Best public high schools in Washington

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 Washington 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. Middle College High School

- Location: Seattle Public Schools, WA
- Enrollment: 93 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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2 / 25

#24. Pullman High School

- Location: Pullman Public Schools, WA
- Enrollment: 838 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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3 / 25

#23. Choice Academy

- Location: Highline School District, WA
- Enrollment: 176 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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4 / 25

#22. Discovery High School

- Location: Longview School District, WA
- Enrollment: 57 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Roosevelt High School

- Location: Seattle Public Schools, WA
- Enrollment: 1,542 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#20. Garfield High School

- Location: Seattle Public Schools, WA
- Enrollment: 1,507 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#19. Lake Washington High School

- Location: Lake Washington School District, WA
- Enrollment: 2,081 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#18. Sammamish High School

- Location: Bellevue School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,363 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#17. North Creek High School

- Location: Northshore School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,910 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#16. Liberty Senior High School

- Location: Issaquah School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,495 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#15. Woodinville High School

- Location: Northshore School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,662 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. Issaquah High School

- Location: Issaquah School District, WA
- Enrollment: 2,419 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. Skyline High School

- Location: Issaquah School District, WA
- Enrollment: 2,244 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. Raisbeck Aviation High School

- Location: Highline School District, WA
- Enrollment: 400 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Eastlake High School

- Location: Lake Washington School District, WA
- Enrollment: 2,481 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. International Community School

- Location: Lake Washington School District, WA
- Enrollment: 421 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. Redmond High School

- Location: Lake Washington School District, WA
- Enrollment: 2,304 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Mercer Island High School

- Location: Mercer Island School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,439 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Lincoln High School

- Location: Seattle Public Schools, WA
- Enrollment: 1,770 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. STEM Academy at Svt

- Location: Central Valley School District, WA
- Enrollment: 190 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Interlake High School

- Location: Bellevue School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,611 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. International School

- Location: Bellevue School District, WA
- Enrollment: 600 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Bellevue High School

- Location: Bellevue School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,683 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Tesla STEM High School

- Location: Lake Washington School District, WA
- Enrollment: 605 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Newport High School

- Location: Bellevue School District, WA
- Enrollment: 1,850 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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