These are the 30 Best Public High Schools in Louisiana for College Prep

Best public high schools in Louisiana

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 Louisiana 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. Sterlington High School

– Location: Ouachita Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 501 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#29. Erath High School

– Location: Vermilion Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 537 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#28. Slaughter Community Charter School

– Location: East Feliciana Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 353 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#27. South Terrebonne High School

– Location: Terrebonne Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 926 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#26. Acadiana Renaissance Charter Academy

– Location: Youngsville, LA
– Enrollment: 1,656 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#25. Thomas Jefferson High School for Advanced Studies

– Location: Jefferson Parish Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 551 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#24. Airline High School

– Location: Bossier Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 1,846 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#23. Louisiana School for the Agricultural Sciences

– Location: Avoyelles Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 394 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#22. Destrehan High School

– Location: St. Charles Parish Public Schools, LA•
– Enrollment: 1,382 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#21. St. Amant High School

– Location: Ascension Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 2,274 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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#20. D’Arbonne Woods Charter School

– Location: Farmerville, LA
– Enrollment: 973 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#19. Simsboro High School

– Location: Lincoln Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 544 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

#18. C.E. Byrd High School

– Location: Caddo Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 1,483 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#17. University Laboratory School

– Location: Baton Rouge, LA
– Enrollment: 1,499 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#16. Delhi Charter School

– Location: Delhi, LA
– Enrollment: 788 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#15. Dutchtown High School

– Location: Ascension Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 2,531 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#14. Early College Academy

– Location: Lafayette Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 263 (33:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#13. Alexandria Senior High School

– Location: Rapides Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 1,353 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#12. Delta Charter School MST

– Location: Ferriday, LA
– Enrollment: 464 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#11. Avoyelles Public Charter School

– Location: Mansura, LA
– Enrollment: 705 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

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#10. Zachary High School

– Location: Zachary Community Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 1,640 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#9. Ruston High School

– Location: Lincoln Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 1,271 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#8. Many High School

– Location: Sabine Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 363 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#7. New Orleans Center for Creative Arts

– Location: New Orleans, LA
– Enrollment: 238 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

#6. The Willow School New Orleans

– Location: New Orleans, LA
– Enrollment: 1,917 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

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#5. Caddo Parish Magnet High School

– Location: Caddo Parish Public Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 978 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

#4. Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy

– Location: Jefferson Parish Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 818 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

#3. Haynes Academy School for Advanced Studies

– Location: Jefferson Parish Schools, LA
– Enrollment: 860 (28:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

#2. Louisiana School for Math, Science & The Arts

– Location: Natchitoches, LA
– Enrollment: 316 (8:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A+

#1. Benjamin Franklin High School

– Location: New Orleans, LA
– Enrollment: 1,008 (17:1 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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By Stacker