Best public high schools in Maine
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: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 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 Maine using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
Editor's note: The original article had inaccuracies when multiple schools in Maine had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.
#30. Deer Isle-Stonington High School
- District: Deer Isle-Stonington Charter School District
- Enrollment: 116 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#29. Winthrop High School
- District: Winthrop Public Schools
- Enrollment: 212 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#28. Mt. Ararat High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 75 (MSAD 75)
- Enrollment: 742 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#27. Robert W. Traip Academy
- District: Kittery Public Schools
- Enrollment: 265 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#26. Morse High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 01 (MSAD 01)
- Enrollment: 623 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#25. Baxter Academy for Tech & Sciences
- City: Portland
- Enrollment: 390 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#24. Islesboro Central School
- District: Islesboro Public Schools
- Enrollment: 94 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#23. Marshwood High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 35 (MSAD 35)
- Enrollment: 736 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#22. Hampden Academy
- District: Regional School Unit No. 22
- Enrollment: 799 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#21. Maranacook Community High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 38 (MSAD 38)
- Enrollment: 356 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#20. York High School
- District: York Public Schools
- Enrollment: 529 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#19. Gorham High School
- District: Gorham Public Schools
- Enrollment: 854 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#18. Bangor High School
- District: Bangor Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,149 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#17. Wells High School
- District: Wells-Ogunquit Community School District
- Enrollment: 403 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#16. Deering High School
- District: Portland Public Schools
- Enrollment: 749 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#15. Freeport High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 05 (MSAD 05)
- Enrollment: 606 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#14. South Portland High School
- District: South Portland Public Schools
- Enrollment: 908 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+
#13. Casco Bay High School
- District: Portland Public Schools
- Enrollment: 395 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#12. Portland High School
- District: Portland Public Schools
- Enrollment: 888 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#11. Kennebunk High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 21 (MSAD 21)
- Enrollment: 751 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#10. Orono High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 26 (MSAD 26)
- Enrollment: 372 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#9. Brunswick High School
- District: Brunswick Public Schools
- Enrollment: 757 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#8. Mt. Desert Island High School
- District: Bar Harbor
- Enrollment: 535 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#7. Greely High School
- District: Regional School Unit No. 51 (MSAD 51)
- Enrollment: 641 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#6. Camden Hills Regional High School
- District: Rockport
- Enrollment: 709 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#5. Scarborough High School
- District: Scarborough Public Schools
- Enrollment: 942 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#4. Falmouth High School
- District: Falmouth Public Schools
- Enrollment: 661 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#3. Cape Elizabeth High School
- District: Cape Elizabeth Public Schools
- Enrollment: 542 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. Yarmouth High School
- District: Yarmouth Schools
- Enrollment: 550 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Maine School of Science & Mathematics
- District: Limestone
- Enrollment: 100 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
