Best public high schools in Minnesota

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 Minnesota 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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#24. Maple Grove Senior High School

- Location: Osseo Area Schools, MN
- Enrollment: 2,453 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Woodbury Senior High School

- Location: South Washington County School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,943 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. School of Environmental Studies

- Location: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196, MN
- Enrollment: 334 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Northfield Senior High School

- Location: Northfield Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,283 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#20. East Ridge High School

- Location: South Washington County School District, MN
- Enrollment: 2,072 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#19. Mahtomedi Senior High School

- Location: Mahtomedi Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,175 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#18. Southwest Senior High

- Location: Minneapolis Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,195 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#17. Highland Park Senior High School

- Location: St. Paul Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,392 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#16. Eagle Ridge Academy

- Location: Eagle Ridge Academy Charter School, MN
- Enrollment: 702 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#15. Lakeville South High School

- Location: Lakeville Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,816 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#14. Orono Senior High School

- Location: Orono Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 961 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#13. Mayo Senior High School

- Location: Rochester Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,787 (not available student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#12. Rosemount Senior High School

- Location: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196, MN
- Enrollment: 2,364 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#11. Mounds View High School

- Location: Mounds View Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 1,833 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#10. Nova Classical Academy Upper School

- Location: Nova Classical Academy, MN
- Enrollment: 556 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#9. Eagan Senior High School

- Location: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196, MN
- Enrollment: 2,274 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#8. St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper School

- Location: St. Croix Preparatory Academy, MN
- Enrollment: 391 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#7. Secondary Lighthouse

- Location: Spring Lake Park Public Schools, MN
- Enrollment: 34 (not available student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#6. Eastview Senior High School

- Location: Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan Independent School District No. 196, MN
- Enrollment: 2,328 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Eden Prairie High School

- Location: Eden Prairie Schools, MN
- Enrollment: 2,844 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Edina Senior High School

- Location: Edina Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 2,641 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Math & Science Academy

- Location: Woodbury, MN
- Enrollment: 780 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Wayzata High School

- Location: Wayzata Public Schools, MN
- Enrollment: 3,781 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Minnetonka Senior High School

- Location: Minnetonka Public School District, MN
- Enrollment: 3,565 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+