Best High Schools in Philadelphia for 2024

As students become increasingly immersed in our dynamic world, the high school years can be a critical proving ground for life preparation. And if you're a parent looking for homes for sale in Philadelphia, you may want to explore area high schools even before your children enter middle school. Finding the best high school for your student can feel overwhelming, especially within a major metropolis such as Philadelphia. It’s the nation's sixth most populous city according to 2024 U.S. Census Bureau statistics.Among Philadelphia's 218 district schools, 82 charter schools, and 31 alternative schools, there are 111 that high schoolers attend. Getting an excellent education for your student is much easier if you’re in a good school. Our school search allows you to search by grade level, school type (public, private or charter), and school rating (Niche and GreatSchools).

According to the nonprofit GreatPhillySchools, Philadelphia's public schools include charter citywide, charter independent, cyber, district citywide, district neighborhood or district special admit designations. Private schools are designated independent or Catholic.If the school zoned for your home address is not the best fit, students can apply for up to five other independent schools by common application through the school selection process. Most of the School District of Philadelphia's nearly 40 citywide special admissions and charter schools require admission by application and lottery. However, in late 2023, the district announced that changes are on the horizon regarding how students will be selected for special-admissions schools to improve the system's equity.

Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, some eighth graders who meet specific criteria can skip the lottery system at select schools, including Julia R. Masterman, Girard Academic Music Program and others. Admissions preference for students in specific ZIP codes is still part of the process at schools such as Carver Engineering and Science, and Central High School. Many private schools and some charter schools have their own independent admissions process and deadlines.

Both Niche and GreatSchools gather data from multiple sources to help evaluate and compare factors that may be important to you. Niche gathers millions of student, parent and teacher reviews and surveys, as well as data from the Department of Education, the U.S. Census and the FBI.We've gathered a selection of the best public high schools in Philadelphia that all earn an A+ on Niche and a GreatSchools rating of 9 or higher. We've also included details on the Philadelphia neighborhoods where these exceptional schools reside.         [caption id="attachment_334640" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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• Neighborhood: Logan 
• School District: Philadelphia City School District
• Niche Grade: A+ 
• GreatSchools Rating: 9

This special-admissions school, situated between Widener Memorial School and the private La Salle University, is the nation's oldest continuously operating public high school. As of 2024, Central High School is led by an alumnus who is the first African American and first woman president of Central High. Many Central alumni currently offer internships, and the school is known for award-winning sports, music, science, robotics and arts programs. Coursework can include AP classes and dual enrollment with LaSalle and Temple universities. Admission requires As and Bs and 95% attendance.Central occupies a lush 5-acre campus within Philadelphia's Logan neighborhood. The community has a college-town feel and an abundant stock of original and renovated row houses. Public transit options offer easy access to Center City. The median townhouse price is $145,000 and the median single-family price is around $200,000.[caption id="attachment_334641" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

Bill Marrs/CoStar[/caption]

• Neighborhood: Bryn Mawr 
• School District: Lower Merion School District
• Niche Grade: A+
• GreatSchools Rating: 9

A National Blue Ribbon School, Harriton Senior High offers AP coursework and exams, IB programs and dual enrollment with the University of the Sciences. It's ranked #6 best college prep public high school in the state by Niche and students enjoy an 11-to-1 student-teacher ratio.Harriton is in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood, which originated in the 1880s as a railroad resort town. Today, Bryn Mawr holds many original buildings repurposed for modern living. Its suburban layout includes custom estates, contemporary builds, multiple green spaces and a vibrant downtown. At its heart is the women's Bryn Mawr College, alma mater of Katherine Hepburn. The private, all-girls Baldwin School (given an A+ on Niche) also calls Bryn Mawr home. The median townhouse price is $1.2 million and the median price for single-family homes is $1.4 million.[caption id="attachment_334642" align="alignnone" width="1160"] Vincent Cannizzaro/CoStar[/caption]

• Neighborhood: Spring Garden
• School District: Philadelphia City School District
• Niche Grade: A+ 
• GreatSchools Rating: 9

In 2024, Niche named Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School the Philadelphia area's #1 high school. Masterman is one of several schools now granting admission on eligibility without requiring a lottery as part of the application process. This public middle-high magnet school boasts a 100% graduation rate and a nearly 90% college matriculation rate. Students living anywhere in the city may apply, and admittance is based on standardized testing scores, attendance and grades. It offers a great high school experience, with a rich selection of extracurricular activities that include debate, chess and robotics clubs and standout theater and music programs.Masterman is in the Spring Garden neighborhood, where three-story Italianate townhouses blend with contemporary builds featuring rooftop terraces with city views. Residents can walk to a popular dog park, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and coffeehouses in renovated historic buildings. Retail essentials are easy-access and the community gets a 90 out of 100 from Walk Score, giving it a pedestrian-friendly charm near Philly's Center City.[caption id="attachment_334643" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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• Neighborhood: Wynnewood
• School District: Lower Merion School District
• Niche Grade: A+
• GreatSchools Rating: 9

At Lower Merion High School, students can participate in AP coursework and a gifted program. Extracurricular activities include an award-winning music program and more than two dozen sports teams, including a championship boys basketball team. Students enjoy a 13-to-1 student-teacher ratio, and in 2019, LMHS earned a "No Place for Hate" designation from the Anti-Defamation League for its commitment to inclusivity. School registration is in-person and based on designated choice zones.LMHS is in the well-treed and quaint Wynnewood neighborhood, established in the late 1600s. Locals enjoy scenic creeks and nicely equipped parks while living on the Philadelphia Main Line, which offers convenient SEPTA train transit into downtown. Many homes have colonial flair and the median single-family home price is $870,000.[caption id="attachment_334644" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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• Neighborhood: Plymouth Meeting
• School District: Colonial School District
• Niche Grade: A+
• GreatSchools Rating: 9

Students at Plymouth-Whitemarsh Senior High School can participate in dozens of AP courses, multiple dual enrollment courses and computer programming coursework that earned a College Board AP Computer Science Female Diversity Award in 2019. The Plymouth-Whitemarsh athletics program has landed championship wins in swimming, wrestling, golf, basketball and cheerleading.The school is within the Plymouth Meeting neighborhood, which offers abundant parks, the Plymouth Meeting Mall, LEGOLAND and Green Valley Country Club. Locals are close to big-name grocers, community center amenities, a popular Maple Acres Farm Market and historic Villanova University. Midcentury modern colonials and split-level homes prevail at a median price of $500,000.

While public schools in Philadelphia are free, the outstanding private schools on our list are all tuition-based. All earn an A+ grade from Niche.[caption id="attachment_334645" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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Neighborhood: Logan Square |Niche Grade: A+ Friends Select is a private, K-12 Quaker School offering notable upper school programs and expeditions focusing on social justice, historic museums and government. Students participate in internships, and the school is known for its robust athletics and arts programs. Upper school tuition is around $49,000, and more than 30% of the school's families receive financial aid. In 2023, FSS opened its new four-story STEAM building with a digital design lab, art studios and three science labs. In 2024, FSS earned the #3 position on two Niche's lists: best Christian high schools in Pennsylvania and most diverse private high schools in Philadelphia.The school sits at the center of the Logan Square neighborhood along the Schuylkill River near downtown. The campus is a block from the city's iconic Love Park near Philadelphia City Hall and within a mile of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Cafes, taverns and big-box stores are all walkable and light rail and bus transit bring the rest of Philadelphia close. High-rise condos and historic brownstones are part of Logan Square's cosmopolitan fabric, where the median townhouse price is $739,000.[caption id="attachment_334646" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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Neighborhood: Germantown |Niche Grade: A+Germantown Friends School is a private, Quaker school ranked by Niche in 2024 as the #1 best private high school in the Philadelphia Area. Also in 2024, GFS launched plans to build a new All-School Commons and Center for the Arts, focusing on adaptive reuse and energy efficiency. The school is a recognized leader in positive climate action and sustainability efforts through its Active Hope program. Students compete in more than a dozen sports and enjoy more than 70 upper school clubs and affinity groups. Tuition for ninth through 12th graders in 2024 is $46,750, and more than a third of the school's families receive financial aid.Located near LaSalle University and the 1,800-acre Wissahickon Valley Park in the Germantown neighborhood, GFS is walking distance from shopping and dining along historic Germantown Avenue, lined with former trolley tracks. Homes exude period-style originality, and the median townhouse price is 208,000. The median price for a single-family home is 337,500.[caption id="attachment_334647" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

Chris Pirone/CoStar[/caption]

Neighborhood: North Philadelphia West |Niche Grade: A+ St. Joseph's Preparatory School ranks #1 on Niche's list of best high schools for athletes in Pennsylvania, and its football program has won eight PIAA state championships. This urban all-boys Catholic school run by Jesuits has a centuries-long history of producing well-prepared leaders. In addition to its powerhouse athletics, the school's many clubs include broadcasting, filmmaking, jazz band and Mathletes. Applicants must pass the Prep Entrance Exam and have mostly As. Tuition is around $28,000 in 2024.The school is within the North Philadelphia West neighborhood. This area is home to notable jazz musicians and civil rights activists, and brimming with rows of brownstones and vibrant murals. Retail, dining and recreation options abound, including the Martin Luther King Recreation Center and Fairmount Park's Boxers' Trail, where Muhammad Ali took on Joe Frazier. The median price for a townhouse is $179,000, while $366,000 is the median price for a single-family home.[caption id="attachment_334648" align="alignnone" width="1160"]

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Neighborhood: East Falls |Niche Grade: A+ William Penn Charter School is a prekindergarten through 12th grade Quaker Friends school specializing in helping students achieve four domains: courageous learners, compassionate friends, constructive communicators and change cultivators. Students can participate in eight varsity sports and more than 40 clubs, as well as school-wide community service events. Tuition is $41,975 in 2024, and 40% of families receive financial aid.WPCS is adjacent to the Thomas Jefferson University campus in Philadelphia's East Falls neighborhood, known for its riverfront restaurants, markets and parks. In this forested suburb, twin and rowhomes mix with single-family Tudor-revival and Colonial single-family homes. Trendy pubs, pizzerias and an artisan farmers market add to East Falls' eclectic vibe. The median price for a townhouse is $315,000, and the median price for a single-family home is around $480,000.

While the schools in our list all receive high overall Niche grades, and GreatSchools ratings where available, it's also wise to focus on data that concerns you most. Niche not only gives an overall grade but also specific grades for academics, college prep, clubs and activities, diversity, sports and teachers. For example, if you're most interested in the quality of the teaching staff and curriculum, search for Niche grades earned in both the teachers and the academics categories. Other factors found on Niche include private school tuition, average graduation rate and student-teacher ratio.Even more critical sometimes than a school's statistics is whether the school's culture feels like a good fit. You can check this by touring the school campus. You may want to confirm smaller class sizes, newer facilities or walkability to school. And if, for example, you'd like to see why St. Joseph's Preparatory School gets an A+ for sports, you could meet the coaches or tour the sports amenities. School counselors can give you a sense of how invested a high school is in college admissions.