Samuel Stebbins and Michael B. Sauter
According to a survey conducted in August, about half of U.S. school districts planned to reintroduce full-time in-person learning this fall, with the remainder either resuming the virtual learning processes introduced during the early months of the COVID-19 outbreak or using a hybrid model.
Many schools throughout the country that have attempted to start the year with full in-person classes have already had to revert to virtual learning. With regional cases high in many parts of the country and the possibility of cases resurging in the future in others, it is unclear how long before normal in-person classes will resume nationwide. Also unclear is the long-term effects that school closure and virtual learning will have on student development.
Already, the public education system in the United States lags behind the schools of many wealthy nations. According to an annual study conducted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the U.S. trails 24 other countries – Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. among them – in student performance in core subjects.
Nationwide, only about 33% of public school students about to enter high school are considered proficient in math, and 32% are considered proficient in reading, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
These figures offer a grim assessment of the general state of American schools. Encouragingly, however, there are still public schools all over the country that offer a well-rounded and high-quality education, and where student achievement is high.
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24/7 Wall St. reviewed rankings for all public schools from school data clearinghouse Niche and identified the best public high school in every state. Niche’s school rating system accounts for a range of factors, including student and parent survey responses, teacher absenteeism, standardized test scores, and other measures of academic performance. A full methodological breakdown is available here.
Nearly half of the schools on this list are either charter or magnet schools. Unlike regular public high schools, where place of residence is typically the only factor in enrollment, many of these schools have competitive admissions processes that are designed to select only the most motivated and talented students from both inside and outside of the school district. Unlike normal public high schools, magnet and charter schools often receive additional funding through private sources such as tuition and donations.
In many non-charter or magnet schools on this list, high student achievement is often due not only to school quality, but also to advantages outside of the classroom. For example, children of better-educated parents are themselves more likely to succeed academically. The vast majority of non-charter or magnet schools on this list are located in school districts where adults and parents are far more likely to have a four-year college education than the typical American adult. These school districts also tend to be relatively wealthy.
Alabama: Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School
• Location: Montgomery
• Number of students: 513
• Student-teacher ratio: 15-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1360
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
As is the case in many other states, the best public high school in Alabama is a magnet school, the Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School. Among the top-rated publicly funded high schools in Alabama, Loveless has the highest share in the state of students who, as determined by standardized tests, are proficient in mathematics. Additionally, the school’s Advanced Placement enrollment rate of 93% is far and away the highest of any public high school in the state.
Alaska: Mat-Su Career & Tech Education High School
• Location: Wasilla
• Number of students: 701
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1180
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Mat-Su Career & Tech Education, located in Wasilla, ranks as the best public high school in Alaska. More than one in every four students are proficient in reading, and nearly all students graduate on time.
As is the case in many of the schools on this list, Mat-Su Career & Tech Education is a magnet school. In order to be admitted, prospective students must fill out an application, submit an essay, participate in an interview, and attain a certain score on a math placement test.
Arizona: BASIS Scottsdale
• Location: Scottsdale
• Number of students: 1,081
• Student-teacher ratio: 11-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1480
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
BASIS Scottsdale ranks as the best high school in Arizona, in part because of student achievement on college entrance exams. The average SAT score at the school is 1480, the highest of any public high school in the state. Enrolled students benefit from small class sizes as the district employs about one teacher for every 11 students.
BASIS Scottsdale offers students what it describes as a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)-inspired liberal arts curriculum. As is the case in many schools on this list, BASIS Scottsdale is a charter school, and to maintain small class sizes, a lottery system is often used to determine who can enroll and who cannot.
Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy
• Location: Fayetteville
• Number of students: 466
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1320
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Haas Hall Academy is a charter school located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The best school in the state, Haas Hall has a 95% graduation rate, a reading proficiency rate of 96%, and a math proficiency rate of 94%. Students at the school are more likely to enroll in Advanced Placement courses than those in any other high school in Arkansas.
California: Henry M. Gunn High School
• Location: Palo Alto
• Number of students: 2,006
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1410
• Avg. graduation rate: 96%
Henry M. Gunn High School, located in Palo Alto, ranks as the best public high school in California. An average of 96% of seniors at the school graduate on time, and the average SAT score among survey respondents is 1410 – well above that of the vast majority of test-takers nationwide.
Students of well-educated parents are more likely to have high academic achievement. In the Palo Alto Unified School District, 83.8% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, well above the 31.5% share of adults nationwide.
Colorado: Cherry Creek High School
• Location: Greenwood Village
• Number of students: 3,720
• Student-teacher ratio: 21-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1340
• Avg. graduation rate: 94%
Unlike many schools on this list, Cherry Creek High School is not a charter or magnet school. About four in every five students in the school are proficient in reading and math, and an average of 94% of all seniors graduate every year.
As is often the case in the schools on this list that are not charter or magnet institutions, the best high school in Colorado is in an affluent and well-educated area. Over half of all adults in the Cherry Creek School District have a bachelor’s degree, and most area households earn over $85,000 a year.
Connecticut: Staples High School
• Location: Westport
• Number of students: 1,858
• Student-teacher ratio: 12-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1290
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Staples High School, located in Westport, Connecticut, has a near perfect graduation rate. Additionally, according to standardized test results, about eight in every 10 students are proficient in math, and nine in 10 are proficient in reading.
Students in wealthy households typically have greater resources to improve their chances of academic success and fewer disadvantages that students in lower-income families commonly face. In the Westport School District, the typical household has an annual income of $187,988, more than three times the income of the typical U.S. household.
Delaware: Charter School of Wilmington
• Location: Wilmington
• Number of students: 972
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1350
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
The Charter School of Wilmington is one of the first independent charter schools in the United States. For admission, students must reside in Delaware, take a math and reading aptitude test, and be selected from a lottery of eligible applicants. The best school funded by taxpayers in Delaware, the Charter School of Wilmington boasts a near perfect 99% graduation rate. Additionally, 98% of students are proficient in reading and 93% in math.
Florida: Pine View School
• Location: Osprey
• Number of students: 1,925
• Student-teacher ratio: 17-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Pine View School in the Sarasota County School District ranks as the best public high school in Florida. The school’s 99% proficiency rates in both reading and math are the highest of any of Florida’s top public high schools. Additionally, the average SAT score at Pine View is 1380 – the highest of any public high school in the state and better than 90% of test-takers nationwide.
Georgia: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology
• Location: Lawrenceville
• Number of students: 1,098
• Student-teacher ratio: 17-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1370
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology, the best public high school in Georgia, offers students – who are admitted through a lottery system – a curriculum focused on math and science designed to be challenging. The school boasts a 99% math proficiency rate and a 95% reading proficiency rate, each the highest of any top high school in Georgia. The average SAT score at the school of 1370 is also the highest among public schools in the state.
Hawaii: Mililani High School
• Location: Mililani
• Number of students: 2,616
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1160
• Avg. graduation rate: 94%
Mililani High School ranks as the best public high school in Hawaii, due in part to its 94% graduation rate. While it stands out in its home state, Mililani High School does not compare favorably with many other schools on this list. For example, the school’s math proficiency rate of 47% means that it is one of only five schools on this list where less than half of students are considered proficient in math based on standardized test scores. Additionally, the average SAT score at Mililani of 1160 is lower than every other school on this list.
Idaho: Boise Senior High School
• Location: Boise
• Number of students: 1,496
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1260
• Avg. graduation rate: 91%
Based on a wide range of measures, Boise Senior High School ranks as the best public high school in Idaho. The school boasts a 91% graduation, and the majority of students and parents give teachers high marks for leading engaging classes. Additionally, most students are proficient in math and about thee in every four students are proficient in reading, based on state assessment exams.
Illinois: Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
• Location: Aurora
• Number of students: 647
• Student-teacher ratio: 12-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1450
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy is a magnet school located in Aurora, Illinois. Publicly funded, it is a tuition free boarding school that accepts students from all over Illinois – though the admission process is highly competitive. The school boasts a 99% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1450, one of the highest of any schools on this list.
Students enrolled at the school benefit from small class sizes. There is one teacher for every 12 students, a far better student-teacher ratio than the 17-to-1 national average.
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Indiana: Signature School
• Location: Evansville
• Number of students: 390
• Student-teacher ratio: 14-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1350
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
At Signature School, a charter high school in Evansville, Indiana, 87% of students are proficient in math and 95% are proficient in reading, based on standardized state tests. An average of 95% of seniors graduate on time, and the school’s average SAT score of 1350 is well above the threshold of what is considered good.
Students enrolled at the school benefit from small class sizes. There is one teacher for every 14 students, a far better student-teacher ratio than the 17-to-1 national average.
Iowa: West Senior High School
• Location: Iowa City
• Number of students: 1,515
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1390
• Avg. graduation rate: 96%
At West Senior High School, about eight in 10 students are proficient in reading, and nearly nine in 10 are considered proficient in math. Students at the school are also far more likely to graduate and score well on the SATs than those in most of the state and country. Though the school has a slightly higher than average student-teacher ratio, teachers are well compensated. The average teacher salary at the school is about $71,000, far more than what teachers are paid in much of the country.
Kansas: Blue Valley North High School
• Location: Overland Park
• Number of students: 1,469
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 97%
The top rated public high school in Kansas, Blue Valley North, has a 97% graduation rate – and based on college entrance exam results, many of those who graduate are going on to competitive colleges and universities. The average SAT score at the school is 1380, which is higher than the scores of about 90% of exam takers nationwide.
Children of well-educated parents are more likely to perform well academically. In the Blue Valley Unified School District, 70.2% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 32.9% of adults across the state.
Kentucky: duPont Manual High School
• Location: Louisville
• Number of students: 1,919
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 97%
DuPont Manual High School is a magnet school located in Louisville, Kentucky. The top-rated school in the state, duPont Manual has a nearly perfect graduation rate. Additionally, the average SAT score at the school of 1380 is higher than the scores of about 90% of exam takers nationwide.
As is common among the magnet schools on this list, the admissions process is competitive at duPont Manual. Applicants are evaluated by test scores, extra-curricular involvement, academic achievement, personal essays, attendance history, and teacher recommendations.
Louisiana: Benjamin Franklin High School
• Location: New Orleans
• Number of students: 995
• Student-teacher ratio: 20-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1340
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Louisiana’s Benjamin Franklin High School, located near the University of New Orleans, ranks as the best public high school in the state. The school receives an A+ rating from Niche in measures of academics, with 99% of students scoring at or above proficiency levels on both math and reading state exams. The school also has a graduation rate of 95%.
Maine: Maine School of Science & Mathematics
• Location: Limestone
• Number of students: 127
• Student-teacher ratio: 7-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1410
• Avg. graduation rate: 90%
The Maine School of Science & Mathematics, located in the small community of Limestone near the state’s northeastern border with Canada, ranks as the best public school in the state. A relatively small magnet school with fewer than 150 enrolled students, the school has a student-teacher ratio of 7-to-1, one of the lowest ratios even on this list of the best high schools in the country. The average student SAT score of 1410 is better than 93% of SAT scores taken nationwide.
Maryland: Poolesville High School
• Location: Poolesville
• Number of students: 1,185
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1400
• Avg. graduation rate: 98%
Poolesville High School, the best public high school in Maryland, is a relatively large public magnet high school, with nearly 1,200 enrolled students. The school has an average graduation rate of 98%, and Niche awarded the school an A+ rating in academics. The average student SAT score at the school is 1400, and the average ACT score of 33, each better than over 90% of test takers nationwide.
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science
• Location: Worcester
• Number of students: 98
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1480
• Avg. graduation rate: 90%
With approximately 100 students, The Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science is the smallest school to make this list of the best public high schools in each state. As is the case with many smaller schools on this list, the school has a relatively low student-to-teacher ratio of just 16-to-1. Students at the school score an average of 1480 on their SATs and 34 on their ACTs, each among the top 5% of scores in the country.
Michigan: International Academy
• Location: Bloomfield Hills
• Number of students: 1,371
• Student-teacher ratio: 108-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1400
• Avg. graduation rate: 90%
Michigan’s International Academy in Bloomfield Hills ranks as the best public school in the state. The school received an A+ rating from Niche for its academic achievement, with 96% of students scoring at or above proficiency levels on state math exams, and 98% scoring at or above proficiency in reading. As is the case of many of the best high schools, the academy is in a school district with strong educational achievement among adults. In the Bloomfield Hills School District, 72% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, more than double the national bachelor’s degree attainment rate among adults.
Minnesota: Minnetonka Senior High School
• Location: Minnetonka
• Number of students: 3,280
• Student-teacher ratio: 20-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1350
• Avg. graduation rate: 97%
Minnetonka Senior High school is one of the largest high schools on this list of the best public high school in every state, with over 3,200 students. The high school has an average graduation rate of 97%, one of the highest in the country. Over 40% of students in the school enroll in Advanced Placement classes.
Mississippi: The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
• Location: Columbus
• Number of students: 238
• Student-teacher ratio: 11-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1360
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus ranks as the best public school in the state of Mississippi. The school has an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio, one of the best in the country, as well as a 95% graduation rate. The school received an A+ rating from Niche in measures of academics, with effectively all students scoring at or above proficiency levels on both math and reading state exams.
Missouri: Clayton High School
• Location: Clayton
• Number of students: 900
• Student-teacher ratio: 12-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1310
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Clayton High School ranks as the best public high school in Missouri, thanks to impressive statistics like a 99% graduation rate and a 12-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
Like many of the best-ranked public high schools in the country, the high school is in an affluent district with high educational achievement among adults. Clayton School District has a median household income of over $95,000, and 77.4% of adults in the district have a college degree, the highest share of any school district in Missouri and one of the highest shares in the country.
Montana: Bozeman High School
• Location: Bozeman
• Number of students: 2,204
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1300
• Avg. graduation rate: 88%
While by some metrics, such as math and reading proficiency and average SAT score, Bozeman High School might not rank quite as high as some of the other schools on this list, it ranks as the best public high school in Montana. The school received an A+ rating on Niche on the teachers metric. Over 70% of students polled by Niche said the school’s teachers gave engaging lessons and genuinely cared about the students. The school of 2,200 students has a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio.
Nebraska: Millard North High School
• Location: Omaha
• Number of students: 2,573
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 93%
The average SAT score at Millard North High School – the top ranked high school in Nebraska – of 1380 is higher than about 90% of exam scores nationwide. The school also boasts a 93% graduation rate. According to a Niche survey, nine out of 10 students and parents agree that teachers at Millard North genuinely care about their students.
Nevada: The Davidson Academy
• Location: Reno
• Number of students: 189
• Student-teacher ratio: 5-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1500
• Avg. graduation rate: N/A
The Davidson Academy is the only online magnet school to rank on this list. The school, which describes itself as being geared toward profoundly gifted students, has a campus in Reno, Nevada, and offers an online curriculum for students all over the U.S. and Canada. To attend, students must score in the 99.9th percentile on an IQ test. While attendance is free for Nevada residents, students from elsewhere must pay tuition.
Students benefit from small class sizes as there are only five students for every teacher at the school. The Davidson Academy also has an average SAT score of 1500 – considered to be exceptional.
New Hampshire: Hanover High School
• Location: Hanover
• Number of students: 749
• Student-teacher ratio: 12-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1340
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Hanover High School ranks as the best public high school in New Hampshire. Students at the school benefit from small class sizes as there is one teacher for every 12 students, a far lower student-teacher ratio than the 17-to-1 national average. Students at the school are generally high achievers, as the average SAT score of 1340 is better than more than 85% of all scores nationwide. Additionally, the school has a near perfect 95% graduation rate.
Hanover is not a charter or magnet school, and as is often the case among similar public high schools on this list, it is in an area with very well-educated residents. Students with college-educated parents are more likely to perform well academically, and across the Dresden School District, home to Hanover High School, 81.9% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
New Jersey: Bergen County Academies
• Location: Hackensack
• Number of students: 1,098
• Student-teacher ratio: 11-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1460
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Bergen County Academies is a magnet school located in Hackensack, New Jersey. The school has an especially low student-teacher ratio of 11-to-1, and with proficiency rates of 99% in math and 98% in reading, and a near perfect 99% graduation rate, student outcomes are strong. The average SAT score of 1460 is better than more than 95% of all scores nationwide.
New Mexico: La Cueva High School
• Location: Albuquerque
• Number of students: 1,762
• Student-teacher ratio: 20-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1320
• Avg. graduation rate: 88%
La Cueva High School, part of the Albuquerque Public School District, ranks as the best public high school in New Mexico. Despite beating out other public high schools in the state, the school does not rank favorably compared to other schools on this list by several measures. For example, only 42% of students are proficient in math based on state administered tests. Class sizes are also relatively large, as there is only one teacher for every 20 students at the school, compared to the average student-teacher ratio nationwide of 17-to-1.
New York: Stuyvesant High School
• Location: New York
• Number of students: 3,319
• Student-teacher ratio: 21-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1480
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Stuyvesant High School is a highly competitive public school that students in New York City must test into. The school has some of the best student outcomes of any public high school in the United States. The school’s graduation rate is 99%, and the average SAT score is 1480 – the top 97th percentile of all SAT scores. Stuyvesant High graduates often go on to top-tier colleges and universities, including Harvard, Yale, and nearby Columbia.
North Carolina: Raleigh Charter High School
• Location: Raleigh
• Number of students: 563
• Student-teacher ratio: 14-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1370
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
North Carolina’s Raleigh Charter High School ranks as the best public school in North Carolina, based on a number of outcomes. More than half of students enroll in at least one Advanced Placement course. The school of more than 500 students has an impressive student-teacher ratio of 14-to-1, as well as a 95% graduation rate. Niche rates the school’s teachers as the best of any public school in North Carolina with more than three quarters of students and teachers surveyed by Niche at the school saying teachers genuinely care about the students and give engaging lessons.
North Dakota: Fargo Davies High School
• Location: Fargo
• Number of students: 1,274
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1350
• Avg. graduation rate: 97%
Although it falls behind some other schools on this list by some measures of academic achievement, Fargo Davies High School ranks as the best public high school in North Dakota. The school received high Niche grades from student respondents in measures like the quality and availability of clubs and activities, and it has other positive attributes that help boost its ranking, including a 16-to-1 student-teacher ratio and a 97% graduation rate.
Ohio: Solon High School
• Location: Solon
• Number of students: 1,600
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1330
• Avg. graduation rate: 98%
Solon High School ranks as the best public high school in Ohio, partially due to student outcomes. More than nine in every 10 students at the school are proficient in math, and a similar share are proficient in reading. Also, 98% of seniors graduate on time.
Non-charter and magnet schools on this list are often located in well-educated, affluent areas – and Solon High is no exception. The Solon city school district has a median household income of $102,181 a year, and 60.4% of adults in the area have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Meanwhile, across all of Ohio, most households earn less than $55,000 a year, and only 27.8% of adults have a four-year college degree.
Oklahoma: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
• Location: Oklahoma City
• Number of students: 150
• Student-teacher ratio: 6-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1410
• Avg. graduation rate: 100%
The Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics in Oklahoma City is a small, two-year public school for gifted students from the state, and it ranks as the best in the state. With only 150 students, the school is application only and has a student-to-teacher ratio of 6-to-1. The school has a perfect graduation rate, and the average SAT and ACT scores are better than 93% and 98% of all testers nationwide, respectively.
Oregon: School of Science & Technology
• Location: Beaverton
• Number of students: 162
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1320
• Avg. graduation rate: 90%
The School of Science & Technology, a magnet school located in Beaverton, Oregon, ranks as the best public high school in the state. Three-quarters of students enrolled at the school are proficient in math, and 85% are proficient in reading. The average SAT score at the school of 1320 is higher than about 85% of all other scores nationwide.
Due to a budget shortfall, the school will merge with the Health & Science School effective as of the 2020-2021 school year.
Pennsylvania: Julia R. Masterman Secondary School
• Location: Philadelphia
• Number of students: 1,214
• Student-teacher ratio: 22-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Pennsylvania’s Julia R. Masterman Secondary School is located in downtown Philadelphia.
The school received an A+ rating from Niche for its academic achievement, with 96% of students scoring at or above proficiency levels on state math exams, and 99% scoring at or above proficiency in reading. Nearly 90% of students and parents surveyed by Niche stated that they believe the school’s student body was competitive. According to Niche, the most commonly considered college among students from the school is the competitive University of Pennsylvania, which is less than 2 miles away.
Rhode Island: Barrington High School
• Location: Barrington
• Number of students: 1,101
• Student-teacher ratio: 13-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1280
• Avg. graduation rate: 98%
Barrington High School ranks as the best public high school in Rhode Island. More than 90% of students and teachers surveyed by Niche said students at the school are competitive, and close to 90% said teachers at the school give engaging lessons and care about the students. As is the case with many of the best high schools, the academy is in a school district with strong educational achievement among adults. In the Barrington School District, 72% of adults have a bachelor’s degree, more than double the national bachelor’s degree attainment rate among adults.
South Carolina: South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
• Location: Hartsville
• Number of students: 280
• Student-teacher ratio: 13-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1380
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics ranks on this list partially due to high student achievement. Some 95% of students at the school are proficient in reading, and 95% are proficient in math. Students at the school benefit from relatively small class sizes, and 85% of parents and students surveyed agree that teachers genuinely care about their students.
According to the school’s mission statement, the Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics seeks the state’s most talented and motivated students for enrollment. To apply, perspective students must submit an online application, an essay, and teacher recommendations.
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South Dakota: Brandon Valley High School
• Location: Brandon
• Number of students: 1,122
• Student-teacher ratio: 22-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1210
• Avg. graduation rate: 97%
Brandon Valley High School has a near-perfect 97% graduation rate. The high student achievement in the school is likely due in part to high quality teachers. Nearly nine in every 10 students and parents surveyed by Niche said that teachers genuinely care about their students.
Many students also benefit from conditions outside of the classroom. Children raised by parents with higher educational attainment are themselves more likely to achieve academically. In the Brandon Valley School District, 37.2% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 28.5% of adults across the state.
Tennessee: Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet School
• Location: Nashville
• Number of students: 903
• Student-teacher ratio: 21-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1330
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
The Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet School in downtown Nashville ranks as the best public high school in the state. More than 70% of students in the state enroll in at least one Advanced Placement course, and the school has a near-perfect 99% graduation rate among high school seniors.
All but 5% of students and teachers at the school surveyed by Niche describe the student body as competitive, and the vast majority of respondents made positive comments about the teaching staff, including that teachers genuinely cared about students and gave engaging lessons.
Texas: School of Science & Engineering
• Location: Dallas
• Number of students: 497
• Student-teacher ratio: 19-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1360
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
The School of Science & Engineering in Dallas ranks as the best school in the state, thanks to high ratings from Niche in areas such as teaching staff and academics. The school received an A+ rating from Niche for its academic achievement, with 95% of students scoring at or above proficiency levels on state reading exams, and 100% scoring at or above proficiency in math. Almost every student in the school takes at least one Advanced Placement class.
Utah: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy
• Location: Lindon
• Number of students: 636
• Student-teacher ratio: 17-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1400
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
Utah’s best public school, The Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, is in Lindon, just north of Provo and Orem, where the state’s burgeoning tech industry is based. The school has a highly favorable 95% graduation rate among seniors, as well as a strong average SAT score of 1400 and ACT score of 28, each better than 90% of test takers nationwide.
Vermont: Champlain Valley Union High School
• Location: Hinesburg
• Number of students: 1,291
• Student-teacher ratio: 14-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1240
• Avg. graduation rate: 93%
The Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, south of Burlington, ranks as the best public high school in the state. The school’s college entrance exams scores are not as high as some of the other high schools on this list, with an average SAT score of 1240, but the school compares favorably in other measures. The school has a 14-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and more than two-thirds of students and teachers surveyed had positive things to say about the teaching staff at the school, with 76% agreeing that teachers genuinely care about students at the school.
Virginia: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
• Location: Alexandria
• Number of students: 1,781
• Student-teacher ratio: 18-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1510
• Avg. graduation rate: 99%
Virginia’s Thomas Jefferson High School For Science & Technology is one of the most academically strong public high schools not just in the state, but the country as a whole. The school’s average SAT score of 1510 and ACT score of 34 compare better than more than 98% of test-takers nationwide. Effectively, the entire student body scores at or above proficiency in math and reading on state exams, and the school has a 99% graduation rate among seniors.
Washington: Tesla STEM High School
• Location: Redmond
• Number of students: 601
• Student-teacher ratio: 21-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1430
• Avg. graduation rate: 95%
The Tesla STEM High School in Redmond, Washington, ranks as the best school in the state, largely due to student performance. The average SAT score at the school is 1430, higher than more than 90% of all scores nationwide. Additionally, 95% of students are proficient in reading and 95% are proficient in math.
Unlike some other magnet schools on this list, Tesla STEM High School accepts students based solely on a lottery system and as a result, students of all academic abilities have a chance to attend.
West Virginia: George Washington High School
• Location: Charleston
• Number of students: 1,120
• Student-teacher ratio: 22-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1240
• Avg. graduation rate: 93%
Charleson’s George Washington High School ranks behind some of the other high schools on this list, but it still ranks as the top public high school in West Virginia. The school has a 93% graduation rate among seniors. It received an A- ranking from Niche for its academics, with an average SAT score of 1240 and 79% of students scoring at or above proficiency levels in reading.
Wisconsin: Whitefish Bay High School
• Location: Whitefish Bay
• Number of students: 970
• Student-teacher ratio: 16-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1340
• Avg. graduation rate: 92%
Students of Whitefish Bay High School are generally high achieving. The school sas a 92% graduation rate and an average SAT score of 1340, higher than nearly 90% of all other scores. About four in every five students enrolled at the school are proficient in reading.
Children raised by college-educated adults have a greater chance at academic success than those who are not. In the Whitefish Bay School District, 75.4% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 29.5% of adults across the state.
Wyoming: Jackson Hole High School
• Location: Jackson
• Number of students: 720
• Student-teacher ratio: 14-to-1
• Avg. SAT score: 1270
• Avg. graduation rate: 92%
Students at Jackson Hole High School are more likely to perform well academically than students in much of the rest of the state. Those enrolled at the school benefit from relatively small class sizes, as there is one teacher for every 14 students, lower than the 17-to-1 average student-teacher ratio nationwide.
Children raised by college-educated adults have a greater chance at academic success than those who are not. In the Teton County School District, home of Jackson Hole High School, 57.4% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to 26.9% of adults across the state.
Methodology:
To determine the best public high school in every state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed rankings for all public schools from school and neighborhood data clearinghouse Niche. It is important to note that the grade levels contained in these schools are not uniform. Some schools include grades outside of the 9-12 range and others contain fewer grades.
Data on rank, number of students, student-teacher ratio, average SAT score, average ACT score, graduation rates, and math and reading proficiency also came from Niche. Click here for a complete explanation of Niche’s methodology.
Data on median household income by school district and adult educational attainment rates came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2018 American Community Survey, when available. All ACS data are five-year estimates.
24/7 Wall Street is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news and commentary. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.
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