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Best public high schools in Kansas

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April 1, 2024
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Best public high schools in Kansas

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 Kansas 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.

A class of high schoolers as viewed from the rear.
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Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock

#30. Eudora High School

- Location: Eudora Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 535 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A student filling out a scantron form for a multiple choice test.
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Achira22 // Shutterstock

#29. Rock Creek Junior/Senior High School

- Location: Rock Creek Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 316 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#28. Hesston High School

- Location: Hesston Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 260 (14:1 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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LightField Studios // Shutterstock

#27. Silver Lake Junior/Senior High School

- Location: Silver Lake Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 336 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.
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Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

#26. Wakefield High School

- Location: Clay Center Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 65 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A high school student doing a chemical experiment.
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LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#25. Valley Falls High School

- Location: Valley Falls Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 117 (12:1 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. St. Marys Junior/Senior High School

- Location: Kaw Valley Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 262 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A student raising their hand in class.
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#23. Lawrence Free State High School

- Location: Lawrence Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,832 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.
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ImageFlow // Shutterstock

#22. Olathe East High School

- Location: Olathe Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 1,885 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.
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#21. Maize South High School

- Location: Maize Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,110 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.
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Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#20. Washburn Rural High School

- Location: Auburn Washburn Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,868 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A hallway lined with green lockers.
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SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

#19. Sterling Junior/Senior High School

- Location: Sterling Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 216 (9:1 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. Olathe South High School

- Location: Olathe Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 1,944 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
An empty classroom as viewed from the back.
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#17. Andover High School

- Location: Andover Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 1,004 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
A pencil case full of pens, pencils, and highlighters spilling on a table.
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#16. Chapman High School

- Location: Chapman Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 348 (12:1 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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GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#15. Mill Valley High School

- Location: DeSoto Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,317 (16:1 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. Andover Central High School

- Location: Andover Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 893 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students using microscopes in science class.
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Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#13. De Soto High School

- Location: DeSoto Unified School District, KS
- Enrollment: 976 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
High school students studying and reading together in their school library.
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#12. Shawnee Mission South High School

- Location: Shawnee Mission School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,512 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students raising their hands for class participation.
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LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#11. Manhattan High School

- Location: Manhattan-Ogden Unified School District #383, KS
- Enrollment: 1,876 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A stack of textbooks with pens on top of them next to an open notebook.
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Canva

#10. Shawnee Mission Northwest High School

- Location: Shawnee Mission School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,665 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Two students sharing a book.
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Canva

#9. Olathe Northwest High School

- Location: Olathe Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 1,908 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.
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Canva

#8. Blue Valley Southwest High School

- Location: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park), KS
- Enrollment: 1,071 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.
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Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

#7. Sumner Academy of Arts & Science

- Location: Kansas City Kansas Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 999 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Students' backpacks sitting on a hallway floor.
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LBeddoe // Shutterstock

#6. Olathe North High School

- Location: Olathe Public Schools, KS
- Enrollment: 2,093 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
Bookshelves at a high school's library.
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Canva

#5. Shawnee Mission East High School

- Location: Shawnee Mission School District, KS
- Enrollment: 1,676 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.
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DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#4. Blue Valley Northwest High School

- Location: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park), KS
- Enrollment: 1,569 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
Two rows of red lockers.
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Canva

#3. Blue Valley West High School

- Location: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park), KS
- Enrollment: 1,654 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
Empty desks in a high school classroom.
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Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

#2. Blue Valley High School

- Location: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park), KS
- Enrollment: 1,487 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
A closeup of a student taking notes in class.
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Canva

#1. Blue Valley North High School

- Location: Blue Valley Unified School District (Overland Park), KS
- Enrollment: 1,531 (17:1 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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