Best public high schools in Minnesota

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April 21, 2023
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Best public high schools in Minnesota

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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.

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#30. Maple Grove Senior High School

- District: Osseo Public School District
- Enrollment: 2,077 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#29. Sartell Senior High School

- District: Sartell-St. Stephen School District
- Enrollment: 1,372 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#28. Apple Valley Senior High School

- District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196
- Enrollment: 1,791 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#27. Mound Westonka High School

- District: Westonka Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,018 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#26. Lakeville North High School

- District: Lakeville Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,830 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#25. School of Environmental Studies

- District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196
- Enrollment: 339 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#24. Mankato West Senior High School

- District: Mankato Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,243 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Northfield Senior High School

- District: Northfield Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,370 (42:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. Chanhassen High School

- District: Eastern Carver County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,476 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Mahtomedi Senior High School

- District: Mahtomedi Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,160 (33:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#20. East Ridge High School

- District: South Washington County School District
- Enrollment: 1,954 (41:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#19. St. Anthony Village Senior High School

- District: St. Anthony-New Brighton Independent School District
- Enrollment: 673 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#18. Woodbury Senior High School

- District: South Washington County School District
- Enrollment: 1,972 (43:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#17. Central Senior High School

- District: St. Paul Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,851 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#16. Rosemount Senior High School

- District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196
- Enrollment: 2,530 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#15. Hopkins Senior High School

- District: Hopkins Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,611 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#14. Great River School

- District: Great River School
- Enrollment: 401 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#13. Lakeville South High School

- District: Lakeville Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,888 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#12. St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper School

- District: St. Croix Preparatory Academy
- Enrollment: 383 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Orono Senior High School

- District: Orono Public School District
- Enrollment: 970 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. Mounds View Senior High School

- District: Mounds View Public School District
- Enrollment: 1,886 (27:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. Eagan Senior High School

- District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196
- Enrollment: 2,132 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Eastview Senior High School

- District: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196
- Enrollment: 2,302 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Eagle Ridge Academy

- District: Eagle Ridge Academy Charter School
- Enrollment: 606 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Nova Classical Academy Upper School

- District: Nova Classical Academy
- Enrollment: 526 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Edina Senior High School

- District: Edina Public School District
- Enrollment: 2,683 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Minnetonka Senior High School

- District: Minnetonka Public School District
- Enrollment: 3,444 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Eden Prairie Senior High School

- District: Eden Prairie Schools
- Enrollment: 2,827 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Wayzata High School

- District: Wayzata Public School District
- Enrollment: 3,502 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Math & Science Academy

- District: Woodbury
- Enrollment: 543 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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