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Best public high schools in Colorado

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LightField Studios // Shutterstock
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As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.4 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in Colorado using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.

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A class of high schoolers as viewed from the rear.

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#30. Palmer Ridge High School

- Location: Lewis-Palmer School District 38, CO
- Enrollment: 1,206 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A student filling out a scantron form for a multiple choice test.

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#29. Ralston Valley Senior High School

- Location: Jefferson County School District No. R-1, CO
- Enrollment: 1,813 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.

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#28. Centaurus High School

- Location: Boulder Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,594 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A student standing next to their backpack as seen from the knee down.

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#27. Arapahoe High School

- Location: Littleton Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 1,884 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.

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#26. Silver Creek High School

- Location: St Vrain Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,272 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

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A high school student doing a chemical experiment.

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#25. Northfield High School

- Location: Denver Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 1,570 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A high school student sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper.

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#24. Air Academy High School

- Location: Academy School District No. 20, CO
- Enrollment: 1,351 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A student raising their hand in class.

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#23. Classical Academy High School

- Location: Academy School District No. 20, CO
- Enrollment: 552 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.

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#22. Liberty Common Charter School

- Location: Poudre School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,150 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.

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#21. Evergreen High School

- Location: Jefferson County School District No. R-1, CO
- Enrollment: 975 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

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A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.

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#20. Monarch High School

- Location: Boulder Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,515 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A hallway lined with green lockers.

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#19. Mountain Vista High School

- Location: Douglas County School District No. RE-1, CO
- Enrollment: 2,365 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A side view of a person using a laptop in the school library.

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#18. Cherokee Trail High School

- Location: Cherry Creek School District, CO
- Enrollment: 2,833 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
An empty classroom as viewed from the back.

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#17. DSST: Cedar High School

- Location: Denver Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 557 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A group of students walking down the hall with their backs facing the camera.

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#15. Niwot High School

- Location: St Vrain Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,484 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
An overhead view of high school pupils in group study sitting around circular tables.

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#14. STEM School Highlands Ranch

- Location: Douglas County School District No. RE-1, CO
- Enrollment: 1,455 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students using microscopes in science class.

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#13. DSST: Montview High School

- Location: Denver Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 570 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
High school students studying and reading together in their school library.

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#12. Denver School of the Arts

- Location: Denver Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 1,090 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students raising their hands for class participation.

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#11. East High School

- Location: Denver Public Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 2,589 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

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A stack of textbooks with pens on top of them next to an open notebook.

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#10. The Vanguard School Senior High

- Location: Harrison School District No. 2, CO
- Enrollment: 321 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Two students sharing a book.

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#9. Boulder High School

- Location: Boulder Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 2,139 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.

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#8. Rock Canyon High School

- Location: Douglas County School District No. RE-1, CO•
- Enrollment: 2,376 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.

Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

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#7. D'Evelyn Junior/Senior High School

- Location: Jefferson County School District No. R-1, CO
- Enrollment: 1,119 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
Bookshelves at a high school's library.

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#5. Fairview High School

- Location: Boulder Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,977 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.

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#4. Cheyenne Mountain High School

- Location: Cheyenne Mountain School District No. 12, CO
- Enrollment: 1,261 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
Two rows of red lockers.

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#3. Peak to Peak Charter School

- Location: Boulder Valley School District, CO
- Enrollment: 1,450 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
Empty desks in a high school classroom.

Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

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#2. Cherry Creek High School

- Location: Cherry Creek School District, CO
- Enrollment: 3,809 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
A closeup of a student taking notes in class.

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#1. Stargate Charter School

- Location: Adams 12 Five Star Schools, CO
- Enrollment: 1,551 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.

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