Despite popular belief, the best high-school education doesn’t always come from a private school. In fact, several of America’s best public high schools offer top-level academics — without the five-figure tuition cost.
Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, recently released its 2016 ranking of the best public high schools in America, from which it also ranked the schools with the best academics— the smartest public schools in America.
Niche ranked the schools’ academics by key factors like graduation rates, performance on SAT/ACT and Advanced Placement tests, and student and parent reviews for 23,861 public high schools across the US. You can read the full methodology here.
Read on for the 50 smartest public high schools in the US.
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50. Monta Vista High School
Wikimedia Commons
Location: Cupertino, California
Average SAT score: 2130
AP test pass rate: 87.2%
“Very hard academics in terms of teacher standards, so that inevitably pushes you to become a better student,” said one alum.
“There is a very huge presence of AP/honors classes, and a huge student-preference towards math and science-type classes,” commented another.
49. Carroll Senior High School
Google Maps
Location: Southlake, Texas
Average SAT score: 1940
AP test pass rate: N/A
“Carroll is academically challenging at first but you get used to the workload,” said one Niche user. “There are a lot of different elective options and its pretty common to get all the classes you want.”
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48. Indian Hill High School
Location: Cincinnati
Average SAT score: 1920
AP test pass rate: 83.2%
Many Indian Hill students complimented the school’s educators. “The teachers are amazing. Our counselors are always available to help us whenever a problem arises: teacher conflicts, schedules, or just general problems,” said a senior.
47. Westwood High School
Google Maps
Location: Austin, Texas
Average SAT score: 1950
AP test pass rate: 85.1%
“Students learn a lot, maybe even more than they need but that doesn’t hurt anyone,” reported a Westwood junior.
A Niche user added: “The academics are extremely competitive. Most students work hard academically. The curriculum is designed to make students work hard.”
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46. San Marino High School
Google Maps
Location: San Marino, California
Average SAT score: 2020
AP test pass rate: 67.4%
At San Marino, “there is high motivation to get good grades and strong emphasis on succeeding in school,” said a Niche user. “The AP classes are very available to those qualified and the district has made many accommodations for AP classes.”
45. Miramonte High School
Google Maps
Location: Orinda, California
Average SAT score: 2030
AP test pass rate: 82.9%
“Miramonte has a reputation for good academics, and really lives up to that reputation,” commented a senior. “The school offers basic classes that anyone can take, but also a lot of APs, honors classes, and electives.”
Read whole list here: http://www.businessinsider.com/smartest-public-high-schools-in-america-2016-3#45-miramonte-high-school-6
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