Best public high schools in Washington, D.C.
Best public high schools in Washington, D.C.
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 Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.
#30. H.D. Woodson High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 434 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#29. Maya Angelou Public Charter School - Evans Campus
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 178 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#28. Dunbar Senior High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 666 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#27. Seed Public Charter School of Washington Dc
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 221 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#26. Friendship Collegiate Academy
- District: Friendship Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 522 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#25. Eastern Senior High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 735 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#24. Roosevelt Senior High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 752 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#23. Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism & Media Arts Public Charter School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 299 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C-
#22. Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 383 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C
#21. Coolidge High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 561 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C
#20. Phelps High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 276 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C
#19. IDEA Public Charter School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 316 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C
#18. Bard High School Early College Dc
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 265 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C
#17. Cardozo Education Center
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 621 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C+
#16. Paul Public Charter School
- District: Paul Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 383 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: C+
#15. Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 367 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
#14. Washington Leadership Academy Public Charter School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 409 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
#13. KIPP DC - College Prep Public Charter School
- District: KIPP DC Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 881 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
#12. Capital City Public Charter School
- District: Capital City Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 352 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
#11. Friendship Public Charter School Technology Preparatory Academy High School
- District: Friendship Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 344 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B-
#10. E.L. Haynes Public Charter School - High
- District: E.L. Haynes Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 454 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#9. Duke Ellington School of the Arts
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 591 (118:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#8. Columbia Heights Education Campus
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,477 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#7. McKinley Technology High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 696 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: B
#6. Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 549 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#5. District of Columbia International School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 1,442 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#4. Jackson-Reed High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,951 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#3. BASIS Washington, D.C. Public Charter School
- District: Washington
- Enrollment: 663 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. Washington Latin Public Charter School - High School
- District: Washington Latin Public Charter Schools
- Enrollment: 353 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. The School Without Walls High School
- District: District of Columbia Public Schools
- Enrollment: 600 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
