Best public high schools in Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin 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. Greendale High School

- Location: Greendale School District, WI
- Enrollment: 882 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#24. Fond du Lac STEM Academy

- Location: Fond du Lac School District, WI
- Enrollment: 161 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#23. Menomonee Falls High School

- Location: Menomonee Falls School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,261 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#22. Vel Phillips Memorial High School

- Location: Madison Metropolitan School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,004 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#21. Lakeview Technology Academy

- Location: Kenosha Unified School District, WI
- Enrollment: 391 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#20. Rock University High School

- Location: School District of Janesville, WI
- Enrollment: 93 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#19. Kimberly High School

- Location: Kimberly Area School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,587 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#18. Grafton High School

- Location: Grafton School District, WI
- Enrollment: 726 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#17. Franklin High School

- Location: Franklin Public Schools, WI
- Enrollment: 1,605 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#16. Eisenhower Middle/High School

- Location: New Berlin School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,095 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#15. East High School

- Location: Wauwatosa School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,043 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#14. Hamilton High School

- Location: Hamilton School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,577 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#13. Muskego High School

- Location: Muskego-Norway School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,581 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#12. Waunakee Community High School

- Location: Waunakee Community School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,335 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#11. West High School

- Location: Madison Metropolitan School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,222 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#10. Cedarburg High School

- Location: Cedarburg School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,073 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#9. Reagan College Preparatory High School

- Location: Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
- Enrollment: 1,372 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A

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#8. Homestead High School

- Location: Mequon-Thiensville School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,201 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Arrowhead High School

- Location: Hartland, WI
- Enrollment: 1,950 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Brookfield Central High School

- Location: Elmbrook School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,215 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Shorewood High School

- Location: Shorewood School District, WI
- Enrollment: 589 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Middleton High School

- Location: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,303 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. Whitefish Bay High School

- Location: Whitefish Bay School District, WI
- Enrollment: 945 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Brookfield East High School

- Location: Elmbrook School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,374 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. Nicolet Union High School

- Location: Glendale, WI
- Enrollment: 1,043 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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