Best public high schools in Alabama

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 Alabama 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. Ariton School

– Location: Dale County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 830 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#29. Northridge High School

– Location: Tuscaloosa City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,116 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#28. Spanish Fort High School

– Location: Baldwin County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,196 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#27. Wicksburg High School

– Location: Houston County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 436 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#26. Cullman High School

– Location: Cullman City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,021 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#25. Plainview School

– Location: Dekalb County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,241 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#24. Pelham High School

– Location: Pelham City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,058 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#23. Enterprise High School

– Location: Enterprise City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 2,119 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#22. Saraland High School

– Location: Saraland City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,090 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#21. Brewbaker Tech Magnet High School

– Location: Montgomery County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 522 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#20. Oak Mt. High School

– Location: Shelby County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,540 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#19. Huntsville High School

– Location: Huntsville City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,819 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#18. Thompson High School

– Location: Alabaster City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 2,175 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#17. Hartselle High School

– Location: Hartselle City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,040 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#16. Sweet Water High School

– Location: Marengo County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 558 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#15. Hewitt-Trussville High School

– Location: Trussville City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,603 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#14. George W. Long High School

– Location: Dale County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 392 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#13. Fairhope High School

– Location: Baldwin County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,627 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#12. Hoover High School

– Location: Hoover City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 2,716 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#11. Auburn High School

– Location: Auburn City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 2,091 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#10. Vestavia Hills High School

– Location: Vestavia Hills City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,561 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#9. Spain Park High School

– Location: Hoover City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,579 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#8. New Century Technology High School

– Location: Huntsville City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 432 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#7. Bob Jones High School

– Location: Madison City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 1,918 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#6. Mt. Brook High School

– Location: Mountain Brook City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 978 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#5. James Clemens High School

– Location: Madison City Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 2,142 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#4. Alabama School of Fine Arts

– Location: Birmingham, AL
– Enrollment: 357 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#3. Alabama School of Cyber Technology and Engineering

– Location: Huntsville, AL
– Enrollment: 337 (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#2. Alabama School of Mathematics and Science

– Location: Mobile, AL
– Enrollment: 258 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#1. Loveless Academic Magnet Program High School

– Location: Montgomery County Schools, AL
– Enrollment: 471 (16:1 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.