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
Alabama: Indian Springs School
> Location: Indian Springs
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 8-12
> Student count: N/A
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Alaska: Mitkof Middle School
> Location: Petersburg
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 6-8
> Student count: 111
Arizona: Phoenix Country Day School
> Location: Paradise Valley
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 750
Arkansas: Haas Hall Academy
> Location: Haas Hall Academy
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 7-12
> Student count: 451
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California: The College Preparatory School
> Location: Oakland
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 373
Colorado: Kent Denver School
> Location: Englewood
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 6-12
> Student count: 740
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Connecticut: The Hotchkiss School
> Location: Lakeville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 600
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Delaware: St. Andrew’s School
> Location: Middletown
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 310
Florida: Ransom Everglades School
> Location: Coconut Grove
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 6-12
> Student count: 1,130
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Georgia: The Westminster Schools
> Location: Atlanta
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,870
Hawaii: ‘Iolani School
> Location: Honolulu
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 2,116
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Idaho: Riverstone International School
> Location: Boise
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 371
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Illinois: University of Chicago Laboratory Schools
> Location: Chicago
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 2,051
Indiana: Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities
> Location: Muncie
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 239
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Iowa: Maharishi School
> Location: Fairfield
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: N/A
Kansas: Wichita Collegiate School
> Location: Wichita
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 846
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Kentucky: DuPont Manual High School
> Location: Jefferson County Public Schools
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: N/A
Louisiana: Benjamin Franklin High School
> Location: New Orleans
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 997
Maine: Maine School of Science & Mathematics
> Location: Limestone
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 133
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Maryland: Holton-Arms School
> Location: Bethesda
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 3-12
> Student count: 660
Massachusetts: Phillips Academy
> Location: Andover
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 1,146
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Michigan: Cranbrook Schools
> Location: Bloomfield Hills
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,659
Minnesota: Mounds Park Academy
> Location: St. Paul
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 562
Mississippi: The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
> Location: Columbus
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 238
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Missouri: John Burroughs School
> Location: St. Louis
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 7-12
> Student count: 650
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
Nevada: The Davidson Academy
> Location: Reno
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 178
New Hampshire: Phillips Exeter Academy
> Location: Exeter
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 1,085
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New Jersey: The Lawrenceville School
> Location: Lawrenceville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 822
New Mexico: United World College USA
> Location: Montezuma
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 235
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New York: Trinity School
> Location: New York
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,001
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North Carolina: North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
> Location: Durham
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 680
North Dakota: East Fairview Elementary School
> Location: Fairview
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-8
> Student count: N/A
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Ohio: Hawken School
> Location: Gates Mills
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,082
Oklahoma: Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics
> Location: Oklahoma City
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 150
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Oregon: Catlin Gabel School
> Location: Portland
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 779
Pennsylvania: Germantown Friends School
> Location: Philadelphia
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 1,070
Rhode Island: The Wheeler School
> Location: Providence
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 765
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South Carolina: South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics
> Location: Hartsville
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 11-12
> Student count: 270
South Dakota: South Central Elementary School
> Location: Bonesteel
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-5
> Student count: N/A
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Tennessee: University School of Nashville
> Location: Nashville
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: K-12
> Student count: 1,071
Texas: St. Mark’s School of Texas
> Location: Dallas
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 1-12
> Student count: N/A
Utah: The Waterford School
> Location: Sandy
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: N/A
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Vermont: The Putney School
> Location: Putney
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 235
Virginia: Maggie Walker Governor’s School
> Location: Richmond
> Type: Public
> Grade levels offered: 9-12
> Student count: 746
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Washington: Lakeside School
> Location: Seattle
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 838
West Virginia: The Linsly School
> Location: Wheeling
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: 5-12
> Student count: 465
Wisconsin: Brookfield Academy
> Location: Brookfield
> Type: Private
> Grade levels offered: PK, K-12
> Student count: 842
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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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