2023 Best Public High Schools in the Pittsburgh Area

• North Allegheny School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.22 out of 5  755 reviews

Senior: North Allegheny High School was a very conflicted experience. Your experience depends entirely on what classes and teachers you have along with what extra-curriculars you do. I would recommend taking as many advanced classes as possible, because then you will get good teachers. NASH administration is alright overall, but very skewed towards certain extra-curriculars over others. For example, the speech and debate team, despite being nationally ranked, has received little to no support from administration, while other activities receive much more support. Despite this, especially if you have good friends, NASH is a good place, particularly given the alternatives... Read 755 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,730

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Fox Chapel Area School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.95 out of 5  314 reviews

Alum: I really enjoyed my time at Fox Chapel. Teachers are very passionate and there are lots of people at FC who help students access opportunities (in particular, the QUEST office and faculty administrators are really helpful). Even through online classes, I received a great education here and learned a lot. However, FC has some issues with diversity and student culture. Some students face racism here and AP classes in particular aren't very diverse, limiting the perspectives and viewpoints expressed in class discussions, etc. I do think the district is making plans to improve in these areas, but this is just something to take into account.... Read 314 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,303

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Upper St. Clair School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  281 reviews

Senior: The education that I have received since Kindergarten until now, as a senior in high school, has been outstanding. Teachers in all subject areas demonstrate a clear understanding of their materials and subject matter. The only issue that I have had with Upper St. Clair High School is bullying. I find that students often are not disciplined as they should be when they make harmful comments that could be constituted as bullying to other students. Otherwise, USCHS has provided me with a very well-rounded education. I feel extremely prepared for college in the fall because of it.... Read 281 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,367

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Mt. Lebanon School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  381 reviews

Senior: "Welcome! You belong here! Happy orientation!" shouted countless members of the high school Link Crew as I walked under the 2021 Freshman Orientation signs leading to the school gym. With music blasting, balloons floating, and faces smiling, my first day of high school started to feel less scary. From that very first step, I was welcomed into the Mt. Lebanon High School family and community. My High School creates a strong sense of home through its compassionate teachers, social clubs, inspiring Arts program, and more. Everyone who walks through its doors will find a place where they fit in and can discover their true self. Our teachers go above limits to ensure that each student is challenged and ready to accomplish their goals. Now, as I am getting ready to venture outside my high school community and meet countless new people and new challenges, I will use the lessons of resilience, compassion, and determination that I learned to be the best version of myself.... Read 381 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,801

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• South Fayette Township School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  205 reviews

Senior: I like the fact that the school does not merely focus on academics, although it has qualified teachers and other programs to help with those. There are also opportunities for social activities, extracurriculars, community service, and more!... Read 205 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,076

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Quaker Valley School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  219 reviews

Senior: I really like how much the teachers care about their students and the overall friendly staff. Anytime I’ve ever had to make up work or needed to meet outside of class the teachers have always been there. They genuinely care about wanting their students to succeed and will take the extra time in order to do so. Something I’d like to see change is the building itself, as it’s quiet old and is no longer in its prime.... Read 219 reviews

• grade A

• Students 623

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Peters Township School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  237 reviews

Parent: Great school for college preparation. Counselors are excellent. They guide students on a successful college path and through the entire process. Academics include numerous AP, College High School (CHS) and honors classes. Teachers are dedicated to seeing the students succeed. Workload can be intense if you take numerous AP, CHS and honors classes. On-line schooling during COVID-19 was good but there is room for improvement. Teachers could do more teaching videos especially for java and/or languages. There is a wide variety of after school clubs/activities including forensics, computer, science, music, marching band, drama, environmental activists, photography, National Honors Society, etc. Boys and girls sports include basketball, golf, indoor track and field, lacrosse, soccer, swimming/diving, tennis, etc. Students and staff are looking forward to a brand new comprehensive high school which is currently being built and should hopefully be ready by the beginning of 2021.... Read 237 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,326

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Hampton Township School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  231 reviews

Senior: It was overall a good experience. I received good education, and many people I met were very friendly. There are some downsides though. It may sound silly, but Hampton is very bad at regulating temperature in their schools. It will be 10 degrees outside, and it will feel like 50 inside. I am not alone on this, everyone else is shivering around me as well. I have Raynaud's, meaning my fingers and toes go numb easily in cold. My fingers often turn white in school. Unless it is 70 or above outside, it is unbearably cold inside the building. It makes it impossible to concentrate on class since my body naturally prioritizes my health. If I am in pain because of the temperature, I am not able to focus properly on anything else besides keeping myself warm.... Read 231 reviews

• grade A

• Students 964

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Franklin Regional School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  335 reviews

Senior: Overall pretty decent. There are many classes to choose from that are less common in high school as they are college level classes such as Organic Chemistry. Does not really prep you for college though. Decent athletics, especially in baseball, hockey, soccer, lacrosse, volleyball, and track and field. Football team is not what you want to come here for and there is no Boys volleyball team. Big band school as well. Tons of clubs with everything under the sun and it’s pretty easy to make a club if you can’t find a preexisting club. School is pretty run down though, only the main gym is in good shape, needs renovations badly especially to fix the leaks. Decent overall and due to better academic opportunities, a very good choice.... Read 335 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,119

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Pine-Richland School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  320 reviews

Junior: Pine-Richland High School has been a very good high school experience. I am currently a junior and am in the very advanced course line. Most of the teachers I've had enjoyed teaching their subject and were very good at it. The guidance office is also good at getting back to you, whether it be about your schedule, mental health, or questions/concerns. However, there are a good bit of teachers who don't take their classes seriously - or, they don't teach. Some make you learn entire units yourself. Anyway, other than those teachers, the rest are phenomenal! I've made many good relationships, and appreciate each class.... Read 320 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,428

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Moon Area School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  339 reviews

Junior: It’s a pretty nice school! There’s lots of options for classes and a lot of extracurriculars and clubs. The extracurriculars that stand out are marching band (because of the sheer amount of students involved), football (because this is an American suburb and our team has been really good lately), track and field, and basketball. A lot of our other sports teams are super successful, too, we’ve got two school musicals a year, and several singing clubs. Moon has a unique treatment of clubs where most non-sport and non-musical clubs have meetings once a month during the weekly homeroom periods; however, it does make it difficult to join several clubs. Classes can fit anyone’s academic skill level and passions, with offerings from special education to AP courses, elective sciences to a variety of arts, and more.... Read 339 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,204

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Pittsburgh Public Schools, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  275 reviews

Alum: Allderdice was a great high school, especially for students who exceeded scholarly. It is very culturally diverse, and provides a lot of programs and extracurriculars. The sports teams are phenomenal, which provided an exciting atmosphere for school spirit.... Read 275 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,430

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• North Hills School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  384 reviews

Senior: North Hills Senior High School has treated me well through my years in attendance. My teachers are always willing to help me, and almost every AP and college level course I have wanted to take has been available to me. By taking these classes, I am always surrounded by others who are hard working. I do know that there are many less committed students, and their decisions definitely cannot go unnoticed. However, most altercations are shut down fairly quickly, and all of the staff works hard to make sure nothing bad is happening both in between and during class.... Read 384 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,325

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Pittsburgh Public Schools, PA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  321 reviews

Sophomore: I go to PITTSBURGH CAPA for Dance. For me, Capa has always been extremely accepting. We have a variety of different clubs. Protests, and self expression is always welcome. I've never felt unsafe at school. Compared to other schools in the district I notice that Capa produces students who are a lot more open minded. I notice that in my academics I am surrounded by high achieving students. Overall I'm grateful that after sitting all day in academics I can get up and dance. They bring in different artist from local studios and even national award winning dancers to give us masters classes. Something I noticed about Capa is that it offers a lot of opportunities for its arts students. The schools is clean, which is important for me. There is no violence in school and that helps with lesser distractions. We are downtown Pittsburgh, so I enjoy going out with friends after school. I have thrived at Capa and made a lot of meaningful connections with friends and teachers.... Read 321 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 863

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Gateway School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  245 reviews

Alum: After graduating from Gateway two years ago and attending a private college, I cannot be more satisfied with how well I was prepared for rigorous college courses. It seems like I am far more prepared than my peers at college in terms of time management, the course loads, self-advocacy for classes and professors, and the school work. For the reviews that may speak down on academics: what you put in is what you get out. The teachers genuinely care about your success and who you are as a person; they offer high support with high challenge, which is the perfect formula to thriving. Also, the student bodies are inclusive, supportive, and overall kind to all!... Read 245 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,107

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Pittsburgh Public Schools, PA•

• PK, 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  143 reviews

Senior: It’s been a fully a learning environment in Pittsburgh Science and Technology academy. For me personally, in the beginning it was hard because English was my second language. But, as the years went by I adapted to the school environment and eventually got the point where it didn’t matter if English was my second language or not. I have learned so many things and in the 4 years I have been here. I think I can take all the things I have learned in SciTech and use it in my college life.... Read 143 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 596

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Mars Area School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  254 reviews

Junior: Although I am not completely finished with high school yet, Mars has been great. Mars has a wide variety of classes and some amazing teachers who have changed who I am for the better. No place is perfect, and Mars certainly isn't. Nevertheless, I am proud to call Mars my school. I previously went to a different school about an hour away, and it had far less opportunities than Mars. I am so grateful for my time here that has allowed me to grow as a person and student.... Read 254 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,033

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Avonworth School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  96 reviews

Junior: Avonworth High School is a decent high school with mostly good teachers. Some of the teachers there allow deep connections with students and create an amazing learning environment while others, not so much. The students here are hit or miss with some amazing kids while also some problematic ones. Overall, it is an average high school experience that will be a blip in my life when I am older. I value my education and the school is doing a good job at providing that for me and that's all that really matters to me.... Read 96 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 531

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Riverview School District, PA•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.46 out of 5  79 reviews

Parent: Moved from northern VA to PIttsburgh and just fell in love with the schools in the River view school district. The teachers are AMAZING and truly care about the students well being. The high school administration and teachers have great communication with parents and I always feel clued in to what is going on with my sons education. The school has a great community feel and homes are all walkable from the high school. It’s a really tight knit community. OUTSTANDING music program!! Even during virtual learning the school was AMAZING and really kept the kids engaged and checked in on kids well being. I just can’t say enough positive things about this school.... Read 79 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 390

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Penn-Trafford School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  274 reviews

Senior: I am very privileged to have been able to attend Penn-Trafford High School these past four years. We are consistently one of the top-ranked high schools in the state academically, with a state and national award-winning football team, marching band, cheer squad, and field hockey team. Our morning news show, though with frequent hiccups, looks nearly professional. There are many teachers for whom I will be indescribably grateful well into the future. The biggest issue at PT, however, is diversity and inclusion. The "Warrior," a compromise between the old Penn Indians and Trafford Tomahawks, is our mascot, an indigenous caricature that may not be as overt as others but certainly does not do Native peoples justice. I, nor my father, nor anyone I have spoken to, has ever met or known of a Native student attending Penn-Trafford. Students of color are few and very little support is offered for them which they do not create themselves. I want what PT offers to be accessible to everyone.... Read 274 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,310

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Pittsburgh, PA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Middle School Student: I have been a student at ECS from K-8. I cannot stress enough the how amazing and beneficial the staff have been. Every. Single. Teacher. I’ve had has been radically committed to the mission of this school (except one but dont worry). Daily I see teachers speaking on the same level as students and genuinely listening to their needs. The motto “we grow citizens” is exactly what is happening in this environment. Not only is the school devoted to cultivating learning that is beneficial for the future for students, teaching empathy and compassion, they also have lots of cool plants around each campus :). One of my most recent math teachers was one of the most influential people I have encountered in my 14 year life. He taught me so much about how to be compassionate, devoted, and vulnerable. Not only that, he taught about the deepest workings of math and encouraged students to ask questions and explore. ECS is filled with incredible teachers like this. Amazing environment for your child... Read 10 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,086

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Plum Borough School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  242 reviews

Alum: Plum Senior High School was definitely an experience filled with many memories. High school isn’t easy, but at Plum, it felt like home. From going to football games to participating in numerous school related activities, I felt a sense of belonging at PHS. After Covid and post graduation, many things at Plum have changed. The only thing that I hope changes at PHS is that more students can feel that sense of belonging. A feeling that school can be more from moving from class to class. I wish for the students who are enrolled at PHS to have those good memories, without feeling that it’s just another school day.... Read 242 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,161

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Montour School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.56 out of 5  215 reviews

Senior: Montour has an extremely welcoming community. All of my teachers have been concerned about my academic and personal success. Many of my teachers I’ve had the privilege of having for two years, allowing them to know me better, which has helped me academically thrive. Montour offers a plethora of classes for many fields of interest including pre-medicine and engineering. The staff also does a wonderful job of ensuring seniors have a post graduation plan. The students love to be involved in school activities and to rally for sports events. I feel very fortunate to have attended Montour because my experiences have made me feel ready for college and the real world.... Read 215 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 887

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Greater Latrobe School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.95 out of 5  169 reviews

Junior: There are many opportunities given to the students, and the staff is very supportive and understanding, however, recently some very drastic changes have been set in place. A lot of our free time is being taken, which I can not fully decide if I agree with the decision or not. Without this time, we are losing the freedom to do what best suits our time and schedules and we are at a loss of time for clubs and other activities we are involved in. I also feel that though there are many supportive teachers, most tend to only show their support towards the athletes and sports teams, leaving the arts programs thrown to the side. I know not everyone enjoys the arts but I feel as if the same attention should be shown, as it is for the athletics.... Read 169 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,200

• Student-teacher ratio —

• South Park School District, PA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  209 reviews

Senior: The teachers at the school are very well educated and love to help students learn. There are a wide range of classes to take based on your performance in each subject. The AP level classes are very demanding and are great in helping students prepare for college. There are many students in each class and great opportunities to meet new friends. The school does a great job in making sure that all of the students, staff, and faculty are safe. Many drills are performed throughout the school year to ensure safety. The students have a lot of school spirit as well! Students enjoy attending sport games and cheering on their fellow classmates. Overall, South Park High School is a great school to attend if you want to be academically successful and have fun while doing so.... Read 209 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 560

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1