These Are The Best Schools In PA, New Analysis Says

PENNSYLVANIA — Data analysis company Niche has released its eighth annual list of the best high schools in the country, and it's also is broken down into which public and private institutions are among Pennsylvania's best.

Pittsburgh-based Niche specializes in analyzing and ranking top schools and communities.

While traditional rankings rely almost exclusively on metrics like test scores and academic performance, Niche’s rankings combine user input — ratings from current students, alumni, and parents — with data from sources like the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities, extracurricular activity opportunities, and more.

The 2022 best schools rankings include 1,829 newly ranked public schools, 125 newly ranked private schools, and 101 newly ranked school districts.

Niche gives each school an overall letter grade based on academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity, college preparation and health and safety. According to Niche, these are the top 1oo public high schools in Pennsylvania for 2021-22:

1. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, Philadelphia City School District.

2. Conestoga Senior High School, Tredyffrin-Easttown School District.

3. Radnor Senior High School, Radnor Township School District.

4. Downingtown STEM Academy, Downingtown Area School District.

5. Harriton Senior High School, Lower Merion School District.

6. Lower Merion High School, Lower Merion School District.

7. North Allegheny High School, North Allegheny School District.

8. Fox Chapel Area High School, Fox Chapel Area School District.

9. Mt. Lebanon Senior High School, Mt. Lebanon School District.

10. Strath Haven High School, Wallingford-Swarthmore School District.

11. Unionville High School, Unionville-Chadds Ford School District.

12. Central Bucks High School - East, Central Bucks School District.

13. Central High School, Philadelphia City School District.

14.. Upper St. Clair High School, Upper St. Clair School District.

15. Hershey High School, Derry Township School District.

16. State College Area High School, State College Area School District.

17. Central Bucks High School - West, Central Bucks School District.

18. Wissahickon Senior High School, Wissahickon School District.

19. Great Valley High School, Great Valley School District.

20. Garnet Valley High School, Garnet Valley School District.

21. Bayard Rustin High School, West Chester Area School District.

22. Central Bucks High School - South, Central Bucks School District.

23. Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, Erie City School District.

24. Upper Dublin High School, School District of Upper Dublin.

25. Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School, Colonial School District.

26. Spring-Ford Senior High School, Spring-Ford Area School District.

27. South Fayette Township High School, South Fayette Township School District.

28. Lower Moreland High School, Lower Moreland Township School District.

29. Quaker Valley High School, Quaker Valley School District.

30. Haverford Senior High School, School District of Haverford Township.

31. Hampton High School, Hampton Township School District.

32. North Penn Senior High School, North Penn School District.

33. Downington High School East, Downington Area School District.

34. Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, Bethlehem

35. Peters Township High School, Peters Township School District.

36. Council Rock High School North, Council Rock School District.

37. Henderson High School, West Chester Area School District.

38. New Hope-Solebury High School, New Hope-Solebury School District.

39. Upper Merion High School, Upper Merion School District.

40. Parkland High School, Parkland School District.

41. Perkioment Valley High School, Perkiomen Valley School District.

42. Franklin Regional Senior High School, Franklin Regional School District.

43. Manheim High School, Manheim Township School District.

44. Penncrest High School, Rose Tree Meida School District.

45. Pine-Richland High School, Pine-Richland School District.

46. Marple Newtown School District, Marple Newtown School District.

47. Springfield High School, Springfield School District.

48. Fairview High School, Fairview School District.

49. Abington Senior High School, Abington School District.

50. Lewisburg High School, Lewisberg Area School District.

51. East High School, West Chester Area School District.

52. Council Rock High School South, Council Rock School District.

53. Kennett High School, Kennett Consolidated School District.

54. Phoenixville Area High School, Phoenixville Area School District.

55. Science Leadership Academy, Philadelphia City School District.

56. Wyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School, Wyomissing Area School District.

57. Owen J. Roberts High School, Owen J. Roberts School District.

58. York Suburban Senior High School, York Suburban School District.

59. Wilson High School, Wilson School District.

60. Cumberland Valley High School, Cumberland Valley School District.

61. Nazareth Area High School, Nazareth Area School District.

62. Souderton Area Senior High School, Souderton Area School District.

63. Moon Senior High School, Moon Area School District.

64. Central Columbia Senior High School, Central Columbia School District.

65. Jenkin Middle-High School, Jenkintown School District.

66. Pennsybury High School, Pennsbury School District.

67, Capital Area School for the Arts Charter School, Harrisburg.

68. Franklin Towne Charter High School, Philadelphia.

69. Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School, Mechanicsburg Area School District.

70. Girard Academic Music Program, Philadelphia City School District.

71. Southern Lehigh Senior High School, Southern Lehigh School District.

72. Central York High School, Central York School District.

73. Leampeter-Strasburg Senior High School, Lampeter-Strasburg School District.

74. Downington High school West, Downington Area School District.

75. Academy at Palumbo, Philadelphia City School District.

76. Wilson Area High School, Wilson Area School District.

77. Methacton High School, Methaction School District.

78. Renaissance Academy Charter School, Phoenixville.

79. City Charter High School, Pittsburgh.

80. Mars Area Senior High School, Mars Area School District.

81. North Hills Senior High School, North Hills School District.

82. Abington Heights High School, Abington Heights School District

83. Camp Hill Senior High School, Camp Hill School District.

84. Susquehannock High School, Southern York County School District.

85. Carver High School, Philadelphia City School District.

86. Hempfield Senior High School, Hempfield School District.

87. Dallastown Area Senior High School, Dallastown Area School District.

88. Springfield Township High School, Springfield Township School District.

89. Penn Manor High School, Penn Manor School District.

90. Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, Midland.

91. Northwestern Lehigh High School, Northwestern Lehigh School District.

92. Cheltenham High School, Cheltenham School District.

93. Avon Grove Charter School, West Grove.

94. Pittsburgh Science & Technology Academy, Pittsburgh Public Schools.

95. Seneca Valley High School, Seneca Valley School District.

96. Emmaus High School, East Penn School District.

97. Avon Grove High School, Avon Grove School District.

98. Danville Area Senior High School, Danville Area School District.

99. Taylor Allderdice High School, Pittsburgh Public Schools.

100. Loyalsock Township Senior High School, Loyalsock Township School District.

See the entire list here.

Here are the state's best private high schools, according to Niche:

1. Germantown Friends School, Philadelphia.

2. Mercersburg Academy, Mercersburg.

3. The Baldwin School, Bryn Mawr.

4. The Episcopal Academy, Newtown Square.

5. The Hill School, Pottstown.

6. Shady Side Academy, Pittsburgh.

7. George School, Newtown.

8. Linden Hall, Lititz.

9. Grier School, Birmingham.

10. The Haverford School, Haverford.

11. Winchester Thurston School, Pittsburgh.

12. Westtown School, West Chester.

13. Sewickley Academy, Sewickley.

14. The Shipley School, Bryn Mawr.

15. Moravian Academy, Bethlehem.

16. Germantown Academy, Fort Washington.

17. Friends' Central School, Wynnewood.

18. The Agnes Irwin School, Rosemont.

19. William Penn Charter School, Philadelphia.

20. Friends Select School, Philadelphia.

21. Abington Friends School, Jenkintown.

22. Wyoming Seminary College Preparatory School, Kingstown.

23. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, Philadelphia.

24. Lancaster County Day School, Lancaster.

25. Malvern Preparatory School, Malvern.

See the entire list here.

Be the first to know what's happening in your community and region. With a free Patch subscription, you'll always be up to date on local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe.