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 North Dakota 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. Central Valley High School
- Location: Central Valley School District No. 3, ND
- Enrollment: 89 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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2 / 30#29. Maple Valley High School
- Location: Maple Valley School District No. 4, ND
- Enrollment: 94 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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3 / 30#28. Hatton Eielson High School
- Location: Hatton Eielson Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 78 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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4 / 30#27. South High School
- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 889 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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5 / 30#26. Northern Cass High School
- Location: Northern Cass School District No. 97, ND
- Enrollment: 200 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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6 / 30#25. Glen Ullin High School
- Location: Glen Ullin School District No. 48, ND
- Enrollment: 46 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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7 / 30#24. West Fargo Sheyenne High School
- Location: West Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,563 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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8 / 30#23. Scranton High School
- Location: Scranton School District No. 33, ND
- Enrollment: 55 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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9 / 30#22. Rugby High School
- Location: Rugby School District No. 5, ND
- Enrollment: 300 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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10 / 30#21. Valley City High School
- Location: Valley City School District No. 2, ND
- Enrollment: 366 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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11 / 30#20. Barnes County North Public School
- Location: Barnes County North School District, ND
- Enrollment: 77 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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12 / 30#19. Mt. Pleasant High School
- Location: Mt. Pleasant School District No. 4, ND
- Enrollment: 104 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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13 / 30#18. Magic City Campus High School
- Location: Minot School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 924 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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14 / 30#17. Velva High School
- Location: Velva School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 215 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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15 / 30#16. Hazen High School
- Location: Hazen School District No. 3, ND
- Enrollment: 181 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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16 / 30#15. Hillsboro High School
- Location: Hillsboro Public Schools, ND•
- Enrollment: 238 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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17 / 30#14. MLS High School
- Location: Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 138 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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18 / 30#13. Thompson High School
- Location: Thompson Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 265 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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19 / 30#12. Wyndmere High School
- Location: Wyndmere Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 97 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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20 / 30#11. Cavalier High School
- Location: Cavalier School District No. 6, ND
- Enrollment: 188 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
#10. Finley-Sharon High School
- Location: Finley-Sharon School District No. 19, ND
- Enrollment: 41 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
#9. Des Lacs-Burlington High School
- Location: United School District No. 7, ND
- Enrollment: 300 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
#8. Central High School
- Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,138 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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24 / 30#7. Linton High School
- Location: Linton School District No. 36, ND
- Enrollment: 79 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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25 / 30#6. New Rockford-Sheyenne High School
- Location: New Rockford-Sheyenne School District No. 2, ND
- Enrollment: 144 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
#5. Fargo Davies High School
- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,337 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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27 / 30#4. Kindred High School
- Location: Kindred Public School District, ND
- Enrollment: 361 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
#3. Red River High School
- Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,054 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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29 / 30#2. North High School
- Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
- Enrollment: 1,046 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
#1. Century High School
- Location: Bismarck School District No. 1, ND
- Enrollment: 1,332 (16:1 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.
