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The Best High School in Every U.S. State

By: Katelyn Fahrenbruck Weston

When people make the decision to move, there are many factors to consider. Housing costs, square footage, and proximity to amenities like grocery stores can play a big part in deciding where to live. Another factor that many people take into consideration is the school district where the home is located. A great school district is a big draw, as many parents and parents-to-be want their children to receive the best education possible. High school rankings play a big part in this.

The U.S. Career Institute team looked at reading and math proficiency scores of public schools around the country to determine the best high school in every U.S. state. See which high school in your state came out on top!

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The Best High Schools in Every State

How Are the Best High Schools in Every State Rated?

The data for the graphic, which comes from PublicSchoolReview.com, compares reading and math proficiency scores for public high schools across the United States to find America’s best high schools. The best high school in California, which is the most populous state in the country, is Science Academy STEM Magnet in North Hollywood. The school has a math proficiency score of more than 99% and a reading proficiency of 98%. This college preparatory school focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math education, commonly abbreviated as STEM. The high proficiency scores make it one of the best public schools in California. The second most populous state in the U.S. is Texas. The two highest-rated high schools in that state are DeBakey High School for Health Professionals in Houston and Health Careers High School in San Antonio. Both schools have a math proficiency of more than 95% and a reading proficiency of more than 99%. Florida is the third most populous state in the country, and the best high school in that state according to reading and math proficiency is Pine View School in Osprey. Both the reading and math proficiency at the school are more than 99%. The fourth most populous state is New York. New York is unique because there are 30 high schools that have reading and math proficiencies above 99%. These range from the Bronx High School of Science in the Bronx to Pittsford Sutherland High School in Pittsford. Pennsylvania, the fifth most populous state in the U.S., has two high schools tied at the top with more than 99% proficiency in both math and reading: Central High School in Philadelphia and Downingtown STEM Academy in Downingtown. An important thing to note is that individual states determine criteria for “proficiency” according to their own tests, and proficiency percentages should not necessarily be compared across states due to the differing tests and criteria applied between each state.
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The Top High Schools in Every State

The following are the best public high schools in every U.S. state.

State

School

City

Grade Levels

Math Proficiency

Reading Proficiency

Alabama

Mountain Brook High School

Birmingham

10-12

96%

95%

Alabama

Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School

Montgomery

9-12

≥95%

≥95%

Alaska

Skagway School

Skagway

PK-12

75-79%

85-89%

Arizona

University High School

Tucson

8-12

≥95%

≥99%

Arkansas

Haas Hall Academy Bentonville

Bentonville

7-12

93%

91%

Arkansas

Haas Hall Academy

Farmington

7-12

91%

93%

California

Science Academy STEM Magnet

North Hollywood

6-11

≥99%

98%

California

Whitney High School

Cerritos

7-12

98%

≥99%

Colorado

The Vanguard School

Colorado Springs

9-12

80-89%

≥90%

Connecticut

Darien High School

Darien

9-12

86%

92%

Delaware

Charter School of Wilmington

Wilmington

9-12

91%

98%

Florida

Pine View School

Osprey

2-12

≥99%

≥99%

Georgia

Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology

Lawrenceville

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Hawaii

Myron B. Thompson Academy

Honolulu

K-12

56%

80%

Idaho

Renaissance High School

Meridian

9-12

90-94%

≥95%

Illinois

Northside College Preparatory High School

Chicago

9-12

94%

97%

Indiana

Signature School Inc.

Evansville

9-12

80-84%

≥95%

Iowa

Decorah High School

Decorah

9-12

90-94%

90-94%

Kansas

Pawnee Heights

Rozel

PK-12

60-64%

55-59%

Kentucky

Dupont Manual High School

Louisville

9-12

85%

88%

Louisiana

Baton Rouge Magnet High School

Baton Rouge

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Maine

Maine School of Science and Mathematics

Limestone

9-12

≥90%

≥90%

Maryland

Thomas S. Wootton High School

Rockville

9-12

87%

91%

Massachusetts

Lexington High School

Lexington

9-12

96%

92%

Michigan

International Academy

Bloomfield Hills

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Minnesota

St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper School

Stillwater

9-12

90-94%

90-94%

Mississippi

West Union Attendance Center

Myrtle

K-12

77%

66%

Missouri

Clayton High School

Saint Louis

9-12

78%

80%

Montana

Fairfield High School

Fairfield

9-12

60-79%

≥80%

Nebraska

Elkhorn South High School

Omaha

9-12

85%

85%

Nevada

The Davidson Academy of Nevada

Reno

6-12

≥95%

≥95%

New Hampshire

Academy for Science and Design

Nashua

9-12

≥90%

≥90%

New Hampshire

Hanover High School

Hanover

9-12

85-89%

≥95%

New Jersey

Bergen County Academies

Hackensack

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New Mexico

Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science

Albuquerque

6-12

74%

90%

New York

Bethlehem Central Senior High School

Delmar

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Brighton High School

Rochester

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Bronx High School of Science

Bronx

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Brooklyn Technical High School

Brooklyn

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Byram Hills High School

Armonk

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

East Meadow High School

East Meadow

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Fairport Senior High School

Fairport

10-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

Manhattan

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Garden City High School

Garden City

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Great Neck South High School

Great Neck

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Harborfields High School

Green Lawn

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Herricks High School

New Hyde Park

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Horace Greeley High School

Chappaqua

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Jericho Senior High School

Jericho

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

John F. Kennedy High School

Bellmore

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Lancaster High School

Lancaster

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Manhasset Secondary School

Manhasset

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Maspeth High School

Elmhurst

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

North Shore Senior High School

Glen Head

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Pittsford Sutherland High School

Pittsford

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Pittsford Mendon High School

Pittsford

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School

Plainview

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Scarsdale Senior High School

Scarsdale

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Shaker High School

Latham

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Staten Island Technical High School

Staten Island

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Stuyvesant High School

Manhattan

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Townsend Harris High School

Flushing

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Valley Stream Central High School

Valley Stream

10-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

West Islip Senior High School

West Islip

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

New York

Williamsville East High School

East Amherst

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

North Carolina

Nesbitt Discovery Academy

Asheville

9-12

≥95%

≥95%

North Dakota

Hebron High School

Hebron

7-12

60-79%

60-79%

Ohio

Columbus Preparatory Academy

Columbus

K-12

97%

98%

Oklahoma

Dove Science Academy High School

Oklahoma City

9-12

70-74%

60-64%

Oregon

South Eugene High School

Eugene

9-12

75%

92%

Pennsylvania

Central High School

Philadelphia

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Pennsylvania

Downingtown STEM Academy

Downingtown

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Rhode Island

Barrington High School

Barrington

9-12

77%

89%

South Carolina

Greer Middle College Charter High School

Taylors

9-12

≥95%

≥95%

South Dakota

Hamlin High School

Hayti

9-12

70-79%

≥90%

Tennessee

Merrol Hyde Magnet School

Hendersonville

K-12

98%

93%

Texas

DeBakey High School for Health Professions

Houston

9-12

≥95%

≥99%

Texas

Health Careers High School

San Antonio

9-12

≥95%

≥99%

Utah

Northern Utah Academy of Math, Engineering, and Science

Layton

10-12

84%

86%

Vermont

Colchester High School

Colchester

9-12

55-59%

75-79%

Virginia

Thomas Jefferson High School

Alexandria

9-12

≥99%

≥99%

Washington

International Community School

Kirkland

6-12

96%

97%

West Virginia

George Washington High School

Charleston

9-12

48%

79%

Wisconsin

Kohler High School

Kohler

9-12

70-74%

80-84%

Wyoming

Poder Academy Secondary School

Cheyenne

6-12

75-79%

80-84%


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