Best high schools in Pennsylvania

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: 48.1 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in 2020; and there are almost 24,000 public high schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

For many anxious parents, getting their kid 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.

Find out how the best high schools in the state stack up against each other, 9 of the 10 schools in the list are private schools. Stacker compiled a list of the best high schools in Pennsylvania using rankings from Niche.

#10. Grier School (private)
- Location: Birmingham
- Enrollment: 260 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)

#9. Linden Hall (private)
- Location: Lititz
- Enrollment: 127 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

#8. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (public)
- District: Philadelphia City School District, PA
- Enrollment: 1,207 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)

#7. George School (private)
- Location: Newtown
- Enrollment: 540 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

#6. Shady Side Academy (private)
- Location: Pittsburgh
- Enrollment: 1,107 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)

#5. The Hill School (private)
- Location: Pottstown
- Enrollment: 529 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)

#4. The Episcopal Academy (private)
- Location: Newtown Square
- Enrollment: 1,288 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)

#3. The Baldwin School (private)
- Location: Bryn Mawr
- Enrollment: 584 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)

#2. Mercersburg Academy (private)
- Location: Mercersburg
- Enrollment: 446 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)

#1. Germantown Friends School (private)
- Location: Philadelphia
- Enrollment: 1,070 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)