2024 Best High Schools in Pennsylvania

What High School Paths Does Pennsylvania Provide?

Pennsylvania has 1,306 high schools, which is the most of any state in the nation and a staggering 169% more than the average state per capita. This means that there are numerous education paths in almost all parts of the state, especially 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, 55% of Pennsylvania's high schools are public and they have an average rating of B–. Of those 722 schools, the majority are traditional public schools (582). Approximately 63% of those traditional public schools sit above the national average, so you can rest assured that there's still 365 such schools that are considered better than normal.

Diving deeper into public high school alternatives, there are also 69 charter schools, which not seem like much, but it actually ranks Pennsylvania in the 28th spot for most charter schools per capita vs the average state. In total, 35% of those charter schools exceed the national average in quality. Also, of the 71 magnet high schools, 21 earned above average marks.

Shifting now to private high schools, there are 504 in total to choose from (roughly 39% of all schools). Again, although the figure may seem relatively small, Pennsylvania actually has 47% more private school options than the average state per capita, so despite a larger state population there are still numerous private school options. With a median rating of B+, approximately a third (34%) of Pennsylvania's private schools are rated above the national average. About 65% of private high schools in the state are religiously affiliated, led primarily by Christian schools which total 262. The state ranks 5th for most religious schools per capita, so it actually sits significantly above the average in terms of how much religious influence there is in its school options. There are also 35 all-boys schools in Pennsylvania, which is 64% (or 1.64 times) more than the typical state (after normalizing for population size). There are also 25 all-girls options in the state, which is 115% (or 2.15 times) more than the typical state.

Many of the high schools are also beginning to increase their online offerings, but as of now just 20 are offered online (just 2% of all schools). This actually ranks Pennsylvania in the 26th position in terms of online schools per capita vs. the typical state, so it is right in line with the average.