2024 High Schools with the Best Teachers in King County

• Seattle, WA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  30 reviews

Parent: This is a small school and the teachers have a lot of oversight in the progress of the students. In other public high schools in Seattle teachers have so many kids and don't have the time to devote to the progress of all their students. That is different at Summit Sierra. Students have the opportunity to attend office hours regularly if they need more help and they have extra activities like clubs and expeditions that a chance to explore different topics and meet other students. The times I have e-mailed the school with a concern I always have received a response same day. Leadership communicates well and I feel informed and know how to get involved. The neighborhood is a bit rough these days, but I never felt my student was in danger or at risk because of it.... Read 30 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A+

• Students 296

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  107 reviews

Alum: I loved my experience at stem - everyone from teachers to students are friendly and amazing, and we have a lot of resources, encouragement, and support from the school to enter competitions and pursue our passions. The school is pretty small compared to other high schools though, but that's a good thing for me because I was able to form amazing friendships and we are a tight-knit community. I would not suggest attending if you are not willing to put in the work because it is very stressful due to most classes being honors or AP, and you should be prepared to take multiple science classes in one year. Also, there are not many humanities classes, but I know amazing artists and passionate historians in the school that formed clubs related to their interests. I would highly recommend joining, but only if you are passionate about stem and are ready to take on the workload.... Read 107 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A+

• Students 610

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Seattle, WA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  16 reviews

Parent: Overall, we love the school. We love the idea of “pods” and a pod mentor who stays with the student consistently through their middle school years. The flip side of that, however (which I see as a con), is that if your child is assigned a mentor whose style and pod environment isn’t a good match for them, it isn’t possible to switch mentors and so they will be stuck with that pod and mentor for 3 years. We had this experience and it made my student’s desire to go to school suffer at times. Aside from that issue, it has been great for my student! I love the self-directed learning aspect and the fact that students are expected to take ownership over their work. The school is diverse and accepting. You can tell the administration and teachers work extremely hard, and they have been very kind to us and always responsive. The biggest draw is their record with high school graduates and their college admission rates. We are sticking with them and our student will be going to HS there.... Read 16 reviews

• grade A

• grade A+

• Students 500

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  353 reviews

Sophomore: The teachers are amazing and super skilled in their respective fields. However, there are a few rules that allow discrimination and bullying to occur. The campus is great and very easy to get around. The clubs and sports are super interesting and help you feel like a part of your community. The school’s spirit is a little low but that’s mainly because of COVID regulations and the ban of assemblies. Overall, I really enjoy going to Woodinville High School and highly recommend it!... Read 353 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Students 1,672

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.03 out of 5  95 reviews

Senior: As a rising senior, I know that my education at ICS has shaped me into the person I am. From 6th grade to the present, ICS has continued to challenge and engage me with its rigorous coursework (all honors classes). Each year builds upon what I have learned in the previous years, which has allowed me to excel in my classes. The teachers are amazing and dedicated to what they do. Although I may have missed out on some of the larger social aspects associated with a larger school, the small community at ICS is fun to be a part of, as you get to know everyone on an individual basis, including teachers, fellow students, and underclassman over the course of 6 years. There are lots of opportunities for mentorship and leadership with the clubs and activities here as well. ICS isn't the right school for everyone, but it definitely is for me and I'm glad I go here!... Read 95 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Students 430

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Highline School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  167 reviews

Senior: My favorite thing about Raisbeck Aviation High School is the diversity and the resources that my teachers provide. Their are kids from all over the area whether they live on an island or right in the school area. They are all welcome here. I see kids from from so many cultures and environments in school, but no matter the differences we all get along. And if someone is being picked on then they are free to tell a teacher and that teacher will help them work it out. At Raisbeck, the students are given so many opportunities to expand their minds and hearts. And our teachers are a great recourses to go to. Just ask for help on anything that a student might me having trouble with and they will answer any questions you may have. And if they specifically don't have that answer then they will direct you to another recourse that will. Here at my school everyone is welcome here. We have clubs and activities to join. We have a sports team. We even have our own mascot, a Friday the Phoenix. Bye!... Read 167 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Students 402

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  360 reviews

Alum: Teachers and Staff are extremely supportive. The competitive culture of the school doesn't feel overwhelming, instead, it drives students towards success!... Read 360 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Students 1,792

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  95 reviews

Senior: International School was amazing! It being a very small school compared to others in the district, a sense of community was formed between each grade. Everyone knew each other and we were able to talk to anyone! It was an amazing 7 years!... Read 95 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Students 591

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  491 reviews

Sophomore: I love the raging school spirit at football home games and the strength of the clubs, such as DECA! Our music program is very strong though. I love all my classes, especially the advanced ones, but if I could change one thing about Inglemoor, it would be the bathrooms. The bathrooms are not the newest, and sometimes smell like vape or weed. The drains in the bathroom sometimes overflow as well, which is not fun. In addition, the entire Inglemoor campus is currently an outdoor one, which does not make it the safest or most secure. However, the entire Inglemoor campus will soon be getting a renovation, which will change that.... Read 491 reviews

• grade A

• grade A

• Students 1,561

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  416 reviews

Senior: The teachers are generally good. The main problem is the segregation between the AL/IB programs and the General Education programs which results in AL/IB students getting prioritized with better classes, better teachers, etc. The counseling staff is overworked and have a tough time reaching out to students. There is also very poor and inefficient admin communication. Reputation and money is clearly prioritized above students' mental health with many students being forced to learn both AP and IB content in the same class (which substantially increases the workload) so that they can take more standardized tests.... Read 416 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A

• Students 1,569

• Student-teacher ratio 1569:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  497 reviews

Junior: There are many nice teachers and staff members who are willing to give extra help and advice when needed. There are also many students, so many opportunities to make friends and meet new people as well. Because of the number of students, the hallways do get crowded, as well as the parking lots directly before and afterschool. There are a variety of clubs and sports facilitated by the school that give students many activities and extracurriculars to choose from. The school community is welcoming overall and the school is a safe and fulfilling place for education!... Read 497 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• Students 2,302

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Renton School District, WA•

• 1-12

• •
  Rating 4.71 out of 5  7 reviews

Alum: Although I am biased, this is hands-down one of the best high/college prep schools in Washington. The science teachers prioritize very rigorous, 2-grades-ahead-level curriculum and drill the scientific and Socratic methods into students (very enriching). The humanities department is no-nonsense and navigates through all of American history in delightful and impartial ways. There is also a VERY STRONG expectation that students begin Running Start after grade 10--in fact, the graduating class is grade 10, so don't be deceived by the vague descriptions. Homework discussions are mandatory and one-on-one study sessions are very common, especially after school. As you can see, there is almost nothing to dislike about the school. Excellent, accelerated learning for transfer students.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Students 125

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  401 reviews

Alum: I think we can all agree that the worst part of attending Bothell was the Covid years. But putting that aside, I think the hardest part was making genuine friendships. Not until my senior year did I find my friends that were truly interested in my well being and did not create their identity through the partying "popular" crowd. My best experiences were connected to my athletic career. Winning the 2021 4A Volleyball State Championship was such a unique experience as the starting setter. Despite the very strong personalities on that team, we fought for this goal. In addition, my fastpitch team took 4th in state by senior year. I was the starting shortstop and loved competing with my classmates. The one thing I wish Bothell would change is the school schedule. Starting school late in the day (8:15) made the days long and did not allow time for students to engage in other activities. In addition Bothell has a 7-period day. Seven classes is TOO many for students to manage.... Read 401 reviews

• grade A minus

• grade A minus

• Students 1,770

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  247 reviews

Senior: Sammamish is a really good school in a beautiful area. They have a huge variety of courses to select from, including glass blowing, culinary and biotechnology. They have a small music program unfortunately, but my Junior year our jazz band won first place at the Commencement Bay festival. They have really good athletics such as our track team being 2 year girl kingco champions and 1 year boys kingco champs. Our girls soccer, gymnastics and cheer have all gone incredibly far in the 2A division. The football team isn’t fabulous but there’s lots of school spirit. The SHS robotics team has gone to the world championships three years in a row! The teachers are great and very understanding, sammamish has a very welcoming community.... Read 247 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Students 1,287

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  396 reviews

Alum: Issaquah High School has a variety of classes available, a relaxed school culture, and a multitude of extracurriculars. Issaquah offers many AP, honors, and elective courses. While there are state course requirements, students are given a lot of freedom in choosing their courses. I really enjoyed the relaxed school culture in my time there. The school has a relaxed phone policy and dress code and the administration often involves teachers' feedback in their decision-making. The students themselves are very friendly and academically motivated. Most teachers are approachable and kind. Overall, I hope that the school takes back the strict bathroom policy it implemented this past year. The school itself is a little dirty and overcrowded. The school is large and there are so many people to meet and clubs & sports to get involved in. Overall I really loved my time there! I highly recommend the photography, material science, and woodshop courses offered at IHS!... Read 396 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• Students 2,464

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Mercer Island School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  244 reviews

Alum: Mercer Island spirit is insane, the students, staff, parents, everyone participates in our spirit days and football games even though our team isn't the best. The academics/teachers are really good and it's not that competitive nor are the students snobby and spoiled like the Mercer Island stereotype everyone else believes in. Overall I really enjoyed my experience at MIHS.... Read 244 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• Students 1,544

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.65 out of 5  218 reviews

Senior: Ingraham is extremely strong academically, especially with the IB program, and is widely regarded as one of the best in the city, but the school does not put much effort into including underrepresented groups in the program and, because of that, the school can feel very segregated at times. Students who are in the general education classes never get to interact with those in IB classes, and those from minority groups are never encouraged to take harder classes, while white students are. The school can be an incredibly enriching environment if you are willing to take the hardest classes offered and be very involved in the school, but for students who may not have the resources to take those hard classes and aren't encouraged to now, the experience feels very unfulfilling.... Read 218 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Students 1,461

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  209 reviews

Junior: Good school with a strong performing arts program and lots of resources for students. I'm in band and jazz band and we perform, travel, and compete often. There's a specialized college and career counselor who's very helpful to talk to. I transferred starting junior year and I found it pretty easy to make friends, largely because of my involvement in band. Also, this school is very committed to sports. Multiple teams made it to state tournaments this year. However, BHS is very clique-y. Imagine you're in a high school movie surrounded by rich kids who care immensely about popularity and football. SO many girls are bleach blondes. I found it jarring to move into this social environment. Also, BHS seems to have low standards for their teachers. Multiple teachers display rampant favoritism and some are incompetent. The social studies department will either overwork you and grade unfairly or slack off for the entire year.... Read 209 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• Students 1,514

• Student-teacher ratio 1514:1

• Highline School District, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Sophomore: There are some teachers who are very good and others who barely care and dont prepare you for whats ahead.There is a middle school history and a highschool history teacher. And when i got to the highschool teacher i realized how poorly prepared the middle school teacher had left me.... Read 5 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Students 183

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  336 reviews

Alum: As someone who attended Roosevelt a few years back, Roosevelt is truly the best public high school in Seattle. The school is filled with a bunch of well driven students who will grow up to be very successful, which is shown by the amount of students who go on to attend prestigious universities throughout the country (UCLA, NYU, Cal, USC, UW, etc.,). Aside from the phenomenal academics, Roosevelt offers a great social scene, with there being lots of off campus social events on the weekends. Additionally, Roosevelt has very high student participation rate in athletics, as well as music & arts. With notable alumni such as Duff McKagan, Nikki Sixx, Sir Mix-a-Lot, and Mike McCready, what is there to not love about Roosevelt High School?... Read 336 reviews

• grade A

• grade A minus

• Students 1,575

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  49 reviews

Senior: The Center School fosters a creative environment for students to explore their present and future interests and desires. It is a majority queer student body with lots of resources and community support for queer students!... Read 49 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Students 266

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Federal Way Public Schools, WA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  10 reviews

Sophomore: My experience at TAFA At Saghalie was incredible! It gave me the opportunity to explore many STEM businesses while also meeting amazing mentors to help me explore different careers. TAFA is different from other schools in our district because not only is it STEM and PBL (project based learning) but the teachers there go out of their way to make sure students are understanding the curriculum by teaching us certain subjects in creative ways. TAFA also gives students a chance to exhibit their creativity by holding an annual STEM Expo (which is a science fair). The only thing I would want changed about TAFA is the classes they offer that are not in stem. For example, home EC and drama/theater are classes that I've been extremely interested in but not given a chance to participate in school. However, TAFA is a well rounded school. Not only because of the countless field trips we partake in, and the opportunities we get to meet with STEM individuals, but the staff that makes it happen.... Read 10 reviews

• grade B

• grade A minus

• Students 530

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  28 reviews

Senior: Nova High school is one of the best high schools I have gone to because of the classes, being accepted there, having great friends, and the structure of the school and how it works. The classes are different because you talk more about climate change, justice and racial based classes and also LGBTQ+ classes and that makes the students feel more accepted. We use pronouns at are school meaning that if you want to change your gender we will accept that 100% and support you. My friends are amazing there since they understand what I have gone through and my struggles and we have great deep conversations about real life issues. All my friends understand when I have a bad day and support me no matter what. Are school runs similar to a college we have three classes per day and there longer. Monday and Wednesday classes are the same and Tuesday and Thursday classes are the same. On friday it switches off between those days of classes. We also have no grades only credits which relieves stress.... Read 28 reviews

• grade B+

• grade A minus

• Students 230

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  509 reviews

Junior: I love how Skyline is an inclusive and diverse environment. It encourages individuality and cooperation. We hold many unique events and celebrations, and I love seeing everyone show their school spirit. The teachers are very supportive and we have a variety of assignments that work for every type of learning. I would love to see more clubs at the school, even though we already have a variety. I would also enjoy it if we had more classes on college readiness and future skills, such as ones dedicated to the college experience and for information on housing, banking, home economics/cooking, and other critical skills.... Read 509 reviews

• grade A+

• grade A minus

• Students 2,218

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  236 reviews

Alum: I feel that my experience at Cleveland was very enjoyable as someone who not only wanted to pursue an engineering career but also find community at a racial diverse school. As a STEM school, I appreciated the various advanced math and science classes offered to students. However, if you are seeking classes such as any AP classes related to humanities/L.A./history, those are not currently offered. From my experience, the teachers were very chill as long as you are putting in effort in their class. That being said, if you are struggling academically, there are also many support systems/programs available. You'll also find that the counselors are amazing at their job (especially once you're a junior or senior)!... Read 236 reviews

• grade A

• grade B+

• Students 908

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1