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 Delaware 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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- Location: Milford School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,173 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Christina School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,091 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Delmar School District, DE
- Enrollment: 659 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 704 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Christina School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,173 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
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- Location: Indian River School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,916 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 973 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE•
- Enrollment: 1,589 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B
- Location: Appoquinimink School District, DE
- Enrollment: 600 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
- Location: Brandywine School District, DE
- Enrollment: 969 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
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- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,087 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 595 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 1,988 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
- Location: Capital School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,748 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade B+
- Location: Cape Henlopen School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,713 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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- Location: Brandywine School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,117 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
- Location: Woodside, DE
- Enrollment: 1,196 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
- Location: Caesar Rodney School District, DE
- Enrollment: 2,195 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
- Location: Indian River School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,003 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
- Location: Brandywine School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,008 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
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- Location: Georgetown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,306 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A-
- Location: New Castle County Vocational-Technical School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,130 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
- Location: Middletown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,376 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
- Location: Georgetown, DE
- Enrollment: 1,120 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
- Location: Appoquinimink School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,577 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
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- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,174 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A
- Location: Appoquinimink School District, DE
- Enrollment: 1,586 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
- Location: Red Clay Consolidated School District, DE
- Enrollment: 907 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
- Location: Newark, DE
- Enrollment: 2,458 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+
- Location: Wilmington, DE
- Enrollment: 971 (19:1 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.
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