Magnet Schools Homepage
Magnet Schools and Programs
Welcome to the Pittsburgh Public Schools Magnet Page!
Welcome to the Pittsburgh Public Schools Magnet Page!
Magnet schools and programs allow students to pursue special interests, talents or career goals. Magnet schools are not neighborhood specific, so students who reside anywhere in the Pittsburgh Public School District can apply to attend. City residents receive priority for enrollment at magnet schools, however non-city residents can be admitted if there is available space. Tuition is charged for non-resident students who do not qualify for a tuition waiver. Tuition waivers are only granted to children of Pittsburgh Public Schools employees, in accordance with Board Policy 202 Eligibility of Nonresident Students.
The application period for the 2023-24 school year closed in September.
Notifications to families regarding their student's lottery results and/or audition outcome for Pittsburgh CAPA will be sent via e-mail on February 15.
The deadline for applications for the magnet lottery and January auditions at Pittsburgh CAPA for the 2024-25 school year was Friday, December 8 at 5 pm. The late application period for the 2024-25 school year is now open. Applications will be processed in the order in which they are received, for eligible students to be admitted to programs that have available space or added to waiting lists.
Click here to visit our Post-Lottery page to see which programs have available seats.
If your student does not currently attend a Pittsburgh Public School in grades K-11, including students who will be entering kindergarten or who currently attend a private, parochial or charter school in the city, or families who will be moving to Pittsburgh, your first step to apply for a magnet program is to complete the Pittsburgh Public Schools pre-registration process. This will provide you with your Home Access Center (HAC) credentials to access the online application. Visit https://www.pghschools.org/enrollment and view this one pager to learn more about this process. Be sure to complete the form for the 2024-25 school year.
Offerings and Options
View our guide outlining everything related to enrolling in PPS, explaining the process for applying to a magnet program, and showcasing our unique programs.
View our guide outlining everything related to enrolling in PPS, explaining the process for applying to a magnet program, and showcasing our unique programs.
Learn More on How to Apply
We'll walk you through a step-by-step guide on how to apply. Learn about the application process, our magnet lottery, eligibility criteria and lottery weights.
Apply Online
Submit a post-deadline application for the 2024-25 school year by logging in to Home Access Center (HAC). Click here to learn how. Click here for guidance on HAC.
Submit a post-deadline application for the 2024-25 school year by logging in to Home Access Center (HAC). Click here to learn how. Click here for guidance on HAC.
Important Magnet Information
The deadline for applications for the magnet lottery and January auditions at Pittsburgh CAPA for the 2024-25 school year was Friday, December 8 at 5 pm. We continue to accept late applications. These applications will be reviewed after the lottery and students will be accepted in to programs with available space, or added to existing waiting lists. Families of students who do not currently attend a Pittsburgh Public School in grade K-11, including students who will be entering kindergarten or who currently attend a private, parochial or charter school in the city, must first complete the pre-registration process to obtain credentials to log in to Home Access Center (HAC) to complete the online application.
Explore Magnet Options with PPS.
Once a student enrolls in a magnet school, they are expected to remain in the program for at least one school year. Midyear transfers or withdrawals from magnet programs are not granted. The deadline to withdraw is 10 school days after the first day of school.
Students in magnet programs must meet the following requirements in order to remain in the school/program. Students who do not meet these requirements may be returned to their assigned school at year’s end.
- All students must maintain a 90% attendance rate.
- Students in grades 6-12 may not receive more than one 4-10 day suspension, or more than 6 total days of suspension per year.
- Students in grades 9-12 must maintain a 2.0 GPA.
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