2024 Best High Schools in District of Columbia

What High School Paths Does the District of Columbia Provide?

The District of Columbia has 75 high schools, the majority of which are public, 42 to be exact, leaving just 26 private schools in the state. Although the average state has about 486 high schools (the District has 85% fewer), per capita it actually has 1% more than the typical state, ranking it #24 in the nation. This can mean that there are diverse education paths in many parts of the state, particularly in and around larger cities. As a whole, the state's average school rating is a B– which is right in line with the national average.

In total, 56% of the District of Columbia's high schools are public and they have an average rating of C. Of those 42 schools, the majority are traditional public schools (14). Unfortunately, only 7% of those traditional public schools sit above the national average, so this is actually quite a bit lower than the usual state.

Diving deeper into public high school alternatives, there are also 22 charter schools, which may seem like a small number, but it actually ranks the District in the 1st spot for most charter schools per capita vs the average state. In total, 41% of those charter schools exceed the national average in quality. Also, of the 6 magnet high schools, 5 earned above average marks.

Shifting now to private high schools, there are 26 in total to choose from (roughly 35% of all schools). Again, although the figure may seem relatively small, the District of Columbia actually has 47% more private school options than the average state per capita, so despite a smaller state population there are still numerous private school options. With a median rating of A+, approximately 42% of the District of Columbia's private schools are rated above the national average. About 35% of private high schools in the District are religiously affiliated, led primarily by Christian schools which total 5. The state ranks 39th for most religious schools per capita, so it actually falls a bit below average in terms of how much religious influence there is in its school options. There are also 4 all-boys schools in the District, which is an impressive 263% (or 3.63 times) more than the typical state (after normalizing for population size). There's also 3 all-girls options in the state, which is 398% (or 4.98 times) more than the typical state.

The District of Columbia is one of the few states with no online high schools, so if you're looking for a virtual education you may have to look outside the state. This ranks the District tied for last (along with a handful of other states).