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: 49.4 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 Wisconsin 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.

Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock

1 / 30

#30. West High School

- Location: Wauwatosa School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,069 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Achira22 // Shutterstock

2 / 30

#29. Kohler High School

- Location: Kohler School District, WI
- Enrollment: 217 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

3 / 30

#28. Slinger High School

- Location: Slinger School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,069 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

4 / 30

#27. Verona Area High School

- Location: Verona Area School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,737 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

5 / 30

#26. West De Pere High School

- Location: West De Pere School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,028 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

6 / 30

#25. Marshfield High School

- Location: School District of Marshfield, WI
- Enrollment: 1,232 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

panitanphoto // Shutterstock

7 / 30

#24. Muskego High School

- Location: Muskego-Norway School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,676 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

8 / 30

#23. Franklin High School

- Location: Franklin Public Schools, WI
- Enrollment: 1,573 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

ImageFlow // Shutterstock

9 / 30

#22. Sun Prairie East High School

- Location: Sun Prairie Area School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,779 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

10 / 30

#21. Greendale High School

- Location: Greendale School District, WI
- Enrollment: 948 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

11 / 30

#20. Menomonee Falls High School

- Location: Menomonee Falls School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,319 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

12 / 30

#19. Waunakee Community High School

- Location: Waunakee Community School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,352 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

sirtravelalot // Shutterstock

13 / 30

#18. East High School

- Location: Wauwatosa School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,079 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

maroke // Shutterstock

14 / 30

#17. Lakeview Technology Academy

- Location: Kenosha School District, WI
- Enrollment: 394 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Studio KIWI // Shutterstock

15 / 30

#16. Hamilton High School

- Location: Hamilton School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,532 (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

16 / 30

#15. Eisenhower Middle/High School

- Location: New Berlin School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,044 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

17 / 30

#14. West High School

- Location: Madison Metropolitan School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,175 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

18 / 30

#13. Arrowhead High School

- Location: Hartland, WI
- Enrollment: 2,082 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Joyseulay // Shutterstock

19 / 30

#12. Pewaukee High School

- Location: Pewaukee School District, WI
- Enrollment: 846 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

20 / 30

#11. Cedarburg High School

- Location: Cedarburg School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,110 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Canva

21 / 30

#10. Nicolet Union High School

- Location: Glendale, WI
- Enrollment: 1,090 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Canva

22 / 30

#9. Memorial High School

- Location: Madison Metropolitan School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,078 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Canva

23 / 30

#8. Homestead High School

- Location: Mequon-Thiensville School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,266 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

24 / 30

#7. High School of Health Sciences

- Location: Kettle Moraine School District, WI
- Enrollment: 190 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

LBeddoe // Shutterstock

25 / 30

#6. Reagan College Preparatory High School

- Location: Milwaukee Public Schools, WI
- Enrollment: 1,344 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Canva

26 / 30

#5. Middleton High School

- Location: Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, WI
- Enrollment: 2,271 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

27 / 30

#4. Brookfield Central High School

- Location: Elmbrook School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,200 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Canva

28 / 30

#3. Whitefish Bay High School

- Location: Whitefish Bay School District, WI
- Enrollment: 951 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

29 / 30

#2. Shorewood High School

- Location: Shorewood School District, WI
- Enrollment: 635 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Canva

30 / 30

#1. Brookfield East High School

- Location: Elmbrook School District, WI
- Enrollment: 1,337 (17:1 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.