Best public high schools in Arizona

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 Arizona 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. ASU Prep Digital

- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Enrollment: 4,181 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#24. Great Hearts Arete Preparatory Academy

- Location: Gilbert, AZ
- Enrollment: 563 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#23. Horizon Honors Secondary School

- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: 678 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#22. Phoenix Union Bioscience High School

- Location: Phoenix Union High School District, AZ
- Enrollment: 390 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#21. Great Hearts - Scottsdale Preparatory Academy

- Location: Scottsdale, AZ
- Enrollment: 897 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Hamilton High School

- Location: Chandler Unified School District No. 80, AZ
- Enrollment: 3,444 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Great Hearts Academies - Anthem

- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: 1,088 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. Gilbert Classical Academy High School

- Location: Gilbert Public Schools, AZ
- Enrollment: 572 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. Great Hearts Academies - Veritas Preparatory

- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: 781 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. Arizona Agribusiness & Equine Center - Estrella

- Location: Avondale, AZ
- Enrollment: 335 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. BASIS Goodyear

- Location: Goodyear, AZ
- Enrollment: 312 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. BASIS Chandler

- Location: Chandler, AZ
- Enrollment: 1,227 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. BASIS Peoria

- Location: Peoria, AZ
- Enrollment: 1,077 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. University High School

- Location: Tolleson Union High School District, AZ
- Enrollment: 416 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Arizona College Prep High School

- Location: Chandler Unified School District No. 80, AZ
- Enrollment: 2,271 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. BASIS Phoenix

- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: 854 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. BASIS Flagstaff

- Location: Flagstaff, AZ
- Enrollment: 663 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Great Hearts Academies - Chandler Prep

- Location: Chandler, AZ
- Enrollment: 766 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Tempe Preparatory Academy

- Location: Tempe, AZ
- Enrollment: 431 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. BASIS Mesa

- Location: Mesa, AZ
- Enrollment: 919 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. BASIS Tucson North

- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Enrollment: 755 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. University High School

- Location: Tucson Unified School District, AZ
- Enrollment: 982 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. BASIS Oro Valley

- Location: Oro Valley, AZ
- Enrollment: 521 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. BASIS Ahwatukee

- Location: Phoenix, AZ
- Enrollment: 759 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. BASIS Scottsdale

- Location: Scottsdale, AZ
- Enrollment: 1,118 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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