2023 Best Schools in Manchester

• Windsor, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  142 reviews

Freshman: I like the welcoming environment and sense of belonging from going to this school. Loomis’s emphasis on the Best Self and Common Good is present throughout the school‘s culture and social life, and hence the school is very open and accepting. The diversity at the school made me feel welcome and accepted, and Loomis’s programs to raise awareness for groups like the LGBTQ+ community were reaffirming and a nice action for National Coming Out Day. The school’s academic programs are beneficially challenging as well, with flexibility in advancing in courses such that students are able to take sufficiently challenging courses. The music, arts and after school activities all have an abundance of applicable resources. The Loomis Chaffee School is a great place for students who are willing to take initiative and seek resources to advance their learning and skills.... Read 142 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 741

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Farmington, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  124 reviews

Freshman: Really like the school’s atmosphere! It is such a warm and inclusive community. Nice people, close connections here. The academics is challenging but definitely not overwhelming. There are a lot of really fun traditions waiting for Newgs to explore which makes the school days super fun.... Read 124 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 334

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• West Hartford, CT•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.63 out of 5  52 reviews

Senior: Kingswood Oxford or KO is a wonderful school with awesome teachers who connect well with students. Classes are often smaller than 15 students which allows teachers to truly connect with each of the students and understand them and their learning styles more. The school helps in many aspects of life helping students as they grow in both age and their academic pursuits. Many students from KO are great public speakers and debaters despite shyness. Others with more artistic talents have become amazing artists, and those who are thoroughly interested in athletics have been committed to colleges as early as the beginning of their junior years. The community, food, academics, teachers, programs, and athletics are great and very fun. Everyone learns how to work hard but still enjoy themselves during the school year and personally it has been an amazing experience. The only reason it is missing a star is due to its lack of diversity but hopefully, that gets fixed soon!... Read 52 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 501

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Hartford, CT•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.77 out of 5  112 reviews

Junior: As a student at Watkinson, the teachers here, are such good listeners - good for listening when you want a challenge, good for listening for when you need help, good for listening when you need advice or want to share what you did over the weekend. Knowing that you have a support system or adults ready to assist you, especially being apart of the Learning Skills Program (LSP) with one on one tutoring has really helped me. I have completed assignments faster and have been able to focus more during school hours so that I have more time after school to enjoy what I love doing...playing volleyball! I play Volleyball at Watkinson and it is a lot of fun! We have practices everyday throughout the fall and games throughout the week. Our coaches really put in effort and teach us a lot so that we will improve our skills and be the best players we can be on the court.... Read 112 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 245

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• 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

• Manchester, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  103 reviews

Junior: Junior at East Catholic. Had a lot of issues with the school involving the administration, but President Sean Brennan has done an amazing job fixing the place up! He’s created a much more comfortable environment for students of color, and put in a clear effort to fix the major flaws of the school. Many of the issues present in my freshman year are gone now. It has improved impressively and i’m very glad with how the environment here is.... Read 103 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 477

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Windsor, CT•

• Private School•

• K-11

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: I stayed here for 7 years and it was great. I am a student from 5 - 12 grade and I never had any problem with this school.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 135

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Manchester, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.34 out of 5  38 reviews

Parent: These teachers care deeply! They get involved when students misbehave or mistreat one another. They intervene and even pray with the students. My son has been attending from Kindergarten to 3rd grade and will continue through to 12th grade. The pledge of allegiance is said every morning. Respect for all people is taught and modeled. Homework is kept to a minimum to prioritize family time. While my son is only in 3rd grade, I've still seen academic rigor proportional to the grade. Some students were reading independently in 1st grade and others had extra reading sessions with a volunteer! There is music, art, and chapel weekly. There is a student band that leads worship! My son sometimes tells me when students misbehaved and caused his team to lose during PE. In each story, I've found the teacher response to be refreshingly appropriate and personal. I give my highest recommendation for this school! You and your kids will love it!... Read 38 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 187

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• West Hartford, CT•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.52 out of 5  23 reviews

Alum: The school is very small (40-60) kids 9-12th grade, so you get a very personal experience when it comes to classmates and teachers. The teachers and staff truly care about the students and they are role models to me as well as teachers. The head of school is not the best, but the school runs well and the opportunities that such a tight knit community offers makes up for it.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 41

• Student-teacher ratio 4:1

• Newington, CT•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  32 reviews

Alum: What I liked about Emmanuel Christian Academy is that they had AP courses available to prepare you for college. I really don’t have a problem with anything at Emmanuel, but I will say that this school is only for those who want there children to have a solid Christian based education. If that is not what you’re looking for, then Emmanuel isn’t for you. Otherwise Emmanuel is an excellent school and I highly recommend it to all parents, especially those of the next generation.... Read 32 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 294

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• 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

• Manchester School District, CT•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  407 reviews

Niche User: This school is amazing! There are so many different kinds of people and so much diversity with no room to feel like you didn't belong. Teachers and Manchester High school are very caring and throughout the years prepare you to make a transition into college and finding what you want to do. There are 4 academy's within the school that pertain to the students interest whether it's art, science, health, etc. Not only are there good programs when it comes to academics, but also great after school activities and sports. If a student wants to add an activity (for example ASL club) they can just bring It up with a teacher or an administrator and it will be made possible! MHS makes students feel welcome, cared about, and helps students to push themselves academically to be successful in the future.... Read 407 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,640

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Hartford, CT•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  63 reviews

Alum: At Achievement First Hartford High school, I really enjoyed the academic experience. The teachers really take their time to provide you with the information you need to help you be successful in the future. There are many resources around to help each student individually. The environment is always welcoming to everyone and the school tries their hardest to make sure they involve parents in activities. When it comes to things that need to be changed there are many. The first thing that needs to be changed is the diversity among teachers and the second thing actually taking the students advice. The school always ask for students opinion but actually taking them into consideration has been a struggle. Other than that, the school is good when it comes to helping students prepare for the future.... Read 63 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,163

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Manchester, CT•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Junior: I love this school! I've never felt like my education was really personalized for me, and at Odyssey, that's how I feel! The teachers are kind and knowledgable, always willing to try to get something to work for you. I wanted to take a psychology course and my history teacher worked tirelessly to get me enrolled in a psychology course at UNCA.... Read 4 reviews

• grade B

• Students 328

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• 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

• 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

• Manchester School District, CT•

• PK, K-4

• grade B minus

• Students 326

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• 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

• Manchester School District, CT•

• K-4

• grade B minus

• Students 405

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• 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

• Manchester School District, CT•

• K-4

• grade B minus

• Students 333

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Manchester School District, CT•

• PK, K-4

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: It appears to be a very close knit community of parents. They seem extremely supportive of the students but need to be more welcoming to new parents.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 303

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1