Few public services are as uneven in quality as the U.S. public school system. Because school budgets are largely funded by property taxes, the quality of public schools is often a function of neighborhood wealth rather than student need, creating large disparities in educational outcomes. While students in some parts of the country have major advantages, students in poorer areas are often left behind.

The majority of the nation’s best public schools are concentrated in just a few wealthy states. While just four states — Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Texas — are home to half of the nation’s 50 top-ranked public schools, every state has at least one high school that exceeds national averages in outcomes.

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.

Click here to see the full list of the best public high school in every state.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.

1. Alabama: Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School
> Location: Montgomery, AL
> Students: 497
> Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
> Average SAT: 1350

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2. Alaska: West High School
> Location: Anchorage, AK
> Students: 1,880
> Student-teacher ratio: 21:1
> Average SAT: 1240

3. Arizona: BASIS Scottsdale
> Location: Scottsdale, AZ
> Students: 739
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1470

4. Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy
> Location: Fayetteville, AR
> Students: 352
> Student-teacher ratio: 18:1
> Average SAT: 1360

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5. California: Canyon Crest Academy
> Location: San Diego, CA
> Students: 2,255
> Student-teacher ratio: 26:1
> Average SAT: 1360

6. Colorado: Cherry Creek High School
> Location: Greenwood Village, CO
> Students: 3,499
> Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
> Average SAT: 1340

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7. Connecticut: Staples High School
> Location: Westport, CT
> Students: 1,885
> Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
> Average SAT: 1280

8. Delaware: Charter School of Wilmington
> Location: Wilmington, DE
> Students: 972
> Student-teacher ratio: 05:1
> Average SAT: 1350

9. Florida: Pine View School
> Location: Osprey, FL
> Students: 2,175
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1370

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10. Georgia: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology
> Location: Lawrenceville, GA
> Students: 966
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1350

11. Hawaii: Education Laboratory School
> Location: Honolulu, HI
> Students: 442
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1190

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12. Idaho: Boise Senior High School
> Location: Boise, ID
> Students: 1,549
> Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
> Average SAT: 1260

13. Illinois: Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
> Location: Aurora, IL
> Students: 649
> Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
> Average SAT: 1450

14. Indiana: West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School
> Location: West Lafayette, IN
> Students: 1,081
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1350

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15. Iowa: Ames High School
> Location: Ames, IA
> Students: 1,270
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1400

16. Kansas: Blue Valley North High School
> Location: Overland Park, KS
> Students: 1,514
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1390

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17. Kentucky: DuPont Manual High School
> Location: Louisville, KY
> Students: 1,895
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1390

18. Louisiana: Benjamin Franklin High School
> Location: New Orleans, LA
> Students: 901
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1350

19. Maine: Maine School of Science & Mathematics
> Location: Limestone, ME
> Students: 149
> Student-teacher ratio: 7:1
> Average SAT: 1400

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20. Maryland: Poolesville High School
> Location: Poolesville, MD
> Students: 1,205
> Student-teacher ratio: 19:1
> Average SAT: 1390

21. Massachusetts: Massachusetts Academy of Math & Science
> Location: Worcester, MA
> Students: 98
> Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
> Average SAT: 1470

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22. Michigan: International Academy
> Location: Bloomfield Township, MI
> Students: 1,371
> Student-teacher ratio: 108:1
> Average SAT: 1390

23. Minnesota: Minnetonka Senior High School
> Location: Minnetonka, MN
> Students: 3,089
> Student-teacher ratio: 21:1
> Average SAT: 1360

24. Mississippi: The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
> Location: Columbus, MS
> Students: 245
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1360

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25. Missouri: Clayton High School
> Location: Clayton, MO
> Students: 870
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1340

26. Montana: Bozeman High School
> Location: Bozeman, MT
> Students: 1,989
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1280

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27. Nebraska: Millard North High School
> Location: Omaha, NE
> Students: 2,529
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1360

28. Nevada: The Davidson Academy
> Location: Reno, NV
> Students: 160
> Student-teacher ratio: 8:1
> Average SAT: 1510

29. New Hampshire: Hanover High School
> Location: Hanover, NH
> Students: 691
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1340

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30. New Jersey: Bergen County Academies
> Location: Hackensack, NJ
> Students: 1,059
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: 1450

31. New Mexico: Albuquerque Institute of Math & Science
> Location: Albuquerque, NM
> Students: 356
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1330

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32. New York: Stuyvesant High School
> Location: New York, NY
> Students: 3,328
> Student-teacher ratio: 22:1
> Average SAT: 1470

33. North Carolina: Raleigh Charter High School
> Location: Raleigh, NC
> Students: 561
> Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
> Average SAT: 1370

34. North Dakota: Fargo Davies High School
> Location: Fargo, ND
> Students: 1,210
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1350

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35. Ohio: Dublin Jerome High School
> Location: Dublin, OH
> Students: 1,563
> Student-teacher ratio: 18:1
> Average SAT: 1370

36. Oklahoma: Booker T. Washington High School
> Location: Tulsa, OK
> Students: 1,325
> Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
> Average SAT: 1240

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37. Oregon: South Eugene High School
> Location: Eugene, OR
> Students: 1,447
> Student-teacher ratio: 25:1
> Average SAT: 1310

38. Pennsylvania: Conestoga Senior High School
> Location: Berwyn, PA
> Students: 2,062
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1310

39. Rhode Island: Barrington High School
> Location: Barrington, RI
> Students: 1,028
> Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
> Average SAT: 1280

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40. South Carolina: Academic Magnet High School
> Location: North Charleston, SC
> Students: 647
> Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
> Average SAT: 1370

41. South Dakota: Brandon Valley High School
> Location: Brandon, SD
> Students: 1,024
> Student-teacher ratio: 21:1
> Average SAT: 1320

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42. Tennessee: Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet School
> Location: Nashville, TN
> Students: 903
> Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
> Average SAT: 1330

43. Texas: Liberal Arts & Science Academy
> Location: Austin, TX
> Students: 1,016
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1400

44. Utah: Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy
> Location: Lindon, UT
> Students: 639
> Student-teacher ratio: 19:1
> Average SAT: 1370

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45. Vermont: South Burlington High School
> Location: South Burlington, VT
> Students: 881
> Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
> Average SAT: 1250

46. Virginia: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
> Location: Alexandria, VA
> Students: 1,823
> Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
> Average SAT: 1510

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47. Washington: Tesla STEM High School
> Location: Redmond, WA
> Students: 561
> Student-teacher ratio: 23:1
> Average SAT: 1420

48. West Virginia: Morgantown High School
> Location: Morgantown, WV
> Students: 1,808
> Student-teacher ratio: 19:1
> Average SAT: 1260

49. Wisconsin: Whitefish Bay High School
> Location: Whitefish Bay, WI
> Students: 954
> Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
> Average SAT: 1360

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50. Wyoming: Big Horn High School
> Location: Big Horn, Wyoming
> Students: 146
> Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
> Average SAT: N/A

Detailed findings

Across the country, 84% of high school students graduate in four years, 16.2% of students are enrolled in Advanced Placement classes, and the average SAT score is 1060 out of 1600. In some of the nation’s top public schools, virtually all students graduate on time, AP enrollment is well above 70%, and average SAT scores are above 1400.

Nationwide, approximately 92% of public school funding comes from state and local sources. School spending tends to correspond to school quality, and the better the school the higher the spending per pupil. Many of the best schools are located in the wealthiest states. In nine of the 10 states with the most public high schools ranked in the top 1,000, the median annual household income is higher than the national median of $57,617.

States with better high schools also tend to have better educational outcomes. In all 10 states with the most top-1,000 public high schools per student, the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree is greater than the national bachelor’s degree attainment rate of 31.3%. These states also have higher public school expenditures, they pay public school teachers more on average, and they have larger shares of students who score a 3 out of 5 or higher on AP exams.

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. Data on rank, number of students, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate, average SAT score, average ACT score, and AP enrollment also came from Niche.

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