2023 Best Magnet Schools in the Hartford Area

• East Hartford School District, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  153 reviews

Senior: The Connecticut IB Academy is an excellent school with dedicated teachers in an interesting circumstance. With only 200ish students, the school climate is very family like: everyone knows everyone. Some people love it, others do not. I for one like it, it makes me feel very comfortable. In being such a small school, the teachers are very involved with student activity and know their students very well. Sports are played through the public high school quite literally next door (we are attached by a bridge). The teams there are very competitive. This year the boys varsity soccer team is 9-0-1 so far and are #1 in the state (I am one of the captains). In spite of going to different schools, the athletes are very accepting. Additionally, seeing different faces at sports is a nice change up from seeing the same people everyday at school. Overall, there is a very strong academic and extracurricular focus (IB coursework is very demanding) that I find very rewarding.... Read 153 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 182

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  107 reviews

Senior: Teachers work hard to help you and they are very willing to provide extra support outside of class. Many opportunities for extracurricular and service events. School supplies are usually available and there are mental health and college guidance resources available. Overall, good school! My problems lie more with the district heads and their guidelines and restrictions.... Read 107 reviews

• grade A

• Students 776

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• West Hartford School District, CT•

• PK, K-5

• grade A

• Students 323

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  138 reviews

Alum: Teachers and faculty support students to do their best and challenge them to prepare them for future success. They give students who are determined the skills they need to go to college and be a well rounded person. The small school allows for a close community to support one another. For those who are gifted these students are able to take college courses at the University of Hartford which is a short walk up the sidewalk onto the university campus. There high school students are able to take one or two college courses to really experience and prepare themselves for college. The majority of students who graduate from UHSSE apply, are accepted, and go to college; especially 4 year programs.... Read 138 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 431

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• West Hartford School District, CT•

• PK, K-5

• grade B+

• Students 516

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• grade B+

• Students 483

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  94 reviews

Junior: The teachers were incredible. They show how much they care about their students by going above and beyond for them. Each teacher had their own effective way of teaching their students, that gave them the chance to learn what they needed. They were also there for the students emotionally by giving them the support or advice they needed. The school offered interesting classes that exposed the students to things they may have never known they'd like, such as, musical theater, digital photography, robotics, etc. The diversity in the school is also amazing and eye-opening. I truly wish there were a few more after school activities offered, however, I understand that the after school transportation was always a problem with CREC. Overall, the school is worth it!... Read 94 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 777

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  126 reviews

Junior: What I like about SMSA is the involvement that teachers and administrators have with the students. Along with the employees like the lunch ladies, Janitors and security guards. They all connect well with the students and make a safe and progressive environment. What I would like to see be changed in SMSA is the increase in safety measures for students. I would also like to see the students treat the teachers with respect.... Read 126 reviews

• grade B

• Students 606

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  98 reviews

Junior: Hartford Magnet Trinity College is one of the best high schools to get college readiness experience and get connected with a variety of opportunities. There are sports for everyone to enjoy, such as soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, and golf, baseball, and tennis in the spring. There are also clubs pertaining to all interests such as GSA, Girls Club, and Black Student Union. To bring positive change to this school, humanities classes can be provided such as cooking, life skills, etc.... Read 98 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,026

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Senior: CREC has helped me over the last 7 years I have been at their schools. No matter what happened, the teachers were always there for me and cared about my academic growth. Any time I had an issue with bullying, in a week the kids were talked to and parents were notified. The food was not that great, it tasted cheap but that's what most school lunches are like, unfortunately. For anyone looking to find an accepting school district, I highly recommend a CREC school.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B

• Students 524

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• grade B

• Students 521

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Learn, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.97 out of 5  91 reviews

Junior: In all, this school offers a lot of great opportunities for college and the classes are flexible enough for you to figure out what you want to do study in the future. The school is very inclusive for people of all kinds, (religion, race, gender, etc) and nobody is left out. They offer the idea that if there's not a club for you, they will add one that suits your needs. This school offers many resume building opportunities like volunteering, honors societies, student councils, and so much more.... Read 91 reviews

• grade B

• Students 533

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: It the best school I ever had my children in. The teachers are excellent, the homework is straight forward. During the holidays the help out the families in need.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B

• Students 522

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  114 reviews

Senior: Pathways isn't just a regular high school. Its focused on mainly technology and design classes, like video game design, photography, 3-D printing, etc. It's a great school that intrigues their students into STEM fields. There are paid internships that are offered at pathways also but being apart of the pathways community isn't just about good grades and STEM careers, it's also about meeting tons of different people around from neighboring towns, and friends turn into family there. Plus the staff is great.... Read 114 reviews

• grade B

• Students 425

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.58 out of 5  164 reviews

Senior: A liberal arts school that offers a rigorous curriculum made to prepare students for success. Classical students can participate in a number of of sports such as basketball, soccer, tennis, and baseball. Graphic Arts, Video Production, Computer Science, Web Design, Coding, and Robotics are among the courses offered to students. The students at Classical graduate and attend four-year universities such as Princeton, Smith, Yale, and UConn. They have an 88% 4-year college attendance rate, (students who attend after being admitted) and a 94% college persistence rate (the alumni graduating college). Students demonstrate good citizenship and interpersonal skills through participating in service learning and demonstrating the school's key values of Dignitas, Gravitas, and Pietas. Students at this school must be able to read and absorb literature, write persuasively, think clearly, communicate effectively, and solve issues. We learn not just for school, but for life.... Read 164 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 451

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  173 reviews

Senior: Academic culture within the Metropolitan Learning Center is quite strong. It is recognizable that the school prides itself on offering its students with challenging yet rewarding education that forces us to push our minds to think beyond its believed capacity. MLC is an International Baccalaureate school, and is the only public school in Connecticut to host both the Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. With this rigor, I constantly feel myself being challenged to work harder every year, and to think creatively. Additionally, MLC is an incredibly diverse school, that hosts many exchange students. This allows students to learn about different cultures across the globe!... Read 173 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 713

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  176 reviews

Senior: I loved my time here! The teachers and administration are very supportive, kind, and very understanding. If you feel overwhelmed, it's super easy to work something out with your teachers and guidance counselor. They offer a lot of artistic opportunities to students to help get their work known and activate their creative spark. Personally, through the artistic activities and assignments, I fell back in love with poetry. Also I feel I should mention lunch is free for everyone! Everyone is allowed to express themselves however they want, and just be who they are. I love it!... Read 176 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 439

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  63 reviews

Sophomore: I enjoy taking courses at Manchester Community College because they have excellent professors who take their time to teach the information. Manchester Community College gives different opportunities for direct conversation with advisors, professors through virtual and in-person meetings. Many schools are great but Manchester Community College is the best in their education system as well as their administration. They just offered two options for Halloween activities one was just for the college students and the other was for both the student, their families. They threw a get together/costume party for the college students while offering a Trunk-or-Treat for families to create or just walk through with the students. Manchester Community College takes pride, effort in celebrating holidays with students, their families. Manchester Community College offers many ways to get support whether its mental health support or tutoring help.... Read 63 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 308

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 342

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Excellent school with integrated focus on language studies (Chinese) and STEM. Amazing and caring staff and administrators. Very diverse community. Many opportunities for exploration.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 465

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hartford School District, CT•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.58 out of 5  60 reviews

Senior: My experience in high school was great, comparing it to middle school I was much more open about being who I am and being able to be who I am. Middle school was sort of not ideal; having to hide the fact I felt dysphoric in my body. Knowing early on you don’t conform to your body and having to deal with that until highs chool really takes a jab at your mental health. But being able to transition from female to male- it felt like I was able to breathe again. I’m so lucky to have a school that didn’t reprimand me for being who I am, rather inspired me to continue on. I only wish I could’ve spent my last year there; being online was a bummer but it was the most logical and safest way to go.... Read 60 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 712

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  17 reviews

Niche User: I love the atmosphere the school offers whether thats talking to the students, faculty, anyone in general. Something I would change is being more connected. I feel as though even if we are all in the same room or talking, there isn't really much of a connecting interaction that I would like to see.... Read 17 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 478

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• East Hartford School District, CT•

• 6-8

• grade C+

• Students 346

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• grade C+

• Students 512

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Capitol Region Education Coun, CT•

• PK, K-5

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: I Absolutely Love This School My Child Has Attended Here For The Last 3 years And I Wouldn't Change If Didn't Have To this will Be her last year there and I absolutely sad but my 3 year old will be attending so I'm still and will be a proud parent of IMS😘... Read 2 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 496

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1