Best public high schools in Connecticut
As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.
It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.4 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.
For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.
Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in Connecticut using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
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#30. Three Rivers Middle College Magnet High School
– Location: Learn, CT
– Enrollment: 80 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#29. South Windsor High School
– Location: South Windsor School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,281 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#28. Masuk High School
– Location: Monroe School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,052 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#27. Newtown High School
– Location: Newtown School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,396 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#26. Trumbull High School
– Location: Trumbull Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 2,139 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
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#25. Joel Barlow High School
– Location: Redding, CT
– Enrollment: 813 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#24. Amity Regional High School
– Location: Amity Regional School District No. 5, CT
– Enrollment: 1,395 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#23. Cheshire High School
– Location: Cheshire Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 1,313 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#22. Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy
– Location: East Hartford School District, CT
– Enrollment: 176 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#21. Fairfield Ludlowe High School
– Location: Fairfield School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,525 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
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#20. East Lyme High School
– Location: East Lyme School District, CT
– Enrollment: 970 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#19. Guilford High School
– Location: Guilford Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 1,089 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#18. Simsbury High School
– Location: Simsbury School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,274 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#17. Hall High School
– Location: West Hartford School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,428 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#16. The Academy of Information Technology & Engineering
– Location: Stamford School District, CT
– Enrollment: 625 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
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#15. Daniel Hand High School
– Location: Madison Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 874 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A
#14. Ridgefield High School
– Location: Ridgefield School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,516 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#13. Fairfield Warde High School
– Location: Fairfield School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,395 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#12. Farmington High School
– Location: Farmington School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,276 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#11. Weston High School
– Location: Weston School District, CT
– Enrollment: 760 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#10. Marine Science Magnet High School of Southeastern Connecticut
– Location: Learn, CT
– Enrollment: 271 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#9. Glastonbury High School
– Location: Glastonbury Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 1,862 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#8. Conard High School
– Location: West Hartford School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,434 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#7. Avon High School
– Location: Avon School District, CT
– Enrollment: 955 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#6. Center for Global Studies
– Location: Norwalk School District, CT
– Enrollment: 278 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
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#5. Darien High School
– Location: Darien School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,422 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#4. Greenwich High School
– Location: Greenwich Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 2,673 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#3. Wilton High School
– Location: Wilton Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 1,219 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#2. Staples High School
– Location: Westport School District, CT
– Enrollment: 1,714 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
#1. New Canaan High School
– Location: New Canaan Public Schools, CT
– Enrollment: 1,286 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+
This story features data reporting and writing by Emma Rubin and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 50 states.
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By Stacker
