I'm glad I was able to be a part of the SOTA community.
3.0 Senior
5/3/2023
Although my experience at School of the Arts isn't perfect, I'm glad to be there out of all the other schools in the district. I have always been involved in creative activities such as singing and acting and I am grateful to have those passions be incorporated into my curriculum.
See All Niche Reviews
GreatSchools Reviews
3.7 6 Reviews
1.0 other
3/24/2025
Don't put your child in this school is not like it used to .. she or he will be bullied. School staff don't care shameless. This school was one of the best school not no more .look at the news terrible
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3.0 student
5/8/2020
SOTA has a lot of spirit and heart. It's always fun to see how excited students get about games, protests, and other school events. Sadly, there is a huge problem with discipline and how teachers and administrators handle problems. I've seen many students get unfair consequences for minor problems o...
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5.0 parent
2/4/2015
This school is great my son is so happy to be in that school. My son is so blessed
Read Full Review
3.0 other
6/7/2013
I am an alumni from SOTA and I highly recommend the school. I had a great experience there most of my friends as well as myself all do what we went to high school for. The train you to be your best and prfom to the highest level and to be disciplined in you craft
Read Full Review
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New York Monroe County Rochester 14607 East Avenue
School of the Arts
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Eric Whitlock
Eric Whitlock
Hunt Real Estate ERA/Columbus
Agent experienced in this area
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