PA's Best High Schools Ranked In New Analysis

Several Pennsylvania schools are among the best high schools in the country, according to a ranking released Monday by Niche.

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 Pennsylvania are:

1. Conestoga (Tredyffrin-Easttown)
2. Julia R. Masterman (Philadelphia)
3. Radnor Senior High School (Radnor)
4. Downingtown STEM Academy (Downingtown)
5. North Allegheny High School (North Allegheny)
6. Harriton Senior High School (Lower Merion)
7. Lower Merion High School (Lower Merion)
8. Mt. Lebanon Senior High School (Mt. Lebanon)
9. Fox Chapel Area High School (Fox Chapel)
10. New Hope Solebury High School (New Hope Solebury)
11. State College Area High School (State College)
12. Central Bucks High School East (Central Bucks)
13. Upper St. Clair High School (Upper St. Clair)
14. Strath Haven High School (Wallingford)
15. Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School (Colonial)
16. Central High School (Philadelphia)
17. Unionville High School (Unionville-Chadds Ford)
18. Hershey High School (Derry)
19. Central Bucks High School South (Central Bucks)
20. Wissahickon Senior High School (Wissahickon)
21. South Fayette Township High School (South Fayette)
22. Garnet Valley High School (Garnet Valley)
23. Haverford Senior High School (Haverford)
24. Science Leadership Academy (Philadelphia)
25. Great Valley High School (Great Valley)

For the full list, see here.

The best private high schools are:

1. The Hill School
2. Mercersburg Academy
3. Moravian Academy
4. The Baldwin School
5. The Episcopal Academy
6. Friends' Central School
7. The Agnes Irwin School
8. George School
9. The Haverford School
10. The Shipley School
11. Friends Select School
12. Shady Side Academy
13. William Penn Charter School
14. The Kiski School
15. Linden Hall School for Girls
16. Sewickley Academy
17. Germantown Friends School
18. Abington Friends School
19. Winchester Thurston School
20. Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School
21. Germantown Academy
22. Grier School
23. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
24. Lancaster Country Day School
25. Church Farm School

For the full list, see here.

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 offer clearer comparisons, 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.