Best public high schools in Georgia

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: 49.6 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2022, 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 best public high schools in Georgia using 2027 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. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#25. Cambridge High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,602 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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2 / 25

#24. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School

- Location: Richmond County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 747 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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3 / 25

#23. Wheeler High School

- Location: Cobb County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,401 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#22. Lassiter High School

- Location: Cobb County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,005 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#21. Atlanta Classical Academy

- Location: Atlanta Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 697 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Midtown High School

- Location: Atlanta Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,696 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Brookwood High School

- Location: Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 3,803 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. Paul Duke STEM High School

- Location: Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,509 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. North Oconee High School

- Location: Oconee County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,432 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. Denmark High School

- Location: Forsyth County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,527 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. McIntosh High School

- Location: Fayette County Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,762 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. Milton High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,999 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. Northview High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,591 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. Johns Creek High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,789 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. South Forsyth High School

- Location: Forsyth County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,634 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. Chattahoochee High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,730 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. Walton High School

- Location: Cobb County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,705 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Buford High School

- Location: Buford City Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,985 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. North Gwinnett High School

- Location: Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 3,033 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Alpharetta High School

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 2,024 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Lambert High School

- Location: Forsyth County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 3,249 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Columbus High School

- Location: Muscogee County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,161 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Alliance Academy for Innovation

- Location: Forsyth County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,145 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. FCS Innovation Academy

- Location: Fulton County Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,507 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science & Technology

- Location: Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA
- Enrollment: 1,304 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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