2024 Best Magnet Schools in the Portland Area

• Beaverton School District, OR•

• 6-12

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  Rating 3.65 out of 5  158 reviews

Freshman: I honestly didn’t know how to feel about ISB, but the people here have changed my mind! This school doesn’t seem like much, but we do have a bunch of awards calling us “The Best High School in Oregon.” It is a small school, so people get to know the teachers way more than at other bigger high schools. Overall this tight knit community is really welcoming, and it’s just amazing to see how your connections with teachers and the help you receive from them really push you to do your best and achieve greater things.... Read 158 reviews

• grade A

• Students 857

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Beaverton School District, OR•

• 6-12

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  Rating 3.87 out of 5  104 reviews

Senior: I'm in the medical pathway, and I have to say, it's amazing! Most of my teachers know what they are talking about and are able to walk us through any problems we might have. There are a few that don't, but I wouldn't say it's any more than a typical high school. In terms of college preparedness, I would say it is doing a great job! All the skills we are learning is definitely preparing us for college, and helping us know important concepts and ideas that can be applied in the future. I would appreciate more communication from the administration on things we are doing, since there are some things that happen that we didn't hear about in advance.... Read 104 reviews

• grade A

• Students 828

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Vancouver School District, WA•

• 6-12

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  Rating 4.11 out of 5  27 reviews

Senior: The best part of my experience was how well I was prepared for college. You have the opportunity to start taking college classes your freshman year, and if you are 16 or older you have the option to take classes and Washington State University. The worst part of my experience would probably be the teachers. There were a few good teachers that I learned a lot from, but unfortunately I also had a lot of teachers that had inconsistent grading policies, and I was a lot less engaged in some of these classes.... Read 27 reviews

• grade A

• Students 565

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Vancouver School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  118 reviews

Senior: At VSAA, you come as you are, and are met with acceptance and support. Entering my last year at VSAA, I have made meaningful connections with a large percentage of our student body. That’s what’s great about the small school environment: we’re all friends here! The teachers care so deeply about their students, I have always been met with compassion and support in my low moments.... Read 118 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 683

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• PK, K-5

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  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 551

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• North Clackamas School District, OR•

• K-5

• grade B+

• Students 134

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  207 reviews

Alum: Benson polytechnic high school offers a wide range of majors that prepare you for the work field once you graduate. My focus was on dental assisting and I am now currently enrolled in a dental hygiene program at Portland community college. Because of the dental assisting class I was able to get ahead by shadowing dental professionals, learning about x-rays and teeth, and gaining clinical experience.... Read 207 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 899

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Beaverton School District, OR•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  102 reviews

Senior: I started at ACMA in 7th grade and now I am going into my senior year here in the fall, there is truly no place like ACMA. I've learned so much and gotten so many unique opportunities at this school. I learned the ropes in technical theatre while taking all the basics, math, English, history, science, and a large variety of art classes. All the staff are special and have helped me a lot through the process of middle school, quarantine, and now high school too. The school transition from in-person, to quarantine, to hybrid, to in-person again was rough, to say the least. The friends I made and some staff members helped me through that much. I've never had teachers who care and love to teach quite so much. While there are areas the school can improve overall I really enjoy being a part of the community and school that is ACMA. Some improvement points I can think of are better organization with capstones for seniors and getting disabled students their 504s and IEP's a little quicker is it... Read 102 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 693

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• K-8

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  Rating 4.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Parent: Love the constructivist focus, the close knit community, and parent involvement. The teachers know the kids really well and strive to create a safe and accepting learning environment. My child loves his school and is passionate about his work in the classroom. He has learned empathy and patience from his teachers and peers. We love this school.... Read 5 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 424

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle school student: Da Vinci is great for arts and an open and friendly school environment. Though there aren't any academic extracurriculars or electives, they make up for it with outstanding art programs. The teachers really care about the students.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B

• Students 415

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  23 reviews

Middle school student: I love MLC. My aunts and uncles went to MLC, my mom took swim lessons there. And now I have been there for around 8 years. The school's Kx8 is like any other school, except for fewer teachers and less kids. You get to choose 1 or 2 electives based on your grade which, you rotate through each semester. 7x8 Get Friday focus on Friday. Friday focus rotates every 3 weeks and is taught by the teachers. All school gatherings and solstice is a big tradition at MLC. "Why does MLC celebrate Solstice and not Christmas?" Because not everyone celebrates Christmas! Although not very diverse in race, MLC is very diverse in religion. Lots of the people that go to the school have different religions. MLC is one of the most beautiful schools I have ever been to. The high ceilings and big windows make MLC stand out from other PPS schools. The walls of MLC and covered on murals, all painted by kids from the school. If you want to go to a unique school, MLC is the place for you.... Read 23 reviews

• grade B

• Students 341

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  97 reviews

Alum: I loved that Jefferson was like a family. We were one big community, everyone knew almost everyone else. I think some of the teachers there were the most of my problems. General teenage issues causing some issues, yes, but some teachers didn’t show the respect to their students that they should’ve, causing many students to not respect them right back. It felt a bit clique-y at times, but so do all schools. Jefferson can definitely be a bit chaotic and I had so very many ups and downs over my years there, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t change a thing.... Read 97 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 593

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• North Clackamas School District, OR•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  75 reviews

Sophomore: MAA is the charter school for Milwaukie High School, and don’t be fooled, you can still take classes at Milwaukie (in fact you will have to for many classes). I’m currently heading into my sophomore year and think the connections between MAA and MHS students are lovely and they clash well, with MAA core classes being MAA only and things like health and PE being mixed. Arts lab, an exploration into college level skills, is the only MAA exclusive class. There’s a great diversity of LGBT+ students, though I struggled because a lot of friend groups are closed off at the beginning. The theater program is fantastic and I highly recommend participating!... Read 75 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 310

• Student-teacher ratio 31:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.8 out of 5  41 reviews

Sophomore: Cute school,I like it.everyone is friendly and I can feel somewhat positive, favorite class is planting all kinds of plants around the school.... Read 41 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 167

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Canby School District, OR•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Fantastic staff! They are so nice and very helpful, the music teacher I especially wonderful. The bilingual education gave my child a much more extensive mind and the teachers helped him find a more fun way to learn!... Read 1 review

• grade C+

• Students 409

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Portland Public Schools, OR•

• K-5

• grade C+

• Students 278

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Vancouver School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 2.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: its a pretty good high school. The teachers are very caring and understanding , they are also very flexible when it comes to their due dates. coming to this school has been such a great and enduring experience.... Read 3 reviews

• grade C

• Students 84

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Beaverton School District, OR•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Niche User: This school was by far the best high school I could have attended. The classrooms were the perfect size(~10 students per class). The teachers always had personal time for all of their students. We didn't have to go to school on Monday but if you needed one on one time with one of your teachers, they were there for you. It had the high school vibe but in a smaller, more relaxed way. I would definitely chose this school again. I got the high school experience but in a calmer way. No extra unneeded stress.... Read 4 reviews

• grade unavailable

• Students 87

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1