The Best Public High School in New Hampshire Might Surprise You

A site called niche.com counted down the top 10 high schools in the Granite state. Is the high school in your district on the list? Could it be #1? Let's find out, shall we?

The ranking is based on a rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Factors analyzed include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, teacher quality, and high school ratings. SAT/ACT scores have been removed from this year's rankings to reflect a general de-emphasis on test scores in the college admissions process. This is good to know because no every kid is a good test taker!

#10 - Profile School, Bethlehem, New Hampshire

According to Niche.com, Profile Senior High School has 146 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 8 to 1. According to state test scores, 45% of students are at least proficient in math and 75% in reading. WOW! That is a tiny school. We had three times that amount of students in my grade alone.

#9 - Souhegan Cooperative High School, Amherst, New Hampshire

Souhegan has 698 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1. According to state test scores, 42% of students are at least proficient in math and 67% in reading.

#8 - Windham High School, Windham, New Hampshire

In a recent review Windam High School was described as "a great school with opportunities around every corner. The school not only has great athletic programs/teams, but has great extracurriculars as a whole with many clubs for students to pick from. On top of this the academics are great, with lots of options in both AP and honors classes."

#7 - Lebanon High School, Lebanon, New Hampshire

Another relatively small school with 598 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 12 to 1. Many reviews highlight their emphasis and value of the arts.

#6 - Coe Brown Northwood Academy, Northwood, New Hampshire

Former students and parents have nothing but great things to say about this school especially their band department  Many reviews mention the band director how dedicated and inspiring they are to their students at all levels. Being in the band offers great training while teaching teamwork and discipline.

#5 - Portsmouth High School, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is one of the highest sought out cities to live in in the state and the fact that it has an excellent school system is no coincidence. PHS graduates boast Clipper pride and have reported they felt overwhelming prepared for the course work and level of college thanks to their time at PHS.

#4 - Hollis-Brookline High School, Hollis New Hampshire

A recent review described the culture at Hollis-Brookline as having such an importance placed on the well-being of the student body. Their is also a pretty strong anti-drug culture at Hollis-Brookline. Very rarely do you see kids hitting vapes in the bathrooms or skipping class. Everyone is for the most part focused on bettering themselves academically.

#3 - Bedford High School, Bedford New Hampshire

Many reviews mention the fact that Beford offers the IB Diploma program and curriculum and how much it prepares students for college and values creativity and real understanding.

#2 - Academy for Science and Design High School, Nashua New Hampshire

This school always ranks very high in the U.S. News & World Report as well. This school seems like a fantastic place to get an education as they are continuously improving and offering more to their students. It is a great school especially if your main focus is either community, STEM fields, or college readiness. However,  have read sports/athletics and clubs are limited.

#1 Hanover High School, Hanover New Hampshire

This school gives students rigorous learning opportunities and provides students with a safe environment I have also read that people are accepting and open-minded from an LGBTQIA+ perspective. Meetings with supportive counselors helps students immensely through the college search and application process.

There you have it! Did your child's school make the list? Are you surprised by any of the top 10 picks? I'd love to know your thoughts! Feel free to shoot me a message.