2023 Best High Schools in the Madison Area

• Waunakee, WI•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  34 reviews

Parent: The MCDS faculty is truly exceptional -- they bring expertise, passion, and a sincere interest in your student to everything they do. My children have received an outstanding education, but they have also developed important life skills including leadership, grit, teamwork, and compassion. We started at MCDS in Pre-K because we wanted our children to love to learn and we wanted them to have subjects like science, art, music, and Spanish that are not offered in local elementary schools. All three of my children, with very different interests, decided to stay through MCDS High School because of the exceptional teachers who believe in them and because of the supportive and inspiring environment. The IB program is excellent and truly fosters critical thinking and a love of learning. MCDS is a treasure of a school!... Read 34 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 451

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.89 out of 5  350 reviews

Senior: Good teachers and classes. The school student body can be very split at times and it isn't uncommon to see people eating alone. Overall, if your taking higher level classes then the teachers will generally be better. The lower level classes will have more rebellious students and worse teachers. The diversity at the school is lacking. It is extremely white populated and the majority are upper middle class. My experience here has been up and down. Being a senior, I can say that each year was drastically different than the rest. Freshmen year was good but sophomore year got cut short and went online. Even when it was online, the school clearly put a lot of effort into making sure that online schooling went well. Junior year was hybrid and even that was okay. Not the best year but the school made it work. Senior year was good and everything felt normal which I applaud the school for being able to do their best at adapting for each year and each challenge. In the end, I'm glad to be gone.... Read 350 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,301

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Madison, WI•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.18 out of 5  79 reviews

Senior: The college counseling resources at Edgewood are SUPERB. I have not felt the need to look outside the resources Edgewood offers throughout the application process. Edgewood is definitely geared to help your child get into college. Still, the administration would not pressure them into it if they had their heart set on another path in life (army, technical college, entering straight into the workforce, etc). However, there is definitely a culture at Edgewood surrounding college admissions. Due to the ambitious nature of most of the students surrounding you, it's easy to feel grades determine your worth as a person.... Read 79 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 560

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Madison Metropolitan School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  321 reviews

Alum: The school was wild for me. This wasn't the case for everyone though. It's not too hard to find yourself in the wrong crowd, but the same goes for the right one. I am one of the only people I knew that didn't smoke weed, though many only used it a couple of times. There were a lot of fights, but kids stopped being fazed by it. I did enjoy my time at this wild place. I learned a lot coming from a suburban privileged background. Maybe too much. It's hard to say.... Read 321 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,164

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Madison Metropolitan School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  302 reviews

Alum: Madison Memorial has many amazing teachers and coaches! The support I received for my 4 years there was amazing, even during the pandemic. My senior year there was difficult, as one Friday in April, we went home as normal, never to return. The teachers prevailed and continued to teach us online, which is not an easy task. My coaches, both football and baseball continued to coach us, not only in our sport, but mentally and physically. They encouraged us to continue to work hard at our grades, and stay physically active right from home, as all the gyms and schools closed. There were teachers that continuously checked in on me to make sure I was finishing the school year on a positive note. We had no graduation ceremony, but one of my middle school teachers came to my home, and stood in my front yard to congratulate me. She did this for each and every student that she taught, which was over 250 students! Overall, my experience at Madison Memorial High School was a rewarding one!... Read 302 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,065

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Verona Area School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  256 reviews

Senior: Verona has a lot of AP classes to choose from which is great. However, they have this motto about "every student must succeed" which unfortunately means that the more advanced students are deemed well off and receive hardly any help to strengthen their education, whereas other students who do not demonstrate an avid interest in strengthening their learning or improving themselves receive lots of attention, almost too much. The coursework in non-AP classes is very easy and there are low expectations. There is a good athletics department, however, the social environment in the school is clique-y in general as well as within several sports.... Read 256 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,658

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Waunakee Community School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.01 out of 5  223 reviews

Senior: At Waunakee High School they focus on their curriculum, and it is taught by teachers who want the best out of each and every student. It is easy to find friends, as we have a many people with all different interests. Our athletics are amazing, and we have over 100 co-curricular options! And they have the best school lunches around!... Read 223 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,376

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Sun Prairie Area School District, WI•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  568 reviews

Senior: Sun Prairie West High School is brand new. I've never attended any school like it. It's almost equivalent to a college campus! However, teachers, custodians and security are short staffed, leaving a good portion of students and school unattended to.... Read 568 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,791

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Monona Grove School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  144 reviews

Senior: I attended the Monona Grove school district. I had a great experience and made many connections with teachers. The athletics are decent, however, I know of multiple sports where people were not so happy with the coaching. The school is great for music and arts in general and offers a great musical each year. There is many AP and honors classes offered for students. In addition, there are many options for clubs and extracurricular activities. The school, however, does lack diversity. Overall decent school, especially when compared to other schools in the area.... Read 144 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,050

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Oregon School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  165 reviews

Senior: I liked that the teachers are all very supportive and caring of each and every student. They made my experience here so great! There are some issues with disrespectful students, but you could find that at any high school. Overall, I've had a really great experience here.... Read 165 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,200

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• McFarland School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  78 reviews

Alum: McFarland is a great high school that prepares you academically for college, as well as having a great tech program and school to work to prepare students that are entering the job force after graduating. The teachers are great and a lot of the classes are at a college level which I have found has made college feel like a breeze. They have very talented sports programs and great facilities. Admin is not so great and pusher a lot of major issues under the table. Diversity is very low, it’s a 90%+ white student population, which led to a lot of racial-biased incidents and micro agressions. The theatre and music program is great. Teachers really care about their students and it’s overall a great public high school.... Read 78 reviews

• grade A

• Students 746

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Mount Horeb Area School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  125 reviews

Sophomore: Absolutely wonderful Art and Music programs! All of the teachers and staff are generally very kind and many go above and beyond to make you feel safe and welcome. It is typically very liberal but seeing as it is a rural town there are a few students who are very outspoken in their hate but there are multiple clubs and committees in place to help create safe spaces and battle hate as well as stigmas! If you want to go to an ivy league college this really isn't the place for you though, with an 4.0 grading scale the best they can get you is a decent out of state. You would never be able to achieve your Cornell dreams. The diversity is almost nonexistent and it's very odd being one of the few kids who isn't predominantly scandinavian or german.... Read 125 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 782

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Belleville School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.34 out of 5  98 reviews

Alum: Belleville High School is an amazing school. I loved my time there and all the friends I made. For being a rural high school of about 300 students, Belleville offer a huge amount of opportunities for it's students. On top of a wide variety of sports and extracurriculars, Belleville offer a number of AP and Dual-credit classes as well. If anyone is looking for a great school for their kids, I can't recommend Belleville School District enough.... Read 98 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 305

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Lake Mills Area School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.42 out of 5  33 reviews

Alum: I've gone to this school district my entire life. Lake Mills High School has several teachers that personally really care about their student's growth. I succeeded very well in my classes and had very good relationships with my teachers on a professional level. Even as the pressure and workload built up towards junior and senior year there were several resources to help me prepare. If I become a parent one day I would feel confident in putting my child through this school district. I feel I have indeed learned things in some of these classes that I apply to the world around me.... Read 33 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 490

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Madison, WI•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.73 out of 5  11 reviews

Alum: I was a 2017 graduate of St. Ambrose Academy. To this day, I look back fondly at the human and educational development I received at this school. Here, I received the critical thinking skills to excel at the University level. I have since noticed that I had an advantage when compared to my peers especially in the liberal arts. St. Ambrose forms and develops the Catholic men and women who will lead the next generation. I am proud to support this school!... Read 11 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 112

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Cambridge School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.51 out of 5  41 reviews

Alum: Teachers are excellent and care about the success of their students no matter the subject. Despite the school size, there are many opportunities for advancement such as AP classes, college dual-credit, and so forth. There are not as many clubs involving visual arts, foreign language, etc. as there are sports but there is potential for teacher "sponsored" student-led clubs to be started.... Read 41 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 264

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Madison Metropolitan School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  185 reviews

Senior: I will say that East High School is such a wonderful school no because of its resources but because of all its ESL teachers, and the others who are opened-mind people. Everyone who belongs there knows that they need to improve on helping seniors when graduation comes, also stop spoiling your students, let their parents do that!... Read 185 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,697

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Madison, WI•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.25 out of 5  16 reviews

Senior: The school is pretty cool! Overall, my peers are all so fun and I have great relationships with my classmates. I also got to build a lot of relationships with the teachers. They help me when I need it and have supported me throughout my search for colleges.... Read 16 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 293

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Wisconsin Heights School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.45 out of 5  49 reviews

Freshman: Wisconsin Heights is a fantastic school. I love the teachers and the programs that they offer. Though I would like to see some things change, for change might help our district grow. First off, I would like our school to go solar so we are more environmental friendly. I know this may be hard because solar panels are high priced for large schools. I would also like to see more diverse lunch options, currently we have one lunch option, this option usually containing meat, gluten, and other substances in which students may not be able to or may not choose to eat. More lunch options would help the students who cannot eat gluten or have certain allergies. Though these are just some of the things that I would change in our school.... Read 49 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 209

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Columbus, WI•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  26 reviews

Alum: I would say that this school is excellent and worthy of five (or maybe more) stars for those who are searching for a good Seventh-day Adventist education. If you're looking for a worldly education and entertainment that excites sensuality, then this is not the school for you. When God is first in a person's life, it changes our desires and interests from complaining and looking for a "good time," to searching for what pleases God.... Read 26 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 72

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Lodi School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  61 reviews

Senior: My experience at Lodi High School has been great! I'm in my senior year and each and every year has been very different in so many ways. The way I most enjoy high school is through sports, whether it is participating or just even watching them. Lodi does very well in sports for our division and it is super fun to be part of it. I play three sports, tennis, basketball, and golf, however, I love to support and watch football, volleyball, and soccer. Lodi has great school spirit, which we like to call "Lodi Pride." On another note, one thing I would like to change at my school is the limited options for elective classes. Every year signing up for my classes, I always struggling with choosing classes that I know I will enjoy. We have some good choices, I just feel we could have options that are more diverse in what they teach.... Read 61 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 450

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Edgerton School District, WI•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  62 reviews

Senior: In general, I love my school and am proud to go there. The teachers at my high school go above and beyond to make sure that students understand their content and get the help they need to succeed. The teachers genuinely care about their students' success, not only academically but personally as well. My teachers are always willing to offer support in any way, and I have formed amazing relationships with them. My high school is also a safe space in most aspects, as I personally feel that I can be myself and express my opinions without feeling threatened. However, my biggest issues with my school is the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the newest wave. Every day more and more students get called out of class not to return, as they have been exposed to someone with the virus. However, no one has even mentioned putting a mask mandate in place or social distancing. This feels as if the school board is politicizing the pandemic and is not putting our health first.... Read 62 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 509

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Lake Mills, WI•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  135 reviews

Alum: Lakeside Lutheran High School is a privately owned, Christian school. It is the place where I spent four of amazing years of my life. The curriculum at Lakeside is as up to date as any other school. Their student population is currently on the rise. The devotion that many of the students give in order to be student athletes is incredible. Recently, they underwent a building project to provide a more comfortable area for midday chapels as well as indoor athletic games and the musical productions. Through generous alumni, parents of students, and supporting congregations, Lakeside is able to remain open and functional; and will continue to do so for years to come. The social aspect of Lakeside is like none other. There is never a time when I was afraid to talk to a peer, a teacher, or the school counselor about any problem that arose. The staff are wonderful people who care as much about each student as a parent does. Rising above challenges, Lakeside IS an incredible school for growth.... Read 135 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 454

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Sun Prairie Area School District, WI•

• 8-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  15 reviews

Freshman: Cardinal Heights is a great school for anyone who values academics and works hard. There are a very wide array of classes to choose from, and, in EVERY ONE the teachers push students to put forth maximum effort. The music department is great and every single one of the music teachers wants to help you in any way possible to master your talent. There is also a large number of extracurricular opportunities that accommodate for everyone. From athletics to a wide option of school clubs, there’s something for everyone at CHUMS.... Read 15 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,251

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Portage Community School District, WI•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  49 reviews

Senior: My experience at Portage High School was purposeful. I'm not one of the students who will go to high school to have the time of my life because I know I have a bright future and will have much more fun in the years to come. While our school does not have a great athletics program, we do offer a lot of clubs and organizations to be a part of. I was a part of HOSA, NHS, German, Key Club, and Youth Alive. The broad range of clubs was amazing. I made some great friends at PHS, had the privilege of being taught by some exceptional teachers, and gained a good education while at PHS. I think that Portage High School is an overall pretty average high school in terms of academics, athletics, culture, etc. but nevertheless, when asked, I would refer students to PHS 100% of the time!... Read 49 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 760

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1