Best high schools in the Philadelphia metro area

According to the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 15.5 million students attend public high school every year, and more than 3.76 million are expected to graduate in 2025. However, those students have a wide variety of experiences over the course of their high school careers.

To start, issues surrounding equal educational access persist throughout the United States. A January 2025 report published in Frontiers found that disparities across socioeconomic status, race, gender, and geography can lead to negative outcomes and the perpetuation of systemic barriers.

Outside of these issues, students also pursue many different paths within high school. Roughly 8.3 million high schoolers attend educational programs to prepare for careers in fields like transportation, landscaping, and culinary arts. Meanwhile, nearly 2.5 million are in dual enrollment programs that offer high school and college credit for the same course, allowing students to get a jump on higher education degrees.

Dual enrollment programs are particularly useful considering that more than 3 in 5 (61%) high school graduates head to college, per a 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics report. Unfortunately, high school doesn't always guarantee college success. In 2024, the average SAT score declined for the third straight year, and nearly 2 in 5 (39%) test-takers met or exceeded the test's college readiness benchmarks. ACT scores are also on the decline year over year, down to 19.4 out of 36, and just 3 in 10 students met at least three of the ACT's college readiness benchmarks.

With that said, attending a quality high school will typically help prepare students for their next steps in life, whether that's college, technical school, or going straight into the workforce. Stacker compiled a list of the best high schools in the Philadelphia metro area using data from Niche, which uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. Most 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.

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#25. The Charter School of Wilmington

- School type: Public School
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 968 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#24. The Grayson School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Radnor, PA
- Enrollment: 180 (4:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#23. Archmere Academy

- School type: Private School
- Location: Claymont, DE
- Enrollment: 525 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#22. Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy

- School type: Private School
- Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Enrollment: 360 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#21. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy

- School type: Private School
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Enrollment: 1,098 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Abington Friends School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Jenkintown, PA
- Enrollment: 600 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Wilmington Friends School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 687 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. Radnor Senior High School

- School type: Public School
- Location: Radnor Township School District, PA
- Enrollment: 1,126 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. The Baldwin School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Enrollment: 560 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. The Hill School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Pottstown, PA
- Enrollment: 522 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. Conestoga Senior High School

- School type: Public School
- Location: Tredyffrin-Easttown School District, PA
- Enrollment: 2,347 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. Germantown Academy

- School type: Private School
- Location: Fort Washington, PA
- Enrollment: 1,223 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School

- School type: Public School
- Location: Philadelphia City School District, PA
- Enrollment: 1,186 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. William Penn Charter School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Enrollment: 1,014 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Westtown School

- School type: Private School
- Location: West Chester, PA
- Enrollment: 686 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. George School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Newtown, PA
- Enrollment: 533 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. Tower Hill School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 866 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. The Haverford School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Haverford, PA
- Enrollment: 955 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. The Agnes Irwin School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Enrollment: 617 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Moorestown Friends School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Moorestown, NJ
- Enrollment: 623 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Friends' Central School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Wynnewood, PA
- Enrollment: 879 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Friends Select School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Enrollment: 656 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. The Shipley School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Bryn Mawr, PA
- Enrollment: 730 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. The Episcopal Academy

- School type: Private School
- Location: Newtown Square, PA
- Enrollment: 1,275 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Germantown Friends School

- School type: Private School
- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Enrollment: 1,157 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

This story features data reporting by Rob Powell, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 97 metros.

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