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: 49.4 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 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 Delaware using 2023 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. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
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1 / 30#30. Milford Senior High School
- Location: Milford School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,173 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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2 / 30#29. Newark High School
- Location: Christina School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,091 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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3 / 30#28. Delmar High School
- Location: Delmar School District, DE
- Enrollment: 659 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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4 / 30#27. Alexis I. du Pont High School
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 704 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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5 / 30#26. Christiana High School
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6 / 30#25. Sussex Central High School
- Location: Indian River School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,916 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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7 / 30#24. The John Dickinson School
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 973 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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8 / 30#23. Delcastle Technical High School
- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE•
- Enrollment: 1,589 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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9 / 30#22. Odessa High School
- Location: Appoquinimink School District, DE
- Enrollment: 600 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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10 / 30#21. Brandywine High School
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11 / 30#20. Paul M. Hodgson Vocational Technical High School
- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,087 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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12 / 30#19. Delaware Military Academy
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 595 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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13 / 30#18. Odyssey Charter School
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 1,988 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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14 / 30#17. Dover High School
- Location: Capital School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,748 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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15 / 30#16. Cape Henlopen High School
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16 / 30#15. Mount Pleasant High School
- Location: Brandywine School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,117 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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17 / 30#14. Polytech High School
- Location: Woodside, DE
- Enrollment: 1,196 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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18 / 30#13. Caesar Rodney High School
- Location: Caesar Rodney School District, DE
- Enrollment: 2,195 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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19 / 30#12. Indian River High School
- Location: Indian River School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,003 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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20 / 30#10. Sussex Technical High School
- Location: Georgetown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,306 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
#9. St. Georges Technical High School
- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,130 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
#8. MOT Charter School
- Location: Middletown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,376 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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24 / 30#7. Sussex Academy
- Location: Georgetown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,120 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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25 / 30#6. Middletown High School
#5. Conrad Schools of Science
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,174 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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27 / 30#4. Appoquinimink High School
- Location: Appoquinimink School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,586 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#3. Cab Calloway School of the Arts
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 907 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
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29 / 30#2. Newark Charter School
- Location: Newark, DE
- Enrollment: 2,458 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
#1. The Charter School of Wilmington
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 971 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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