The 40 Top-Rated Public High Schools in Philadelphia and the Suburbs
Masterman, one of the top-rated public high schools in Philadelphia. Photograph by Michael Stokes/Flickr
Many factors should go into choosing a school for your child. Here are the top performers in the city and suburbs when it comes to standardized tests, graduation rates, and other statistical measures.
City Schools
Listed alphabetically
Academy at Palumbo
Bella Vista
Student enrollment: 1,061
Graduation percentage: 95%
College percentage: 86%
Student-teacher ratio: 36:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 507/512
Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush
Northeast Philly
Student enrollment: 647
Graduation percentage: 99%
College percentage: 89%
Student-teacher ratio: 24:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 494/529
Carver (Engineering & Science)
North Philly
Student enrollment: 911
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 31:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 538/548
Central
North Philly
Student enrollment: 2,412
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 74%
Student-teacher ratio: 25:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 623/617
Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA)
South Philly
Student enrollment: 736
Graduation percentage: 91%
College percentage: 81%
Student-teacher ratio: 26:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 468/517
Franklin Towne (charter)
Northeast Philly
Student enrollment: 1,192
Graduation percentage: 99%
College percentage: 78%
Student-teacher ratio: 19:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 492/496
Girard Academic Music Program (GAMP)
South Philly
Student enrollment: 259
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 86%
Student-teacher ratio: 22:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 521/556
Girls High
North Philly
Student enrollment: 766
Graduation percentage: 95%
College percentage: 86%
Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 477/492
MaST Community (charter)
Northeast Philly
Student enrollment: 461
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 85%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 513/524
Masterman
Spring Garden
Student enrollment: 461
Graduation percentage: 100%
College percentage: 98%
Student-teacher ratio: 22:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 715/688
New Foundations (charter)
Northeast Philly
Student enrollment: 813
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 94%
Student-teacher ratio: 18:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 489/506
Parkway Center City
Center City
Student enrollment: 490
Graduation percentage: 94%
College percentage: 85%
Student-teacher ratio: 32:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 462/474
Philadelphia Academy (charter)
Northeast Philly
Student enrollment: 464
Graduation percentage: 92%
College percentage: 78%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 482/496
Philadelphia Performing Arts (charter)
Center City
Student enrollment: 687
Graduation percentage: 99%
College percentage: 97%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 454/487
Science Leadership Academy
Spring Garden
Student enrollment: 499
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 65%
Student-teacher ratio: 28:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 550/549
Suburban Schools
Listed alphabetically
Central Bucks East, one of the best public schools in the area. Photograph by Jonathan Goldberg/KCBA Architects
Central Bucks East
Bucks
Student enrollment: 1,517
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 94%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 609/602
Cherry Hill East
Camden
Student enrollment: 2,185
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 91%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 612/633
Cinnaminson
Burlington
Student enrollment: 799
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 78%
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 570/565
Conestoga
Chester
Student enrollment: 2,243
Graduation percentage: 93%
College percentage: 97%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 629/643
Council Rock North
Bucks
Student enrollment: 1,605
Graduation percentage: 96%
College percentage: 90%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 605/599
Downingtown East
Chester
Student enrollment: 1,720
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 90%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 583/587
Downingtown STEM Academy
Chester
Student enrollment: 825
Graduation percentage: 100%
College percentage: 100%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 689/670
Garnet Valley
Delaware
Student enrollment: 1,569
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 91%
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 600/590
Great Valley
Chester
Student enrollment: 1,337
Graduation percentage: 96%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 610/604
Haddonfield
Camden
Student enrollment: 868
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 95%
Student-teacher ratio: 10:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 624/627
Harriton
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 1,240
Graduation percentage: 96%
College percentage: 94%
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 628/630
Haverford
Delaware
Student enrollment: 1,886
Graduation percentage: 96%
College percentage: 88%
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 596/584
Lower Merion
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 1,532
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 622/624
Lower Moreland
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 770
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 96%
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 605/589
Methacton
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 1,524
Graduation percentage: 94%
College percentage: 90%
Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 622/604
Moorestown
Burlington
Student enrollment: 1,279
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 88%
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 610/617
New Hope-Solebury
Bucks
Student enrollment: 487
Graduation percentage: 93%
College percentage: 96%
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 608/597
Radnor
Delaware
Student enrollment: 1,196
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 91%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 667/639
Shawnee
Burlington
Student enrollment: 1,596
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 91%
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 587/583
Strath Haven
Delaware
Student enrollment: 1,194
Graduation percentage: 94%
College percentage: 90%
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 613/614
Unionville
Chester
Student enrollment: 1,324
Graduation percentage: 97%
College percentage: 96%
Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 625/627
Upper Dublin
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 1,291
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 602/606
West Chester Bayard Rustin
Chester
Student enrollment: 1,296
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 607/594
West Chester Henderson
Chester
Student enrollment: 1,333
Graduation percentage: 98%
College percentage: 92%
Student-teacher ratio: 15:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 586/590
Wissahickon
Montgomery
Student enrollment: 1,465
Graduation percentage: 95%
College percentage: 93%
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
SAT scores (verbal/math): 614/595
*These schools performed best in our separate rankings of Philadelphia district and charter schools (81 total) and suburban public schools in the Greater Philadelphia region (127 total). For our calculations, we used the latest publicly available data from the Pennsylvania and New Jersey departments of education and the National Center for Education Statistics; numbers above have been rounded to the nearest whole. For a full explanation of our methodology, see phillymag.com/schools2020.
Published as “The High Schools With the Best Numbers” in the September 2020 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
