2023 Best Public High Schools in the Knoxville Area

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  480 reviews

Freshman: Farragut is an amazing school. The opportunities available are amazing for a public school, however, a newly implemented program has definitely taken it down a notch. The school developed an Academy system where they force Freshman students to choose a pathway to go to, in other words, they are making 9th graders choose on what they want to do for the rest of their life. This has caused a lot of distress among students, especially considering that they only allow one to change pathways once. The school has also unfortunately implemented needless, and useless yet mandatory classes in addition to the normal lifetime wellness and PE classes that bring down students' GPAs. They also restricted freshmen from doubling up in any math or science classes, which is an absolute shame. Farragut has the makings of a great school and teaches many gifted children, however, poor management and administration have stunted the growth of the gifted students at Farragut.... Read 480 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,005

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.35 out of 5  98 reviews

Parent: L&N STEM Academy is a unique experience academically, socially, and with the extra-curricular activities that are offered as compared to other Knox County schools. The campus is very unique as it is in a beautiful historic building and in downtown Knoxville. There are some amazing teachers, admin, and staff at this school. We have had both ups and downs with the school (both in dealing with administration and with teachers), but overall have been very pleased with the education and experiences that our children have had at L&N. The extra-curricular activities include a rowing team, Ultimate frisbee, bowling, rock climbing and more traditional sports such as tennis, swimming, and cross country. There are also academic clubs/activities such as NHS, NAHS, Quiz Bowl, Science Olympiad, and Model UN. Wouldn't have sent my kids any where else.... Read 98 reviews

• grade A

• Students 583

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Oak Ridge School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  210 reviews

Senior: The best thing I would say about Oak Ridge High School is the extracurricular activities. You can find almost anything you want there if you look hard enough. As for what the school could improve upon, I suggest that the administration focuses less on sports and more on the welfare of the students. One example of this would be the food which is sometimes on the brink or has already expired.... Read 210 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,526

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Maryville City Schools, TN•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  381 reviews

Senior: I moved to Maryville High in the middle of my sophomore year. I had no clue what to expect moving schools, especially in the middle of a global pandemic. My first semester at Maryville was rough. I thought it was very cliquey; people had their specific friend groups since Kindergarten. However, through my junior year and now as a senior, I've found amazing friends and now I love Maryville. They're extremely helpful in the college application process and preparing you for college.... Read 381 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,194

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  153 reviews

Alum: West offers high-level classes via their AP and IB programs, offers many extracurricular activities catering to diverse interests, and has a student body that is diverse but unified. There are many good teachers that care about the students. They do push IB though, it's good content but difficult and I got more college credit through AP, and others got more credit through dual enrollment. However, you will be exposed to many different kinds of people and can become involved in the wrong crowd. Don't hang out behind the Dollar General across the street.... Read 153 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,487

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Alcoa City Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  123 reviews

Alum: Alcoa High School has fantastic teachers and staff. They're friendly, nice, caring, and truly want to see you graduate. You don't have to be afraid to see them after or before class if you're struggling, and you're free to talk to them without feeling like they will make fun of you. The academics are amazing, the sporting events are fun, and everyone is nice!... Read 123 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 685

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  409 reviews

Junior: Bearden High school has an exciting overall atmosphere. There are numerous clubs and events that students can partake in. In other words, there is really something for everyone. Bearden offers different levels of courses (AP, Honors, NIC, CP) as well as career technical education (CTE) classes. Personally, I love the CTE classes since they offer classes for the field I want to major in: Medical. Everyone will feel welcome and find their place at Bearden!... Read 409 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,062

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  363 reviews

Senior: When looking for a free school hardin valley academy is a very good choice because it is most like a private school without actually going private. There are so many amazing opportunities for college in which it helps with. The reason it is not very diverse is because it is located in a predominantly white area but it allows anybody!... Read 363 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,072

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  36 reviews

Alum: CMA offered great opportunities of dual enrollment as they are partnered with Pellissippi state community college. Some students graduated with associates degrees along with their high school diploma, and it’s free! They pay for the students classes, books, ACT tests and more. Teachers are amazing and truly care about each individual student. Students get involved in the many clubs they offer! The atmosphere is of a family. Great diversity overall! I absolutely loved attending CMA.... Read 36 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 257

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Anderson County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.97 out of 5  99 reviews

Alum: I had a very good experience at Anderson County High School. Almost all, if not all, of the teachers are super kind and understanding. I am able to connect with them on a personal level and that helps me engage in the educational topic a little more than I would've if I was being taught by someone I couldn't relate to. Some things I would change mainly have to do with the allocation of funds and some policies around the school. For instance, the schools band has to rely off of the donations of parents and the sales of arbitrarily overpriced fruit and mattresses. Those are the two big fundraisers along with selling decals. Simply put, however, this does not bring in enough money to maintain the band. They have things as repairs, dry-cleaning, transportation, instrument cases, music stands, music rights, moving equipment, marching formations. When you have a band with 150+ students in it, the costs only grow and support from the school equal to that of sports would be beneficial.... Read 99 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,095

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Loudon County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  95 reviews

Alum: Loudon High school is not a huge school, which is something I love about the place. The students and teachers are almost like a small community. Everyone knows one another, there is no bullying or placing people with standards. At this school everyone is equal and well appreciated for their own individual reasons. Teachers will help their students with almost anything and everything. Students will also help each other out even if these said students do not talk very often. However, there is a reason I only rated this school a 4 star instead of five. I believe there should be more advancement opportunities within the Loudon community. For example, some high schools are known for sending their students to a cosmetology academy if their students are interested in progressing in this field and same with veterinary studies, nursing, health, pharmaceutical, and other widely known jobs that sort of act as internships. This is the only flaw I see at Loudon High School.... Read 95 reviews

• grade B

• Students 658

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Roane County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.27 out of 5  55 reviews

Senior: Midway is an amazing high school to attend. It is very small but offers more opportunities than the larger schools I have been to in the past. Teachers and other staff are ready and willing to help students at any time. Midway makes an effort to not only teach kids academically but also socially. They strive to teach their students the important of being involved in the community as well as the importance of helping those in need.... Read 55 reviews

• grade B

• Students 243

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Sevier County School District, TN•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.47 out of 5  160 reviews

Senior: Overall my time at Seymour has been pleasant. The majority of teacher's and staff are great, and I have learned a great deal from each of them. They are always their for the student's helping to prepare us for college and other future endeavors. Seymour offers several extracurricular activities and clubs, that other schools don't have. Sports are highly respected here, so are the arts especially considering the high rankings both the choir and band hold. I will say the diversity at Seymour is very poor, but I believe that I could not have had a better high school experience than at Seymour High School.... Read 160 reviews

• grade B

• Students 713

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Lenoir City School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.32 out of 5  207 reviews

Senior: My experience at Lenoir City High School has been very good. The teachers are very kind and caring about each students' future. The school environment is welcoming to each student every single day. I would like to see more honors, dual enrollment, and Advanded placement courses offered here. It will be great to further each and every students' academic levels before leaving for college. I think the more dual enrollement classes a student takes allows them to get a feel for how college will be like. It allows a student to see the difference between high school and college classes/... Read 207 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,258

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  155 reviews

Senior: The staff at Halls High School is incredible- they push each student to strive for academic excellence, as well as participation in clubs, teams, or other school/community-related organizations. Safety and anti-bullying are taught and rules regarding those subjects are implemented. At Halls High School, we plan for our future and we are taught the most effective steps to take in achieving those goals. If there was anything I'd change about my school, we would be more diverse and we would learn more about different ethnicities and cultures. Overall, though, I have enjoyed my time at Halls High School and I am thankful for my time here!... Read 155 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,268

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  100 reviews

Senior: I liked that the school didn't have one specific focus. Sports were represented well, all aspects of art were shown, and the STEM were well incorporated. Unfortunately, not every school is perfect. The upkeep and maintenance of basic things (such as locks on bathroom stalls) would either take weeks to get repaired or years. Also, most of the classes are centered around visual learning rather than exploring kinesthetic learning. For each 90 min period, we are expected to sit quietly and pay attention to a board. According to an article by ASCD that motion improves memory retrieval as well improved cognition. Lack of motion is not only a common practice at Central High School, but a common practice across the nation's educational system. Although Central has much to improve on, the school administration does take every student into consideration. They speak to us as if we're adults rather than small children mainly because we are legally almost adults. I will never forget Central.... Read 100 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,277

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.41 out of 5  186 reviews

Alum: I believe that my education at Powell High has exceeded expectations, the staff and community have always been wonderful and my experience at Powell will always hold great memories. Every teacher that I have learned from always made the students feel welcomed, and they did everything they could to make sure that the students were all given the same chance. As someone who loved social studies growing up, I can definitely say that the social studies teachers and the science teachers fueled my love for learning. I believe that without Powell High's help and guidance I would not be as educational secured as I am, I credit my 3.0 GPA and Act scores to the staff at Powell who taught me. Powel is where I learned how to manage my time, where my greatest experiences existed, and where I met some of the most amazing people in my life. Powel is a five-star school in my eyes, it has always offered me exactly what I needed to help me grow and adapt. If I could give it six stars I would instantly.... Read 186 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,349

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Blount County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  223 reviews

Parent: William Blount High School is a great school. They have a good choral and theatre program. Overall, they do have a great fine arts department. Many kids are able to be involved in multiple performing groups as well as participating in sports. I do think the PE programs could use improvement. Students get to go on trips with their groups they are a part of while making memories that will last a life time. Overall, William Blount is a great place for my kids to grow and learn.... Read 223 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,614

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.54 out of 5  187 reviews

Senior: I have loved my highschool experience at karns. I loved being able to go to the football games and other sporting events. The environment at these events are extremely fun and exciting. They make the game enjoyable no matter the turnout of the game which is amazing. I have also loved the academic opportunities that I have been offered. I am in officer positions in both NHS and NEHS. I am also in a clinical internship which provides a lot of unique opportunities for my future. If i could change anything it would be the schools incentives. We don’t have a formal homecoming. Which is something that everyone has been asking for. They make an effort which sometimes pays off, but most of the time the students think that there could be more effort put into them.... Read 187 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,384

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Monroe County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.58 out of 5  43 reviews

Parent: It’s a small school and teachers can give more time and help with students. His graduating class is small and students are able to be involved in various activities. They also offer some dual credit classes for college. Because of its size many sports are no cut sport’s allowing any student to participate that wants to.... Read 43 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 597

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Blount County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.48 out of 5  170 reviews

Senior: Heritage High School is a really great school. You definitely will have lots of great memories and opportunities with this school. It has amazing programs such as the agricultural department that provide fun and educational experiences. If you went to this high school, you’d get the best experience possible.... Read 170 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,497

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Roane County School District, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.12 out of 5  68 reviews

Alum: Class of 2014.Even though "Oz" is a small school, the quality of education is top notch. The teachers actually care about your future! If you show the teachers you want to learn, they will never let you down. There were teachers that would reach out to the students who hated school & wanted to drop out--they did what they could to get them motivated. Don't be fooled by the small size, they make up for it with their teachers and courses. There are so many activities/clubs to get involved in as well. I was in Beta Club, Marching Band, Girl Scouts, etc. B/c our school was small, we were able to make great relationships with our teachers who molded us into adults. I almost have my MPH degree! The only negative comment I have is that they were severely underfunded by the state b/c of the population size. As a result, some programs (like band) suffered. However, I hear OSHS is now a STEM school and is doing even better than when I attended!! Side note: I made some amazing friends there too!... Read 68 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 277

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Sevier County School District, TN•

• 10-12

• grade B minus

• Students 148

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Loudon County School District, TN•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  40 reviews

Senior: I love Greenback High School because it is a well-known school. I know everyone at my school and in the community. Greenback is a welcoming place and I love attending a K-12 school!... Read 40 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 627

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Knox County Schools, TN•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  148 reviews

Senior: Fulton High School is a school that puts their students first. I have always felt welcomed here. The staff is always there for you when you need them. I have went through some rough patches throughout high school, but the staff at this school have always went out of their way to make sure I was alright. Also, they offer various academic opportunities to their students. For example, I have received my CPR certification and OSHA 10 certification. In addition, I will be taking the CNA certification test in May. Many schools do not have the opportunities that this school offers.... Read 148 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 916

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1