Best public high schools in Utah
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: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 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 Utah using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
Editor's note: The original article had inaccuracies when multiple schools in Utah had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.
#30. City Academy
- City: Salt Lake City
- Enrollment: 135 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#29. Farmington High
- District: Davis School District
- Enrollment: 1,890
- Niche grade: A-
#28. Salt Lake Center for Science Education
- City: Salt Lake City
- Enrollment: 371 ( student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A-
#27. Ridgeline High School
- District: Cache County School District
- Enrollment: 1,697
- Niche grade: A-
#26. Hillcrest High School
- District: Canyons School District
- Enrollment: 1,971
- Niche grade: A
#25. Green Canyon High School
- District: Cache County School District
- Enrollment: 1,564
- Niche grade: A
#24. Orem High School
- District: Alpine School District
- Enrollment: 1,240
- Niche grade: A
#23. Woods Cross High School
- District: Davis School District
- Enrollment: 1,440
- Niche grade: A
#22. Olympus High School
- District: Granite School District
- Enrollment: 2,141
- Niche grade: A
#21. Bountiful High School
- District: Davis School District
- Enrollment: 1,336
- Niche grade: A
#20. Highland High School
- District: Salt Lake School District
- Enrollment: 1,806
- Niche grade: A
#19. Lone Peak High School
- District: Alpine School District
- Enrollment: 2,461
- Niche grade: A
#18. No. Ut. Academy of Math Engineering & Science Ogden
- District: Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering & Science (Nuames)
- Enrollment: 450
- Niche grade: A
#17. Viewmont High School
- District: Davis School District
- Enrollment: 1,380
- Niche grade: A
#16. Timpanogos High School
- District: Alpine School District
- Enrollment: 1,355
- Niche grade: A
#15. Davis High School
- District: Davis School District
- Enrollment: 2,028
- Niche grade: A
#14. Timpview High School
- District: Provo City School District
- Enrollment: 2,321
- Niche grade: A
#13. UT SUCCESS Academy
- District: Success Academy
- Enrollment: 303
- Niche grade: A
#12. InTech Collegiate Academy
- District: North Logan
- Enrollment: 199 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#11. Park City High School
- District: Park City School District
- Enrollment: 1,227
- Niche grade: A
#10. Corner Canyon High School
- District: Canyons School District
- Enrollment: 2,239
- Niche grade: A
#9. SUU SUCCESS Academy
- District: Success Academy
- Enrollment: 200
- Niche grade: A
#8. West High School
- District: Salt Lake School District
- Enrollment: 2,729
- Niche grade: A
#7. Academy for Math, Engineering & Science (AMES)
- City: Salt Lake City
- Enrollment: 464 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#6. Itineris Early College High School
- District: West Jordan
- Enrollment: 394 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#5. Skyline High School
- District: Granite School District
- Enrollment: 2,104
- Niche grade: A+
#4. Beehive Science & Technology Academy
- District: Sandy
- Enrollment: 312
- Niche grade: A+
#3. Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS)
- District: Orem
- Enrollment: 556 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. No. Ut. Academy for Math Engineering & Science
- District: Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering & Science (Nuames)
- Enrollment: 740
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy
- District: Lindon
- Enrollment: 607
- Niche grade: A+
