2023 Best Public High Schools in Pierce County

• University Place School District, WA•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  413 reviews

Senior: Extracurriculars are fun and welcoming. Competition is motivating but our team and connection keeps everything more enjoyable than stressful. My classes are in depth and my teachers ensure we are successful which keeps us from becoming discouraged. Our course catalogue has a wide variety of topics and difficulties so students can set their own pace of learning and explore their own interests. Over my entire high school career I have taken eight advanced placement classes to prepare for higher education and push the potential of my high school experience. We have several enrichment programs including NJROTC, music, and arts. I personally have taken art and NJROTC classes at Curtis, both of which I greatly enjoy. I have only had pleasant experiences with the staff at my school, my teachers have truly worked hard to ensure their students' success. I will be sad to leave Curtis but am excited for the next step in my academic journey.... Read 413 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,345

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  177 reviews

Senior: The academics are wonderful; teachers truly care about their students and will do their best to help them. I went through a really hard time during most of highschool, and I always felt supported by my teachers. At Sami, we have mentor groups, which is essentially a full day of home room every week, with the same group of students for all four years, including the addition of incoming freshman. Mentor group provides a support and community that is incredibly valuable to me. I do wish there were more art classes, but there is plenty of opportunity to take classes at Sota, the sister school, so it’s not entirely barren of opportunities. The science classes are varied in subject, the AP classes have an excellent teaching style and support, and the electives, after school clubs, and A&A’s are wonderful. The administration can sometimes be lacking, but the teachers themselves make up for it. Sometimes there are technical issues as there is poor service, seeing as it’s located in the park.... Read 177 reviews

• grade A

• Students 600

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Steilacoom Historical School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  245 reviews

Senior: My school is rather nice for the most part. Other students including myself have a strong system in place to support our academic goals and various extracurricular activities as well. My school also has very few issues with bullying, and I find that it is incredibly easy to talk with other students even if I've only just met them. The biggest issues the school seems to have been a lack of school pride and lack of communication between students and staff. Other than that, the school does a good job at creating a suitable system that students can trust to get them to graduation.... Read 245 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 971

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Tacoma, WA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.56 out of 5  50 reviews

Parent: Summit has been a godsend to my family. We have two sons there, boys who couldn't be more different from each other but who have both benefited enormously. One son has hyperactive ADHD and a lot of anxiety which has caused him to act out a lot, habitually break rules and get in trouble. Summit's staff and faculty have been compassionate and, when necessary, firm. After he'd pushed the line one too many times, he faced having to leave the school; once this happened he turned his behavior around because he knew there was nowhere else he'd rather be. Our other son is sensitive, gifted, and neurodivergent. He has developed affectionate relationships with many of his teachers and feels seen and appreciated. After a terrible public school experience, he had gone to a small private middle school for gifted kids and couldn't imagine liking any other school - especially public school - as much. Now he says he's the luckiest kid in the world for going to Summit.... Read 50 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 179

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  374 reviews

Senior: The best part about Stadium is the community of our school, as each program and club in Stadium continues to grow. Without the community, there wouldn't be murals all throughout the halls and on the parking garage. Our stadium society would be nothing without the enthusiastic participation, and the driven students and student body that work together to create fun opportunities and crazy pep rallies. Every part of stadium works together, which I believe creates a wonderful sense of coherency and commitment to not only our school, but to each other as we rise above challenges. Perhaps the worst experience at stadium high school was when a senior obtained some fart spray and began spraying it in teacher's classrooms. I won't go into the details, but they graduated. And another bad experience is schedules that include going back and forth between the third floor and the sub-basement. I would like to see a dance club added to stadium, because that disappeared after COVID.... Read 374 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,541

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Clover Park School District, WA•

• 5-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  94 reviews

Junior: I've been at Harrison for 6 Years, 6-11th, and I plan to stay to complete the IB DP Program. At this school, it has been amazing! The teachers are really nice because you get to know them over the course of the IB Programs the school offers. Staff are supportive and give great, understandable lessons. Harrison Prep. definitely makes sure you are ready for college life, if you are interested, or anything you want to do in the future. With high diversity, great statistics, and great teachers, it is definitely a school to look into!... Read 94 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 716

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Puyallup School District, WA•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  420 reviews

Alum: Being a student-athlete at Puyallup High School was a great experience. There are several opportunities for students to get involved. PHS offers several great options of clubs, athletic programs, and programs to explore your career interests. While there are plenty of well-run courses, many peers of mine gave great accolades to all of the music, business, and medical-based classes. Teachers were kind, supportive, and helped greatly in my preparation for college. I always felt safe and strong sense of belonging and I personally really enjoyed the that the hallways were always bright and buzzing! Evaluating PHS from my new perspective of being in college, I think it has made me well-rounded and a step ahead compared to many other incoming freshmen I've met. I would recommend Puyallup High School to anyone considering it!... Read 420 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,708

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Fife School District, WA•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  225 reviews

Alum: Fife was an amazing community. I moved to the Fife community when I was in 5th grade. At this point, kids have made friends since kindergarten. However, the community welcomed me with open arms! I made lasting friends quickly and a great school spirit. The only thing I would change is the acceptance of the LGBTQA+ community. It was a bit harder to be out but my friends were there to support.... Read 225 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 870

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  290 reviews

Senior: My experience at Sumner High School has been absolutely amazing! This year (senior year) I came in a new student and I expected to have issues making friends but I have made friends so easily. The staff is absolutely amazing! It is a very welcoming environment and I have had nothing but a positive experience at Sumner!... Read 290 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,726

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Peninsula School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  245 reviews

Senior: I like the environment Peninsula High School provides. Everywhere you go, there's always going to be someone to help support you. Whether it's a friend, a teacher, counselor, ect. The people I've met here have positively impacted my life. I've found a group of people that I feel comfortable being around. I can be myself and not have to worry about pretending to be somebody I'm not. Definitely one of the better schools in Washington!... Read 245 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,452

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Puyallup School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  447 reviews

Alum: Some teachers at Rogers cared a lot, while others did the bare minimum. Those that cared a lot were absolutely amazing, though! They expressed extreme compassion toward their students and were always there for them. I was able to be involved with many great opportunities while there including National Honor Society, Key Club, and band. Overall, I had a positive experience.... Read 447 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,722

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Peninsula School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.55 out of 5  354 reviews

Alum: I moved to Gig Harbor High School just before the Covid Pandemic. I thought that it would be difficult to become a part of the community, however despite the challenges, the school figured out ways for all of us to come together virtually. Becoming a member of the Football team really shaped my experience and further cemented what it meant to be a Tide. I even earned the opportunity to be the game captain in my Senior year. Being able to participate and graduate as running start student was an amazing opportunity. I appreciated that Gig Harbor High School participates in running start and has a number of partnership programs for high school graduates to gain automatic acceptance to great colleges/universities.... Read 354 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,408

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Franklin Pierce School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  224 reviews

Senior: I like that Fp is the school that my family has gone to, my mom, aunt, uncles, cousins have all gone there. I feel like we should be able to have a little more safety precautions, overall though it’s a great school and I love that I will always be a Franklin Pierce Cardinal!... Read 224 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,145

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Puyallup School District, WA•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  344 reviews

Junior: I am currently a junior at Emerald Ridge and love the school! I will first the about the staff, many of them grew up or are from the area and have been teaching at the school for years. In addition they are very involved and truly want the best for everybody. The counselors at the school are amazing and great at helping you get to that next level by keeping you on track and showing how many options you really have. Now talking about the students, there are so many different people coming from different back rounds but the school is very inclusive for example the extra clubs to show they really care. Along with this we have lots of school pride this year many students travels across the state to support our jags in the quarter finals for football. Emerald Ridge is such an amazing school and I cannot stress that enough I am blessed to have been able to attend and would recommend this school to anyone.... Read 344 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,433

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Clover Park School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  308 reviews

Senior: I liked the advanced placement classes I took at Lakes High School because it was the classroom environment I desired in high school. As a high school student knowing I wanted to advance to college I really wanted to be treated like an adult and to be responsible for my own academic achievements but many teachers and classroom environments were the opposite. We were treated like children even though most of us were just a couple years away from being an adult. I understand that a lot of students in high school aren't ready for that and that if teachers dont establish discipline in the beginning of the year, students use it as an opportunity to be rude and disrespectful. Im also aware that teachers are constantly struggling to keep classrooms under control and that in most cases students must be treated like children to have a class environment where students get to learn.... Read 308 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,279

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Franklin Pierce School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  180 reviews

Alum: The community at Washington high school is amazing and the diversity and inclusivity is so amazing! There are so many clubs and sports to be involved in and a spot for every student on campus to feel supported. Unfortunately, there are just not a lot of resources going into the school district, but the teachers are caring and do their best to go out of their way to create a great learning environment and experience.... Read 180 reviews

• grade B

• Students 992

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• White River School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  208 reviews

Senior: I've been going to White River High school for 4 years and I've been in the White River district for all of my school career. I gave this school a rating of 4/5 stars because I believe that the education that I've received is very good. This school offers a good amount of AP classes, dual credit classes, honors classes, and running start options for the students. The teachers that I had are very supportive and I am very grateful for them. They've proof read so many of my essays and gave me criticisms on how to improve my work. The admin is also nice. I know that many of the students have good relationships with them. I know that they are doing everything they can to make the school a better place. There is a program that helped me with college readiness and it is called AVID and it supported me when I was applying for colleges, scholarships, and FAFSA/WAFSA. In this school, there are good established clubs that allow students to go to competitions and create a wonderful community.... Read 208 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,252

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  359 reviews

Sophomore: I have a very positive experience there, I like the staff and I believe that they want the kids to become better people. The students there are also very amazing and provide a great atmosphere for everyone to feel welcome.... Read 359 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,591

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  254 reviews

Alum: Overall, my teachers at the high school were wonderful and very supportive. Yes there are some that have an attitude but even if you don’t have the supportive teachers, they’re always there for you no matter what, even if you aren’t in their class.... Read 254 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,132

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.12 out of 5  227 reviews

Junior: Has an excellent arts program. Arts teachers are very good in what they do. I major in music at this high school and the music teachers have experience in playing music as a living, which I like, a lot. They always have great advice for young musicians. They inspire me to become better musicians!... Read 227 reviews

• grade B

• Students 618

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Franklin Pierce School District, WA•

• 8-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  8 reviews

Senior: Attending Gates High School changed my high school experience and help me gain and received my high school credits, while being on track to graduate this year on 2018. Student Staff cares about your education and wanting all students to graduate. Campus is very small up to 120+ students and I recommend anyone credit deficent, or struggle with depression etc or you wanting to graduate early. The school gives you plenty of time to get all your work done each of all the terms. plus you attend GSA for the first week of your school and if you complete it you'll receive 0.25 credits, also you can get up to 10 credits per year depending on what term you start.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B

• Students 86

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Orting School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.23 out of 5  140 reviews

Senior: It is very community-oriented. The teachers are kind and committed to their work. The connection between the students and teachers is great, you wouldn't get it better anywhere else. The only problem is the lack of funding causing a lack of opportunity for the students in this small town.... Read 140 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 867

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  291 reviews

Freshman: The middle of my freshman year I moved to a new city. A new place, new school, new everything. I came to Lincoln in the middle of the school year right after winter break. I was out of place. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. But as time went on I started to adjust. I made a couple of friends and the teachers were nice. The best part was that I did well in school, I was proud of myself for catching up to each and everyone in my classes. I was happy that I could open up the shell that was covering me and see what was waiting for me. The worst part was that I struggled transitioning from my old school to Lincoln. I love my old school and it was hard leaving all my friends behind. But I learned that you’ll always make friends wherever you go. Overall I love Lincoln and I hope to see Lincoln high school grow with me in the future.... Read 291 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,627

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Bethel School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.58 out of 5  424 reviews

Senior: My experience with this high school was overall great! The staff and teachers are mostly supportive and willing to see you succeed. The counselors and the career center staff have been immensely helpful in preparing us for our post-high school life. Furthermore, there were many opportunities for me to explore my interests through the many electives as well as challenge myself with a variety of challenging classes such as honors or AP classes. Overall, with my time here, it was a great experience.... Read 424 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,963

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Tacoma School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  10 reviews

Senior: I love IDEA, it is a fun and new experience that allows me to be physically engaged while always providing something different to my experience. You even are able to visit and learn at the other 2 sister-schools (SOTA & SAMI) for even more diversity.... Read 10 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 399

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1