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Best public high schools in Michigan

Stock image. Pixabay (Pexels)

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.

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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 Michigan 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.

A class of high schoolers as viewed from the rear.
Daniel Hoz // Shutterstock

#30. West Bloomfield High School

- Location: West Bloomfield School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,817 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A student filling out a scantron form for a multiple choice test.
Achira22 // Shutterstock

#29. Rochester High School

- Location: Rochester Community School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,712 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#28. Central High School

- Location: Forest Hills Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,136 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A student standing next to their backpack as seen from the knee down.
LightField Studios // Shutterstock

#27. East Grand Rapids High School

- Location: East Grand Rapids Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 925 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.
Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

#26. St. Joseph High School

- Location: St. Joseph Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,034 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A high school student doing a chemical experiment.
LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#25. Grosse Pointe North High School

- Location: Grosse Pointe Public School System, MI
- Enrollment: 1,147 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A high school student sitting at a desk writing on a piece of paper.
panitanphoto // Shutterstock

#24. Stoney Creek High School

- Location: Rochester Community School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,496 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A student raising their hand in class.
Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#23. East Lansing High School

- Location: East Lansing School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,216 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.
ImageFlow // Shutterstock

#22. Saline High School

- Location: Saline Area Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,549 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A

A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#21. Washtenaw Technical Middle College

- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Enrollment: 796 (35:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.
Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#20. Henry Ford Early College

- Location: Dearborn City School District, MI
- Enrollment: 225 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A hallway lined with green lockers.
SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

#19. Athens High School

- Location: Troy School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,575 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A side view of a person using a laptop in the school library.
sirtravelalot // Shutterstock

#18. Northern High School

- Location: Forest Hills Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,153 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

An empty classroom as viewed from the back.
maroke // Shutterstock

#17. Grosse Pointe South High School

- Location: Grosse Pointe Public School System, MI
- Enrollment: 1,305 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A pencil case full of pens, pencils, and highlighters spilling on a table.
Studio KIWI // Shutterstock

#16. Ernest W. Seaholm High School

- Location: Birmingham Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,248 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A group of students walking down the hall with their backs facing the camera.
GagliardiPhotography // Shutterstock

#15. International Academy of Macomb

- Location: Chippewa Valley Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 445 (74:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

An overhead view of high school pupils in group study sitting around circular tables.
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock

#14. Rochester Adams High School

- Location: Rochester Community School District, MI
- Enrollment: 1,522 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Students using microscopes in science class.
Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#13. Bloomfield Hills High School

- Location: Bloomfield Hills Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,715 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

High school students studying and reading together in their school library.
Joyseulay // Shutterstock

#12. Skyline High School

- Location: Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,323 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Students raising their hands for class participation.
LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#11. City Middle/High School

- Location: Grand Rapids Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 907 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A stack of textbooks with pens on top of them next to an open notebook.
Canva

#10. Pioneer High School

- Location: Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,868 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Two students sharing a book.
Canva

#9. Community High School

- Location: Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 518 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.
Canva

#8. Okemos High School

- Location: Okemos Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,433 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.
Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

#7. Wylie E. Groves High School

- Location: Birmingham Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,147 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Students' backpacks sitting on a hallway floor.
LBeddoe // Shutterstock

#6. Northville High School

- Location: Northville Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 2,459 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Bookshelves at a high school's library.
Canva

#5. Huron High School

- Location: Ann Arbor Public Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,621 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.
DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#4. Troy High School

- Location: Troy School District, MI
- Enrollment: 2,098 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Two rows of red lockers.
Canva

#3. Novi High School

- Location: Novi Community School District, MI
- Enrollment: 2,108 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

Empty desks in a high school classroom.
Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

#2. International Academy

- Location: Oakland Schools, MI
- Enrollment: 1,468 (1468:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: Grade A+

A closeup of a student taking notes in class.
Canva

#1. Washtenaw International High School

- Location: Washtenaw Intermediate School District, MI
- Enrollment: 559 (16:1 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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