2024 Best High Schools in Idaho

What High School Paths Does Idaho Provide?

Idaho has 289 high schools, the large majority of which are public, 227 to be exact, leaving just 37 private schools in the state. Although the average state has about 486 high schools (70% more than Idaho), per capita Idaho is actually in-line, having just 26% fewer than the typical state. This typically means there's diverse education paths in many parts of the state, ranging from traditional public schools, to private, to religious and all-boys and all-girls options. As a whole, the state's average school rating is a B– which is right in line with the national average.

In total, 79% of Idaho's high schools are public and they have an average rating of B–. Of those 227 schools, the majority are traditional public schools (195). Approximately 48% of those traditional public schools sit above the national average, so you can rest assured that there's still 93 such schools that are considered better than normal.

Diving deeper into public high school alternatives, there are also 28 charter schools, 68% of which exceed the national average in quality. Also, of the 4 magnet high schools, 2 earned above average marks.

Shifting now to private high schools, there are 37 in total to choose from (roughly 13% of all schools). With a median rating of B+, approximately half of Idaho's private schools are rated above the national average. About 70% of private high schools are religiously affiliated, led primarily by Christian schools which total 24. There are also 5 all-boys and 1 all-girls options.

Many of the high schools are also beginning to increase their online offerings, but as of now just 19 are offered online (just 7% of all schools).

What Are the Best High School Options in Idaho?

Of all the high schools in Idaho, about 47% are considered above national average (136). And if you're looking for more than simply above average, there's 42 high schools that are in the top 25% of the nation. We'll walk through some of the most common places to live in Idaho and what the best school options are in each area.

Some of the most popular cities in Idaho are Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls and Caldwell. The following is a quick dive into Boise, the most populated area in Idaho.

Boise has a total of 27 different high schools, roughly 9% of the state's total. These schools house roughly 18,036 students, which equates to about 668 students per school (about 41% larger than the average high school in the state). That being said, schools in Boise are usually well-staffed and carry a student to faculty ratio of about 14:1 - which is about 7% lower than the average high school in the state. So although schools may be larger on average, the quality of education remains high as teachers scale proportionally with students.

What's the Best Public High School in the Boise Area?

The top-ranked public high school in the city is Boise Senior High School, which enrolls about 1,421 students. It's the 4th highest ranked high school overall in the state, and claims the title as the highest ranked public school. Also of note, it ranks nationally the 4th percentile. Although the school is about triple the size of the state average, it's only about double the size of the national average. The school is staffed well, but does have roughly 30% larger student to faculty ratio than the average school, coming in at 17 students per teacher.

What's the Best Private High School in the Boise Area?

If you're in Boise and looking for a private option, look no further than Riverstone International School. The school offers much more intimate experience with just 416 total students and likewise 40% smaller class sizes than the state average (boasting just a 9:1 student to teacher ratio).

What's the Best Magnet High School in the Boise Area?

A very strong magnet school choice in the same area would be Treasure Valley Math & Science. Although tiny by comparison with just 17 students, the education quality is paramount and students nearly outnumber teachers as the school posts a whopping 2:1 student to teacher ratio.

What's the Best Charter High School in the Boise Area?

Sage International Charter School is another outstanding option. Although larger in size with 1062 students it still manages a 16:1 student to faculty ratio, which is right in-line with the state's median.

What's the Best Religious High School in the Boise Area?

Lastly, the top-ranked religious-affiliated school is Bishop Kelly High School. As a Catholic school, it serves grades 9-12 and has a similar amount of students (946) to Sage International. The school has approximately 15:1 student to teacher proportion, which is just a bit more (+15%) than the national average. As the number one rated religious school in the state, it also ranks in the top 16% of religious schools nationwide.