Best public high schools in North Dakota

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 North Dakota 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. Ellendale High School

- Location: Ellendale School District No. 40, ND
- Enrollment: 79 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#24. North Border Pembina High School

- Location: North Border School District, ND
- Enrollment: 36 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#23. South High School

- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 898 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B

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#22. Scranton High School

- Location: Scranton School District No. 33, ND
- Enrollment: 62 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#21. Beach High School

- Location: Beach School District No. 3, ND
- Enrollment: 111 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#20. Kidder County High School

- Location: Kidder County School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 182 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#19. Dakota Prairie High School

- Location: Dakota Prairie School District, ND
- Enrollment: 130 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#18. Fessenden-Bowdon High School

- Location: Fessenden-Bowdon School District No. 25, ND
- Enrollment: 56 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#17. Des Lacs-Burlington High School

- Location: United School District No. 7, ND
- Enrollment: 294 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#16. North High School

- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,110 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#15. Gackle-Streeter High School

- Location: Gackle-Streeter School District No. 56, ND
- Enrollment: 30 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#14. Red River High School

- Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,190 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#13. Hatton Eielson High School

- Location: Hatton Eielson Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 74 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#12. Nedrose High School

- Location: Nedrose School District No. 4, ND
- Enrollment: 292 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#11. Fargo Davies High School

- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,277 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#10. Drake High School

- Location: Drake, ND
- Enrollment: 75 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#9. Bismarck High School

- Location: Bismarck School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 1,367 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#8. Central High School

- Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,115 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#7. Linton High School

- Location: Linton School District No. 36, ND
- Enrollment: 73 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#6. Oakes High School

- Location: Oakes School District No. 41, ND
- Enrollment: 228 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#5. Lakota High School

- Location: Lakota School District No. 66, ND
- Enrollment: 76 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#4. Rugby High School

- Location: Rugby School District No. 5, ND
- Enrollment: 304 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#3. Kulm High School

- Location: Kulm School District No. 7, ND
- Enrollment: 36 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#2. Lidgerwood High School

- Location: Lidgerwood Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 76 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#1. Century High School

- Location: Bismarck School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 1,406 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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