Top 30 Public High Schools in North Dakota

In a commencement address at Wellesley College in ‘96, filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron emphasized the significance of education as a preparation for leading one’s own life. High school, therefore, serves as a crucial dress rehearsal for students to explore interests, engage in extracurricular activities, select classes, and gear up for college or the workforce. Public education plays a pivotal role in this journey, with a significant number of students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2021, as reported by the National Center for Education Statistics. Notably, about a third of these students were in high school, spread across public secondary schools nationwide.

For many families, gaining admission to the top public high schools holds paramount importance. Some parents go to great lengths, even relocating to access better school districts. Amidst the multitude of schools, a select few shine brightly due to their academic excellence, outstanding track records, and the promising future they offer their students.

Here is a curated list of the 30 best public high schools in North Dakota based on the 2023 rankings from Niche, which considers seven weighted factors for its assessments. While academics form a significant part of the evaluation, other aspects such as culture and diversity, sports, clubs and activities, resources, and feedback from parents, teachers, and students also contribute to the rankings. School districts are provided where available; otherwise, the city is mentioned.

30. Central Valley High School

Location: Central Valley School District No. 3, ND
Enrollment: 89 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

29. Maple Valley High School

Location: Maple Valley School District No. 4, ND
Enrollment: 94 students (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

28. Hatton Eielson High School

Location: Hatton Eielson Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 78 students (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

27. South High School

Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 889 students (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

26. Northern Cass High School

Location: Northern Cass School District No. 97, ND
Enrollment: 200 students (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

25. Glen Ullin High School

Location: Glen Ullin School District No. 48, ND
Enrollment: 46 students (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

24. West Fargo Sheyenne High School

Location: West Fargo Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 1,563 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

23. Scranton High School

Location: Scranton School District No. 33, ND
Enrollment: 55 students (6:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

22. Rugby High School

Location: Rugby School District No. 5, ND
Enrollment: 300 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

21. Valley City High School

Location: Valley City School District No. 2, ND
Enrollment: 366 students (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

20. Barnes County North Public School

Location: Barnes County North School District, ND
Enrollment: 77 students (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

19. Mt. Pleasant High School

Location: Mt. Pleasant School District No. 4, ND
Enrollment: 104 students (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

18. Magic City Campus High School

Location: Minot School District No. 1, ND
Enrollment: 924 students (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

17. Velva High School

Location: Velva School District No. 1, ND
Enrollment: 215 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

16. Hazen High School

Location: Hazen School District No. 3, ND
Enrollment: 181 students (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

15. Hillsboro High School

Location: Hillsboro Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 238 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

14. MLS High School

Location: Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood School District No. 1, ND
Enrollment: 138 students (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B

13. Thompson High School

Location: Thompson Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 265 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

12. Wyndmere High School

Location: Wyndmere Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 97 students (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

11. Cavalier High School

Location: Cavalier School District No. 6, ND
Enrollment: 188 students (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

10. Finley-Sharon High School

Location: Finley-Sharon School District No. 19, ND
Enrollment: 41 students (5:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

9. Des Lacs-Burlington High School

Location: United School District No. 7, ND
Enrollment: 300 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

8. Central High School

Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 1,138 students (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

7. Linton High School

Location: Linton School District No. 36, ND
Enrollment: 79 students (9:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

6. New Rockford-Sheyenne High School

Location: New Rockford-Sheyenne School District No. 2, ND
Enrollment: 144 students (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: B+

5. Fargo Davies High School

Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 1,337 students (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: A-

4. Kindred High School

Location: Kindred Public School District, ND
Enrollment: 361 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: A-

3. Red River High School

Location: Grand Forks Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 1,054 students (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: A-

2. North High School

Location: Fargo Public Schools, ND
Enrollment: 1,046 students (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: A-

1. Century High School

Location: Bismarck School District No. 1, ND
Enrollment: 1,332 students (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
Niche Grade: A-

This article was originally published on Stacker and has been republished under a CC by NC 4.0 License.