Best public high schools in Idaho

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 Idaho 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. Shoshone High School

- Location: Shoshone Joint School District, ID
- Enrollment: 143 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#24. OWYHEE HIGH SCHOOL

- Location: West Ada School District, ID
- Enrollment: 1,884 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#23. Richard McKenna Charter School - Onsite

- Location: Richard McKenna Charter Schools, ID
- Enrollment: 113 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#22. McCall-Donnelly High School

- Location: McCall-Donnelly School District, ID
- Enrollment: 447 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#21. Gem Prep Online

- Location: Meridian, ID
- Enrollment: 378 (29:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#20. Century High School

- Location: Pocatello School District, ID
- Enrollment: 1,068 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#19. Twin Falls Senior High School

- Location: Twin Falls School District, ID
- Enrollment: 1,381 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#18. Compass Academy

- Location: Idaho Falls School District, ID
- Enrollment: 393 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#17. Moscow High School

- Location: Moscow School District, ID
- Enrollment: 760 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#16. Gem Prep: Meridian

- Location: Meridian, ID
- Enrollment: 506 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#15. Cossa Academy

- Location: Wilder, ID
- Enrollment: 79 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B+

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#14. Hagerman School

- Location: Hagerman Joint School District, ID
- Enrollment: 311 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#13. North Idaho STEM Charter Academy

- Location: Rathdrum, ID
- Enrollment: 553 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#12. Lakeside High School

- Location: Plummer-Worley Joint School District, ID
- Enrollment: 125 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#11. Compass Public Charter School

- Location: Meridian, ID
- Enrollment: 1,265 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#10. Kamiah High School

- Location: Kamiah Joint School District, ID
- Enrollment: 102 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#9. Victory Charter School

- Location: Nampa, ID
- Enrollment: 380 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#8. Timberline High School

- Location: Boise School District, ID
- Enrollment: 1,307 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#7. Liberty Charter School

- Location: Nampa, ID
- Enrollment: 398 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-

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#6. Boise Senior High School

- Location: Boise School District, ID
- Enrollment: 1,512 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#5. Thomas Jefferson Charter School

- Location: Caldwell, ID
- Enrollment: 364 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#4. North Star Charter School

- Location: Eagle, ID
- Enrollment: 1,183 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#3. Meridian Technical Charter High School

- Location: West Ada School District, ID
- Enrollment: 205 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#2. Meridian Medical Arts Charter School

- Location: West Ada School District, ID
- Enrollment: 220 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Renaissance High School

- Location: West Ada School District, ID
- Enrollment: 662 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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