Best public high schools in Kentucky

Published 3:08 pm Monday, April 1, 2024

Best public high schools in Kentucky

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.

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 Kentucky 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. Oldham County High School

– Location: Oldham County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,639 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade B+

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

Achira22 // Shutterstock

#29. Conner High School

– Location: Boone County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,451 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade B+

A student talking to a teacher in the hallway.

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#28. Frankfort High School

– Location: Frankfort Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 311 (13:1 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. Eastern High School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 2,037 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

Students walking down a hallway with their backs facing the camera.

Mircea Moira // Shutterstock

#26. West Jessamine High School

– Location: Jessamine County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,267 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

A high school student doing a chemical experiment.

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#25. Pikeville High School

– Location: Pikeville Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 535 (14:1 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. McCracken County High School

– Location: McCracken County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,989 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

A student raising their hand in class.

Jacob Lund // Shutterstock

#23. Steam Academy

– Location: Fayette County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 387 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

An empty school hallway lined with red lockers.

ImageFlow // Shutterstock

#22. Greenwood High School

– Location: Warren County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,335 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

A student solving a math equation on a whiteboard.

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#21. Elizabethtown High School

– Location: Elizabethtown Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 781 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

A row of empty desks with notebooks and pencils on them.

Tyler Olson // Shutterstock

#20. Frederick Douglass High School

– Location: Fayette County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,575 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

A hallway lined with green lockers.

SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

#19. South Warren High School

– Location: Warren County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,476 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

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

sirtravelalot // Shutterstock

#18. Boyle County High School

– Location: Boyle County Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 854 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

An empty classroom as viewed from the back.

maroke // Shutterstock

#17. South Oldham High School

– Location: Oldham County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,312 (21:1 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. Atherton High School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY•
– Enrollment: 1,464 (19:1 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. Randall K. Cooper High School

– Location: Boone County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,406 (18:1 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. Bowling Green High School

– Location: Bowling Green Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,230 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A-

Students using microscopes in science class.

Ground Picture // Shutterstock

#13. Glasgow High School

– Location: Glasgow Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 568 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

High school students studying and reading together in their school library.

Joyseulay // Shutterstock

#12. Ballard High School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,981 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Students raising their hands for class participation.

LStockStudio // Shutterstock

#11. Louisville Male High School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,980 (20:1 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. Larry A. Ryle High School

– Location: Boone County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 2,022 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Two students sharing a book.

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#9. Highlands High School

– Location: Fort Thomas Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 995 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

A high school student doing classwork on their laptop.

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#8. Murray High School

– Location: Murray Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 472 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

A teacher writing an equation on a blackboard using chalk.

Roman Kosolapov // Shutterstock

#7. North Oldham High School

– Location: Oldham County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,039 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Students' backpacks sitting on a hallway floor.

LBeddoe // Shutterstock

#6. Henry Clay High School

– Location: Fayette County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 2,058 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Bookshelves at a high school's library.

Canva

#5. Beechwood High School

– Location: Beechwood Independent Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 753 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

A stack of spiral noteboooks in front of a wooden background.

DenisProduction.com // Shutterstock

#4. Paul Laurence Dunbar High School

– Location: Fayette County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 2,054 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Two rows of red lockers.

Canva

#3. J. Graham Brown School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 736 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

Empty desks in a high school classroom.

Anna Jurkovska // Shutterstock

#2. Lafayette High School

– Location: Fayette County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 2,419 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: Grade A

A closeup of a student taking notes in class.

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#1. DuPont Manual High School

– Location: Jefferson County Public Schools, KY
– Enrollment: 1,910 (18:1 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.