Indiana’s best public high schools

INDIANAPOLIS (STACKER) — 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 Indiana 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. Castle High School

– Location: Warrick County School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,944 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#29. Center Grove High School

– Location: Center Grove Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 2,754 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#28. Ben Davis University High School

– Location: Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township, IN
– Enrollment: 387 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#27. Chesterton Senior High School

– Location: Duneland School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,999 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#26. Valparaiso High School

– Location: Valparaiso Community Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 2,073 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#25. Bloomington High School North

– Location: Monroe County Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,595 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#24. Homestead Senior High School

– Location: Southwest Allen County Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 2,502 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#23. Carroll High School

– Location: Northwest Allen County Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 2,475 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#22. Lake Central High School

– Location: Lake Central School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 3,212 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#21. Plainfield High School

– Location: Plainfield Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,823 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#20. Avon High School

– Location: Avon Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 3,258 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#19. William Henry Harrison High School

– Location: Tippecanoe School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 2,079 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#18. Batesville High School

– Location: Batesville Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 711 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#17. Penn High School

– Location: Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 3,813 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#16. Crown Point High School

– Location: Crown Point Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 2,942 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#15. Hamilton Southeastern High School

– Location: Hamilton Southeastern School District, IN
– Enrollment: 3,430 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#14. Speedway Senior High School

– Location: School Town of Speedway, IN
– Enrollment: 543 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#13. East Allen University

– Location: East Allen County Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 317 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#12. Brownsburg High School

– Location: Brownsburg Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 3,013 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#11. Fishers High School

– Location: Hamilton Southeastern School District, IN
– Enrollment: 3,611 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#10. Bloomington High School South

– Location: Monroe County Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,660 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#9. Munster High School

– Location: School Town of Munster, IN
– Enrollment: 1,580 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#8. Westfield High School

– Location: Westfield-Washington Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 2,627 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#7. Herron High School

– Location: Indianapolis, IN
– Enrollment: 976 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#6. The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship

– Location: Monroe County Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 91 (7:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#5. Zionsville Community High School

– Location: Zionsville Community Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 2,242 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#4. Carmel High School

– Location: Carmel Clay Schools, IN
– Enrollment: 5,327 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#3. West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School

– Location: West Lafayette Community School Corporation, IN
– Enrollment: 1,100 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#2. Signature School

– Location: Evansville, IN
– Enrollment: 383 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#1. Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Humanities

– Location: Muncie, IN
– Enrollment: 213 (9:1 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.