Few public institutions in the United States have greater disparities in quality than schools — a distinction especially important considering what is at stake. Each year, millions of American children enroll in school for the first time, and their likelihood of academic success is determined in part by the institution they attend.
Factors such as teacher engagement, academic rigor, diversity, and the availability of extracurricular activities vary from school to school and can meaningfully impact a child’s life — both as a student and beyond.
Using a range of data points, including academic outcomes as well as parent and student survey responses, Niche, a school and neighborhood data platform, ranked schools in each state by overall quality. Using Niche’s 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best school in each state.
In most states, the school with the highest overall quality ranking is a private school. Private schools typically offer smaller class sizes, specialized academic programs, and stronger administrative support. These advantages often come at a high price, however. Admission to many private schools on this list costs tens of thousands a year. Here is a look at the most expensive private high schools in America.
Public schools in the United States generally admit students who reside within the district. However, many of the public schools on this list are magnet schools that students must apply to for admission. Though publicly funded, these schools often more closely resemble private institutions in that students often live on campus and are admitted, in part, based on aptitude. Here is a look at the best public high school in each state.
Click here to see the best school in every state
Click here to read our detailed methodology
Source: Courtesy of Indian Springs School
Alabama: Indian Springs School
> Location: Indian Springs
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 8-12
> Student count: N/A
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Source: Courtesy of Petersburg School District
Alaska: Mitkof Middle School
> Location: Petersburg
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 6-8
> Student count: 111
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Source: Courtesy of Phoenix Country Day School
Arizona: Phoenix Country Day School
> Location: Paradise Valley
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 750
Source: Courtesy of Haas Hall Academy
Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy
> Location: Haas Hall Academy
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 7-12
> Student count: 451
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Source: Courtesy of The College Preparatory School via Facebook
California: The College Preparatory School
> Location: Oakland
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 373
Source: Courtesy of Kent Denver School
Colorado: Kent Denver School
> Location: Englewood
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 6-12
> Student count: 740
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Source: Adrien Delessert / Wikimedia Commons
Connecticut: The Hotchkiss School
> Location: Lakeville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 600
Source: Courtesy of St. Andrew's School via Facebook
Delaware: St. Andrew’s School
> Location: Middletown
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 310
Source: Courtesy of Ransom Everglades School via Facebook
Florida: Ransom Everglades School
> Location: Coconut Grove
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 6-12
> Student count: 1,130
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Source: Courtesy of The Westminster Schools
Georgia: The Westminster Schools
> Location: Atlanta
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,870
Source: Eric Broder Van Dyke / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
Hawaii: ‘Iolani School
> Location: Honolulu
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 2,116
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Source: Riverstone International School / Facebook
Idaho: Riverstone International School
> Location: Boise
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 371
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Source: AMPERIO / Wikimedia Commons
Illinois: University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
> Location: Chicago
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 2,051
Source: Courtesy of Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities via Facebook
Indiana: Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
> Location: Muncie
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 239
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Source: Courtesy of Maharishi School
Iowa: Maharishi School
> Location: Fairfield
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: N/A
Source: Courtesy of Wichita Collegiate School / Facebook
Kansas: Wichita Collegiate School
> Location: Wichita
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 846
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Source: local_louisville / Flickr
Kentucky: DuPont Manual High School
> Location: Jefferson County Public Schools
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: N/A
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Source: Courtesy of Benjamin Franklin High School
Louisiana: Benjamin Franklin High School
> Location: New Orleans
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 997
Source: mssm.org
Maine: Maine School of Science & Mathematics
> Location: Limestone
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 133
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Source: Courtesy of Holton-Arms School
Maryland: Holton-Arms School
> Location: Bethesda
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 3-12
> Student count: 660
Source: olivianotter / Flickr
Massachusetts: Phillips Academy
> Location: Andover
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 1,146
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Source: OlegAlbinsky / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
Michigan: Cranbrook Schools
> Location: Bloomfield Hills
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,659
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Source: Courtesy of Mounds Park Academy / Facebook
Minnesota: Mounds Park Academy
> Location: St. Paul
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 562
Source: Courtesy of Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
Mississippi: The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
> Location: Columbus
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 238
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Missouri: John Burroughs School
> Location: St. Louis
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 7-12
> Student count: 650
Source: smolaw11 / iStock via Getty Images
Montana: Cardwell School
> Location: Cardwell
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-8
> Student count: N/A
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Nebraska: Brownell Talbot School
> Location: Omaha
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 441
Source: Courtesy of The Davidson Academy
Nevada: The Davidson Academy
> Location: Reno
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 178
Source: DenisTangneyJr / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
New Hampshire: Phillips Exeter Academy
> Location: Exeter
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 1,085
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Source: Courtesy of The Lawrenceville School via Facebook
New Jersey: The Lawrenceville School
> Location: Lawrenceville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 822
Source: Courtesy of UWC USA via Facebook
New Mexico: United World College USA
> Location: Montezuma
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 235
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Source: Courtesy of Trinity School, NYC via Facebook
New York: Trinity School
> Location: New York
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,001
Source: warrenlemay / Flickr
North Carolina: North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
> Location: Durham
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 680
Source: Courtesy of East Fairview Elementary School
North Dakota: East Fairview Elementary School
> Location: Fairview
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-8
> Student count: N/A
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Source: Courtesy of Hawken School via Facebook
Ohio: Hawken School
> Location: Gates Mills
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,082
Source: Courtesy of Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics Foundation
Oklahoma: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
> Location: Oklahoma City
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 150
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Source: Courtesy of Catlin Gabel via Facebook
Oregon: Catlin Gabel School
> Location: Portland
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 779
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Source: Courtesy of Germantown Friends School via Facebook
Pennsylvania: Germantown Friends School
> Location: Philadelphia
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,070
Source: Courtesy of The Wheeler School
Rhode Island: The Wheeler School
> Location: Providence
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 765
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Source: Courtesy of South Carolina Governor's School for Science & Mathematics via Facebook
South Carolina: South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
> Location: Hartsville
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 270
Source: Courtesy of South Central via Facebook
South Dakota: South Central Elementary School
> Location: Bonesteel
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-5
> Student count: N/A
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Source: Courtesy of University School of Nashville via Facebook
Tennessee: University School of Nashville
> Location: Nashville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,071
Source: Courtesy of St. Mark's School of Texas
Texas: St. Mark’s School of Texas
> Location: Dallas
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 1-12
> Student count: N/A
Source: Ben P L / Wikimedia Commons
Utah: The Waterford School
> Location: Sandy
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: N/A
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Source: The Putney School / Facebook
Vermont: The Putney School
> Location: Putney
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 235
Source: Courtesy of Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies via Facebook
Virginia: Maggie Walker Governor’s School
> Location: Richmond
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 746
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Source: Courtesy of Lakeside School
Washington: Lakeside School
> Location: Seattle
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 838
Source: Courtesy of The Linsly School
West Virginia: The Linsly School
> Location: Wheeling
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 465
Source: Courtesy of Brookfield Academy / Facebook
Wisconsin: Brookfield Academy
> Location: Brookfield
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 842
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Source: Courtesy of Jackson Hole Community School
Wyoming: Jackson Hole Community School
> Location: Jackson
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 83
Methodology
To determine the best schools in each state, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2022 K-12 School & District Rankings from Niche, a platform for education data. The Niche ranking is based on academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education as well as student reviews submitted to Niche. Data on student count and student-teacher ratio came from Niche. Here is Niche’s full methodology.
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