Here Are The 50 Best Public High Schools In PA, New Ranking Says

PENNSYLVANIA —A number of Keystone State schools are among the best public high schools in the country, according to a report released this week by Niche.

The 2025 Best Public High Schools in America ranking, released Monday, shows the best traditional public high schools in the nation, including magnet and charter schools.

Niche said its rankings, now in the 10th year, differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance in that it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.

Out of 723 schools on the Niche list, here are Pennsylvania's top 50 public high schools:

1. Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School (Philadelphia)
2. Conestoga Senior High School
3. Radnor Senior High School
4. North Allegheny High School
5. Downington STEM Academy
6. Central High School (Philadelphia)
7. Lower Merion High School
8. Harriton Senior High School
9. New Hope-Solebury High School
10. Mt. Lebanon Senior High School
11. Upper St. Clair High School
12. Fox Chapel Area High School
13. Great Valley High School
14. Wissahickon Senior High School
15. Central Bucks High School - East
16. State College Area High School
17. Strath Haven High School
18. Garnet Valley High School
19. Science Leadership Academy
20. Unionville High School
21. Hershey High School
22. South Fayette Township High School
23. Spring-Ford Senior High School
24. Bayard Rustin High School (West Chester)
25. The Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Arts
26. Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy (Erie)
27. Central Bucks High School - West
28. Downington High School East
29. Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School
30. Lower Moreland High School
31. Council Rock High School - North
32. Henderson High School
33. Upper Dublin High School
34. Upper Merion High School
35. Central Bucks High School - South
36. Parkland High School
37. Peters Township High School
38. Franklin Regional Senior High School
39. Haverford Senior High School
40. Pine-Richland High School
41. North Penn Senior High School
42. Marple Newtown High School
43. Methacton High School
44. Cumberland Valley High School
45. Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School
46. Hampton High School
47. East High School (West Chester)
48. Council Rock High School - South
49. Quaker Valley High School
50. Penncrest High School

The company said its rankings were created to provide families with valuable information — both quantitative and qualitative — on schools in their area or in a neighborhood they’re not familiar with yet. As in previous years, the Best Schools rankings include categories for boarding schools and private schools, including religious schools, among many others.

Check out our report on Niche's top-ranked Pennsylvania school districts here.

Nationally, the top 10 ranked public schools in America are:

1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, Durham, North Carolina (high school for grades 11-12)
2. The Davidson Academy, Reno, Nevada (school for grades 5-12)
3. Massachusetts Academy for Math & Science, Worcester, Massachusetts (magnet school for grades 11-12)
4. Rising Leaders Academy, Panama City, Florida (charter school for grades K-12)
5. Stuyvesant High School, New York City (high school for grades 9-12)
6. Payton College Preparatory High School, Chicago (magnet school for grades 9-12)
7. Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, Oklahoma City (high school or grades 11-12)
8. South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics, Hartsville, South Dakota (high school for grades 11-12)
9. School for the Talented & Gifted, Dallas (magnet school for grades 9-12)
10. Pine View School, Osprey, Florida (magnet school for grades 2-12)