PA’s Top 100 Public High Schools Ranked By U.S. News

PENNSYLVANIA —Hundreds of public high schools in Pennsylvania were ranked among the 2023-24 Best High Schools, released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

Families can use the annual rankings to compare schools at the national, state and local levels on factors such as academic performance, graduation rates and college readiness, according to a news release. U.S. News reviewed 25,000 schools and ranked 17,680 of them.

There was some movement among the top 10 schools, and The Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Pennsylvania dropped from its No. 10 spot to No. 33. Even though this shift seems significant, U.S. News said " there were only slight changes to these schools' overall scores."

The top 30 schools in the Keystone State also cracked the top 1,000 nationally. In total, 750 Pennsylvania high schools were on the U.S. News list.

Here are the top 100 public high schools in Pennsylvania (the first number represents the state ranking; the second in parentheses is the national ranking):

1. (No. 33 nationally) Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, Philadelphia
2. (No. 61 nationally) Downington STEM Academy, Downington
3. (No. 238 nationally) Central High School, Philadelphia
4. (No. 275 nationally) Radnor Township School District, Radnor
5. (No. 279 nationally) Conestoga High School, Berwyn
6. (No. 307 nationally) Unionville High School, Kennett Square
7. (No. 312 nationally) Peters Township High School, Mcmurray
8. (No. 341 nationally) Lower Merion High School, Ardmore
9. (No. 432 nationally) New Hope-Solebury High School, New Hope
10. (No. 455 nationally) Great Valley High School, Malvern
11. (No. 470 nationally) Harriton High School, Rosemont
12. (No. 517 nationally) Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12, Pittsburgh
13. (No. 551 nationally) Academy at Palumbo, Philadelphia
14. (No. 572 nationally) Central Bucks High School-East, Doylestown
15. (No. 622 nationally) Mt. Lebanon High School, Pittsburgh
16. (No. 641 nationally) Renaissance Academy Charter School, Phoenixville
17. (No. 642 nationally) Upper Saint Clair High School, Pittsburgh
18. (No. 664 nationally) Haverford High School, Havertown
19. (No. 679 nationally) Hampton High School, Allison Park
20. (No. 743 nationally) Hershey High School, Hershey
21. (No. 752 nationally) Erie City School District, Erie
22. (No. 762 nationally) Fox Chapel Area High School, Pittsburgh
23. (No. 765 nationally) Lower Moreland High School, Huntingdon Valley
24. (No. 792 nationally) Wissahickon High School, Ambler
25. (No. 798 nationally) Spring-Ford Senior High School, Royersford
26. (No. 863 nationally) Pine-Richland High School, Gibsonia
27. (No. 962 nationally) Franklin Regional Senior High School, Murrysville
28. (No. 973 nationally) West Chester East High School, West Chester
29. (No. 995 nationally) Carver High School, Philadelphia
30. (No. 999 nationally) Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, Pittsburgh)
31. (No. 1,0003 nationally) Upper Dublin High School, Fort Washington
32. (No. 1,032 nationally) Strath Haven High School, Wallingford
33. (No. 1,155 nationally) York Suburban Senior High School, York
34. (No. 1,164 nationally) Abington Heights High School, Clarks Summit
35. (No. 1,167 nationally) Quaker Valley High School, Leetsdale
36. (No. 1,181 nationally) Council Rock High School North, Newtown
37. (No. 1,183 nationally) Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School, Plymouth Meeting
38. (No. 1,195 nationally) Mars Area High School, Mars
39. (No. 1,214 nationally) North Allegheny High School, Wexford
40. (No. 1,216 nationally) Lehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School, Bethlehem
41. (No. 1,232 nationally) West Chester Bayard Rustin High School, West Chester
42. (No. 1,239 nationally) Lewisburg High School, Lewisburg
43. (No. 1,243 nationally) State College Area High School, State College
44. (No. 1,307 nationally) Springfield High School, Springfield
45. (No. 1,317 nationally) Perkiomen Valley High School, Collegeville
46. (No. 1,341 nationally) Central Bucks High School-South, Warrington
47. (No. 1,356 nationally) Central Columbia Senior High School
48. (No. 1,373 nationally) Central Bucks High School-West, Doylestown
49. (No. 1,392 nationally) Methacton High School, Eagleville
50. (No. 1,412 nationally) Wilson High School, West Lawn
51. (No. 1,420 nationally) Downington High School East Campus, Exton
52. (No. 1,462 nationally) Camp Hill Senior High School, Camp Hill
53. (No. 1,479 nationally) South Fayette Township High School, Mcdonald
54. (No. 1,500 nationally) Abington High School, Abington
55. (No. 1,532 nationally) Penncrest High School, Media
56. (No. 1,572 nationally) Upper Merion High School, King of Prussia
57. (No. 1,575 nationally) Fairview High School, Fairview
58. (No. 1,601 nationally) Manheim Twp. High School, Lancaster
59. (No. 1,624 nationally) Palmyra Area Senior High School, Palmyra
60. (No. 1,642 nationally) Girard Academic Music Program, Philadelphia
61. (No. 1,676 nationally) Moon High School, Moon Township
62. (No. 1,682 nationally) Council Rock High School South, Holland
63. (No. 1,685 nationally) Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School, Wyomissing
64. (No. 1,718 nationally) Susquehannock High School, Glen Rock
65. (No. 1,721 nationally) West Chester Henderson High School
66. (No. 1,794 nationally) Kennett High School, Kennett Square
67. (No. 1,802 nationally) Loyalsock Township Senior High School, Williamsport
68. (No. 1,814 nationally) Avon Grove High School, West Grove
69. (No. 1,837 nationally) Thomas Jefferson High School, Jefferson Hills
70. (No. 1,182 nationally) Southern Lehigh Senior High School, Center Valley
71. (No. 1,893 nationally) Penn Manor High School, Millersville
72. (No. 1,911 nationally) Saucon Valley Senior High School, Hellertown
73. (No. 1,930 nationally) Garnet Valley High School, Glen Mills
74. (No. 1,970 nationally) Penn Trafford High School, Harrison City
75. (No. 2,006 nationally) West Allegheny Senior High School, Imperial
76. (No. 2,028 nationally) North Penn High School, Lansdale
77. (No. 2,031 nationally) Phoenixville Area High School, Phoenixcille
78. (No. 2,079 nationally) Lampeter-Strasburg High School, Lampeter
79. (No. 2,101 nationally) Souderton Area High School, Souderton
80. (No. 2,116 nationally) Nazareth Area High School, Nazareth
81. (No. 2,125 nationally) Bradford Area High School, Bradford
82. (No. 2,133 nationally) Pittsburgh Allderdice High School
83. (No. 2,176 nationally) Owen J. Roberts High School, Pottstown
84. (No. 2,313 nationally) Downington High School West Campus, Downington
85. (No. 2,318 nationally) Cumberland Valley High School, Mechanicsburg
86. (No. 2,320 nationally) Danville Area High School, Danville
87. (No. 2,375 nationally) Girls High School, Philadelphia
88. (No. 2,377 nationally) Boyertown Area Senior High School, Boyertown
89. (No. 2,395 nationally) Creative and Performing Arts, Philadelphia
90. (No. 2,417 nationally) Indiana Area Senior High School, Indiana
91. (No. 2,420 nationally) Lehigh Valley Charter School, Bethlehem
92. (No. 2,449 nationally) Parkland High School, Allentown
93. (No. 2,479 nationally) Hempfield Senior High School, Landisville
94. (No. 2,512 nationally) Delaware Valley High School, Milford
95. (No. 2,513 nationally) Pennsbury High School, Fairless Hills
96. (No. 2,524 nationally) Wilson Area High School, Easton
97. (No. 2,545 nationally) Dallastown Area Senior High School, Dallastown
98. (No. 2,546 nationally) Collegium Charter School, Exton
99. (No. 2,574 nationally) Johnsonburg Area High School, Johnsonburg
100. (No. 2,579 nationally) Palisades High School, Kintnersville

In general, the highest-ranked schools had students who performed well on state assessment for math, reading and science, U.S. News said. They also performed strongly in meeting the needs of underserved students, including those who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households. The schools had a breadth of curriculum offerings and high graduation rates, and their students performed well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

U.S. News said eleven of the top 20 ranked schools were charter or magnet schools.

In national rankings, the top five schools are, respectively: The Early College at Guilford, Greensboro, North Carolina; Signature School at Evansville, Indiana; The School for Advanced Studies in Miami; The Davidson Academy of Nevada at Reno; and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology at Alexandria, Virginia.