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.
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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: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 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.
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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 Florida using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, 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. Winter Park High School
- District: Orange County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 3,367 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#29. Design & Architecture Senior High School
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 504 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#28. Ponte Vedra High School
- District: St. Johns County School District
- Enrollment: 1,914 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#27. Archimedean Upper Conservatory (AUC)
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 320 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#26. Boca Raton Community High School
- District: Palm Beach County School District
- Enrollment: 3,098 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#25. MastatFiu
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 443 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#24. Terra Environmental Research Institute
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,737 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#23. Pompano Beach High School
- District: Broward County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,213 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#22. Edgewood Junior/Senior High School
- District: Brevard Public Schools
- Enrollment: 937 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#21. McFatter Technical College High School
- District: Broward County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 603 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#20. NeoCity Academy
- District: Osceola County School District
- Enrollment: 460 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#19. iPrep Academy
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 899 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#18. New World School of the Arts
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 485 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#17. Florida State University School
- City: Tallahassee
- Enrollment: 1,830 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#16. St. Petersburg Collegiate High School
- District: Pinellas County Schools
- Enrollment: 234 (47:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#15. Coral Reef Senior High School
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 3,467 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#14. Mast Academy
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,562 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#13. West Shore Junior/Senior High School
- District: Brevard Public Schools
- Enrollment: 967 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#12. The College Academy at Broward College
- District: Broward County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 451 (27:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#11. School for Advanced Studies - North
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 126 (42:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#10. Cypress Bay High School
- District: Broward County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 4,659 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#9. Orlando Science Middle/High Charter School
- District: Orange County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,219 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#8. School for Advanced Studies - South
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 251 (31:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#7. School for Advanced Studies - Homestead
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 138 (35:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#6. Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr. School of the Arts
- District: Palm Beach County School District
- Enrollment: 1,363 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#5. Suncoast Community High School
- District: Palm Beach County School District
- Enrollment: 1,594 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#4. School for Advanced Studies - Wolfson
- District: Miami-Dade County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 129 (32:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#3. Stanton College Preparatory
- District: Duval County Public Schools
- Enrollment: 1,539 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#2. A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High School
- District: Boca Raton
- Enrollment: 1,273 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+
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#1. Pine View School
- District: Sarasota County Schools
- Enrollment: 1,818 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+