![Child's shoes with a backpack leaning against their legs.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/sar_screen_maximum_large/s3/Untitleddesign160LLP_2_0.png)
Best public high schools in West Virginia
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 West Virginia 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.
![A class of high schoolers as viewed from the rear.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign19ISF9_2.png)
#30. Tyler Consolidated High School
- Enrollment: 367 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A student filling out a scantron form for a multiple choice test.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign1833CA_1.png)
#29. Buffalo High School
- Enrollment: 358 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign17QOMA.png)
#28. Martinsburg High School
- Enrollment: 1,491 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A student standing next to their backpack as seen from the knee down.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign160LLP_2.png)
#27. Moorefield High School
- Enrollment: 497 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign1546PL_1.png)
#26. Parkersburg High School
- Enrollment: 1,719 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A high school student doing a chemical experiment.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign14XZVA_1.png)
#25. Robert C. Byrd High School
- Enrollment: 754 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A high school student sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign137C68_0.png)
#24. Shady Spring High School
- Enrollment: 814 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A student raising their hand in class.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign110B0F_0.png)
#23. Jefferson High School
- Enrollment: 1,449 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign96WHE_1.png)
#22. Herbert Hoover High School
- Enrollment: 776 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign109PNX.png)
#21. Hedgesville High School
- Enrollment: 1,347 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign8PR6M_0.png)
#20. Saint Albans High School
- Enrollment: 977 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A hallway lined with green lockers.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign7EZMX_1.png)
#19. East Hardy High School
- Enrollment: 204 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![A side view of a person using a laptop in the school library.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign6JDIF_4.png)
#18. Frankfort High School
- Enrollment: 478 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B-
![An empty classroom as viewed from the back.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign5F8SI_1.png)
#17. Cabell Midland High School
- Enrollment: 1,800 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![A pencil case full of pens, pencils, and highlighters spilling on a table.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign4VGTI.png)
#16. Woodrow Wilson High School
- Enrollment: 1,324 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![A group of students walking down the hall with their backs facing the camera.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign3SV7K_1.png)
#15. Princeton Senior High School
- Enrollment: 965 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![An overhead view of high school pupils in group study sitting around circular tables.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign2SP8N_0.png)
#14. Musselman High School
- Enrollment: 1,713 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![Students using microscopes in science class.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign1PPJ6_2.png)
#13. Parkersburg South High School
- Enrollment: 1,518 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![High school students studying and reading together in their school library.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign21LGDX_3.png)
#12. Huntington High School
- Enrollment: 1,714 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![Students raising their hands for class participation.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign20HMD2_1.png)
#11. Washington High School
- Enrollment: 1,344 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![A stack of textbooks with pens on top of them next to an open notebook.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign19L83Q_0.png)
#10. Fairmont Senior High School
- Enrollment: 809 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
![Two students sharing a book.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign11AGKF_0.png)
#9. Williamstown Middle/High School
- Enrollment: 681 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
![A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign10UD8N_0.png)
#8. Spring Mills High School
- Enrollment: 1,414 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
![A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign808MI_0.png)
#7. Hurricane High School
- Enrollment: 1,332 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
![Students' backpacks sitting on a hallway floor.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign7ATEF_0.png)
#6. Wheeling Park High School
- Enrollment: 1,550 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
![Bookshelves at a high school's library.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign5LOUO_1.png)
#5. George Washington High School
- Enrollment: 1,192 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
![A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign4PHJ0_0.png)
#4. Winfield High School
- Enrollment: 762 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
![Two rows of red lockers.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign3M30J.png)
#3. Bridgeport High School
- Enrollment: 851 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
![Empty desks in a high school classroom.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign2M7GM_0.png)
#2. University High School
- Enrollment: 1,340 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
![A closeup of a student taking notes in class.](https://static.stacker.com/s3fs-public/styles/slide_desktop/s3/Untitleddesign1PPGO_1.png)
#1. Morgantown High School
- Enrollment: 1,858 (19:1 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.