The school district has three elementary schools for students in grades K-5: Abram Lansing School, Harmony Hill School and Van Schaick Grade School. Cohoes Middle School serves students in grades 6-8 and secondary students attend Cohoes High School. The district offices are located in Cohoes Middle School at 7 Bevan St.

Some of the programs that the Cohoes City Schools offer students are: a full-day kindergarten, computer instruction at every grade level, peer tutoring, opportunities to participate in music education, a variety of extra-curricular activities, honors and advanced placement classes, opportunities for college credit through high school courses and several athletic teams.

The City of Cohoes is rich in history. The original Erie Canal came through the city and in the 19th Century several of the world's largest knitting mills were built here, which ran on hydroelectric power generated from the Cohoes Falls.