Manchester’s Spark Academy Makes Top 10 Best New Hampshire High Schools List In New Analysis

Two New Hampshire public high schools were ranked among the top 1,000 schools in the United States, according to a ranking Niche released Monday.

For its 2027 Best Schools and Districts in America rankings, Niche analyzed 93,000 public schools, 30,000 private schools and 11,000 school districts nationwide.

The best public high schools in New Hampshire are:

1. Hanover High School in Hanover
2. Academy for Science & Design High School in Nashua
3. Coe-Brown Northwood Academy
4. Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth
5. Bedford High School in Bedford
6. Hollis-Brookline High School
7. Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies Charter School in Manchester
8. Windham High School in Windham
9. Souhegan Cooperative High School
10. Lebanon High School in Lebanon
11. Moultonborough Academy High School in Moultonborough
12. Nashua South High School
13. Profile Senior High School in Bethlehem
14. Exeter High School in Exeter
15. Londonderry Senior High School in Londonderry
16. Goffstown High School in Goffstown
17. Sunapee Senior High School in Sunapee
18. Newmarket Senior High School in Newmarket
19. Hopkinton High School in Hopkinton
20. Virtual Learning Academy Charter School
21. Lisbon Regional High School in Lisbon
22. Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem
23. Salem High School in Salem
24. Dover Senior High School in Dover
25. Bow High School in Bow

Winnacunnet High School in Hampton ranked 27th in the state and Nashua North High School ranked 28th.

Concord High School in Concord, Merrimack High School in Merrimack, Great Bay Charter School in Exeter, Manchester Central High School, The Founders Academy in Manchester, Milford High School in Milford, Manchester West High School, Manchester Memorial High School, Merrimack Valley High School in Penacook, Manchester School of Technology, CSI Charter School in Penacook, and New Hampshire Career Academy Chartered Public School were all unranked.

Hanover High School was ranked between 351st and 375th in the nation, while the Academy for Science & Design High School was between 701st and 725th.

The best private high schools are:

1. Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter
2. St. Paul's School in Concord
3. Kimball Union Academy in Meriden
4. Holderness School in Holderness
5. Dublin School in Dublin
6. New Hampton School in New Hampton
7. 2nd Nature Academy in Nashua
8. Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro
9. The Derryfield School in Manchester
10. Proctor Academy in Andover

Phillips Exeter Academy was ranked third for private schools in the nation.

Niche’s rankings combine federal and state data, school statistics, and over 3 million reviews from students, parents, and teachers to evaluate schools beyond test scores.

This year's updates feature methodology improvements and new standalone rankings for public and private schools. To make comparisons clearer, Niche separated public and private lists for Best Schools for the Arts, Most Diverse Schools, Best College Prep Schools, and Best Teachers. Two rankings also received purpose-built methodologies for the first time. Best Boarding High Schools and Best Private Online High Schools both now include factors specific to their school type.

“Families deserve a complete view of their options, whether they’re evaluating schools in their area or exploring what’s available elsewhere,"” Luke Skurman, founder and CEO of Niche, said in a news release. “This year’s rankings give families more ways to find the right fit, with updates designed to help them find schools where their children will thrive.”

Niche also provides rankings by state, metro area, STEM and arts programs, K-8 schools, and more, giving families the flexibility to compare schools based on what matters most to them.

Editor's note: This post was scripted by another Patch staffer, not New Hampshire's editor, for publication on New Hampshire sites.