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: 49.5 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 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 had the same name. In most of these instances, the wrong data was displayed in the ranking. Stacker sincerely apologizes for the errors.
#30. Curtis Senior High School
- District: University Place School District
- Enrollment: 1,381 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#29. Vashon Island High School
- District: Vashon Island School District
- Enrollment: 519 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#28. Pullman High School
- District: Pullman Public Schools
- Enrollment: 807 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#27. Shorecrest High School
- District: Shoreline School District
- Enrollment: 1,495 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#26. Bellevue Big Picture School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 384 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#25. Olympia High School
- District: Olympia School District
- Enrollment: 1,873 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#24. Sehome High School
- District: Bellingham School District
- Enrollment: 1,183 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#23. Inglemoor High School
- District: Northshore School District
- Enrollment: 1,616 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#22. Lake Washington High School
- District: Lake Washington School District
- Enrollment: 1,898 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#21. Kamiak High School
- District: Mukilteo School District
- Enrollment: 2,153 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#20. Ingraham High School
- District: Seattle Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,483 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#19. Sammamish Senior High School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 1,246 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A
#18. Liberty Senior High School
- District: Issaquah School District
- Enrollment: 1,509 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#17. Roosevelt High School
- District: Seattle Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,709 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#16. Bainbridge High School
- District: Bainbridge Island School District
- Enrollment: 1,308 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#15. Garfield High School
- District: Seattle Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,729 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#14. Woodinville High School
- District: Northshore School District
- Enrollment: 1,708 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#13. Skyline High School
- District: Issaquah School District
- Enrollment: 2,202 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#12. Issaquah High School
- District: Issaquah School District
- Enrollment: 2,504 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#11. Eastlake High School
- District: Lake Washington School District
- Enrollment: 2,233 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#10. Mercer Island High School
- District: Mercer Island School District
- Enrollment: 1,551 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#9. Redmond High School
- District: Lake Washington School District
- Enrollment: 2,146 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#8. North Creek High School
- District: Northshore School District
- Enrollment: 1,763 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#7. Raisbeck Aviation High School
- District: Highline School District
- Enrollment: 410 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#6. Bellevue High School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 1,526 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#5. Newport Senior High School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 1,766 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#4. International School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 590 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#3. Interlake Senior High School
- District: Bellevue School District
- Enrollment: 1,654 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#2. International Community School
- District: Lake Washington School District
- Enrollment: 412 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
#1. Tesla STEM High School
- District: Lake Washington School District
- Enrollment: 606 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
