K-12 Schools in Texas
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2018 Niche Standout High Schools in TexasAbout this List

The 2018 Niche Standout High Schools list recognizes public schools that are making a difference in their community. The ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include school diversity, graduation rates and state test scores for economically disadvantaged and minority students, SAT/ACT scores, and the quality of colleges that students consider. The list is limited to only schools with 1) at least 50% of students identified by the school as economically disadvantaged and 2) a Niche Overall Grade of B or higher. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

Niche Standout Schools
404 results

  1. Harmony School of Advancement - High School

    • Public School
    • Houston, TX
    • 9-12
    • 158
    1 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Harmony School of Advancement is culturally very diverse, there are so many students from different backgrounds that you get to experience aspects of culture and communication that is not offered at most schools. There are many teachers that love what they do and they push for other students who love learning to go beyond their perceived limits. The school is slowly starting to open up to fields beyond STEM subjects, and by beginning to cultivate the art and sports fields, Harmony School of Advancement is on its way to becoming a well-developed and well rounded high school.
    Read 158 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 626 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 42% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  2. Bellaire High School

    • Houston Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 583
    2 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Junior: ‪The academics are hard if you take APs, but the majority of teachers in the non advanced courses are bad, except for in some of the harder math classes w/ a lot of preAP/AP drop downs. School is segregated subconsciously due to AP classes being predominantly white and Asian, while the academic level courses are predominantly Hispanic and black. A good school if you're smart and self motivated. Not the best if you're stupid. If you're looking for stuff that doesn't really matter like a good sports team, go to the suburbs. Overall Bellaire succeeds where it matters the most, academics in AP classes. If you can't handle advanced classes, I'd suggest getting zoned to a school in the suburbs where the advanced classes are most likely worse, but you can actually learn something in the lower level classes. Bellaire is a great school if your smart and can keep up in advanced classes, not so great if you're stupid/a slower learner.‬
    Read 583 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,689 Students
    • 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 47% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  3. Richards School for Young Women Leaders

    • Austin Independent School District, TX
    • 6-12
    • 115
    3 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    High School Senior: Our school recquires sophomores to take AP World History, juniors to take AP US History and AP English, and seniors to take AP English and one AP or dual credit science class. Upperclassmen also the option of taking a few different AP classes as their electives, such as computer science or, in previous years, AP Environmental Science.

    Another awesome and unique thing about ARS is our Pathways. Highschool students are in one of three pathways - Engineering, Media Tech, or Biomed. Each year students will take one class in their pathway. These paths teach students everything they need to know about these male-dominated STEM career paths. Media tech students learn how to film, act, edit, and animate. Engineering students learn about architecture, technology, and various kinds of engineering and lots of math. Biomed students learn about the human body, medical interventions, and different medical jobs.

    The overall workload of the school can be overwhelming to new students because it is very similar to a college workload. The great thing about this is that students are forced to learn good time management skills. If you can't do that, you will either fail or hurt yourself from stress and lack of sleep.
    Read 115 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 764 Students
    • 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 59% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  5. Challenge Early College High School

    • Houston Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 253
    4 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Junior: Challenge is a great school academic wise. Most of the teachers are very nice with their students and know how to connect with them effectively. However a lot of the time, the amount of work can be very overwhelming and forces a student to pull many "all nighters" in a week. The work can become very stressful especially for students who live far (like me.) Waking up early and getting home late may force a student like me to not have much of a social life which does not help cope with the stress. The school also lacks many clubs and activities since its mainly academic oriented. This makes it hard for a student to forget about all his or her assignments throughout the day. One thing that is very noteworthy, is that since the school is an early college, it gives high school students a very good early college setting and the ability to let a student graduate with their associates degree is a definite plus, and definitely encourages a student to keep working hard.
    Read 253 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 478 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 71% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  6. Harmony Science Academy High School - Houston

    • Public School
    • Houston, TX
    • 9-12
    • 346
    5 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Niche User: Harmony Science Academy was a completely new experience for me, one which I enjoyed very much. There is so much diversity in this school, both in regard to the student body, as well as the staff. The teachers are able and willing to sit down one-on-one with the students and offer the help they can with school work and homework. I made a lot of friends from different countries, and we all got along well. Harmony has a lot of clubs and after school activities so you could always volunteer in one of them, and thus, I was able to interact more with my classmates and my teachers. If I could choose whether to attend this school again, I would do it again. I think this was personally the best choice of school because it respected my beliefs as a student and helped me succeed.
    Read 346 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 550 Students
    • 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 75% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  7. Harmony Science Academy - North Austin

    • Public School
    • Pflugerville, TX
    • 8-12
    • 56
    6 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: I've been at Harmony for about eight years now. When I was in the fifth grade, this school was on their second year of being an actual school. I've had the opportunity to see not only teachers come and go, but also the building change to accommodate its students. HSANA is a great school that will, no doubt, prepare students for college and STEM careers. Students are challenged academically, and are exposed to opportunities that are sometimes beyond imagination. Even though there's a slight communication and organization problem (no school is perfect), HSANA's treatment toward its students is impeccable enough to overlook that.
    Read 56 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 657 Students
    • 13:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 54% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  10. Richardson High School

    • Richardson Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 328
    7 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: My experience at Richardson High School has been very positive. From the beginning of freshman year, I've always had people be so nice and welcoming. Th teachers are always there for you, and you never have to worry about not having any friends! The school spirit is very exciting and we always cheer each other on!
    Read 328 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,653 Students
    • 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 49% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  11. Alief Early College High School

    • Alief Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 401
    8 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Coming into the school, I didn't know what to expect. But now as a Senior, I can definitely say that my experience here was amazing. The opportunity to receive an Associates Degree and my High School Diploma at the same time is one of my greatest achievements. Though we don't have any sports or UIL teams, we make our own clubs that will make our experience here much greater. One of my favorite parts about going to this school were the events we have going on all the time. It's like every week or two, something is going on and it keeps the fun in our school going! This year, we were recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School and because of that, Blue Bell Ice Cream was served to every staff and student in our school! All in all, I really enjoyed my time here at the school and I encourage people to come here because it's a deal you can't get anywhere else in Alief.
    Read 401 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 435 Students
    • 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 80% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  12. KIPP Houston High School

    • Public School
    • Houston, TX
    • 9-12
    • 162
    9 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: I like the resources the school provides for us. The school makes applying for college easy and the teachers here care for their students. Whenever students struggle, teachers are more than glad to help tutor the student during lunch tutorials. This year the school has focused on social justice. Teachers are assigning students projects to better their community. Overall, is doing a great job creating intelligent students that will already have experience shaping a better future for their community.
    Read 162 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 591 Students
    • 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 87% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  14. Bryan Collegiate High School

    • Bryan Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 124
    10 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Bryan Collegiate is a great early college high school. The staff put forth the best resources to help future college students prepare for college life. Students are taught good study habits and are encouraged to apply to many universities, fill out their FAFSA early and apply for scholarships. We also get dual-credit education, in which we are enrolled at a community college (Blinn College) to accumulate college credits as well as high school credits. This opportunity gives students a good perspective on college life. Overall, Collegiate is a fantastic school for students aiming for a college education. If anything were to change, I would like to see more accessible help for the students who attend Blinn almost full-time because once we hit senior year we are expected to be fully independent (i.e. getting help from Blinn) but it is intimidating going somewhere new, so getting help from familiar faces would be great.
    Read 124 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 367 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 65% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  15. Early College Academy at Southridge

    • Spring Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 69
    11 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: ECAS is a great school where you are able to connect with teachers on a personal level and have a chance to earn good grades. In ECAS, you can make a lot of friends! The academics they offer are the best in the district, even in the state. Early College is a top notch school.
    Read 69 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 380 Students
    • 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 62% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  16. Cypress Falls High School

    • Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 547
    12 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: The past four years I spent at Cypress Falls were overall amazing. Every student goes through hard and good times when they are in high school. But at Cy-Falls there was always some one there to help or be apart of it. The environmental of the school is something that I was always looking forward to every morning! From the academics to the student clubs to the sports we are family. Cy-Falls always had that special connection with the community around them. When ever they were in need we gave back. They treated us the same way back. That made it even more special to be apart of the student body in the school. The teachers and staff at the school make it funny and exciting some how for students to be comfortable. Our principal always considers us family which is why we say, " WE ARE ONE! ".
    Read 547 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,667 Students
    • 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 47% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  19. Jersey Village High School

    • Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 516
    13 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Jersey village high school is an extremely diverse and comforting place to learn. The only thing I would change is the way they advertise the clubs. The way they go about it is through posters and the occasional announcement, and that's pretty great, but It doesn't give me a solid idea of all the clubs offered at Jersey Village. For example, I only just found out in my senior year that there was a philosophy and a computer science club in school! I totally missed out.
    Read 516 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,461 Students
    • 16:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 51% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  20. Talkington School for Young Women Leaders

    • Lubbock Independent School District, TX
    • 6-12
    • 34
    14 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Talkington SYWL is a great school. Everyone is so welcoming and truly cares for your well-being and education. The teachers and students have a deep connection, it almost feels as though they are your 2nd parent figures. Even though it is an all girls school, having no boys helps the girls focus more on their education rather than if a boy likes them. Plus, it's an opportunity to find who you truly and what you are passionate about. The courses that are given truly prepares the students for how college is going to be like because the main goal that Talkington has is to have 100% acceptance to a 4-year university.
    Read 34 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 415 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 51% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  21. Garland High School

    • Garland Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 456
    15 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Sophomore: Although I am currently a sophomore in highschool, I believe that I have obtained enough experience to write an accurate response to the prompt. During my time at this school, I enjoyed the majority of my teachers. I could tell they truly enjoyed their job and found their field of work to be useful. They expressed this through detailed presentations, individualized grading and making me feel as though my learning was their first priority. This positively contributed to my overall experience at Garland High School. During the remainder of my high school career, I would like to see the school-wide rules change. At this particular school, many student offenses go unpunished. This creates an unsafe environment for students as well as teachers. I believe administration should take the offenses more seriously. The students that do wrong should be punished/have harsher punishments than those currently issued.
    Read 456 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,621 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 55% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  22. Lamar High School

    • Houston Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 616
    16 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Lamar High School has been a roller coaster for me! Being the only HISD, school still wearing uniform and not having early dismissal gets me heated. Administration can also be a bit tricky. An incident can be so minor, but you'd still have to take major disciplinary actions for what you have done. As far as grades and education goes, I give everything a thumbs up! Lamar has many resources to help students get the help they need that they aren't getting at home and in the classrooms. Tutorials are provided everyday from the crack of dawn to late at night. The teachers here are so supportive in every way but also are stern on us because they know we have potential in to becoming a great A student. My overall experience at Lamar High School has had its ups and downs, but I have enjoyed every bit of it.
    Read 616 Reviews

    • B
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,288 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 48% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  23. Sherman High School

    • Sherman Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 106
    17 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Niche User: This school is pretty good being a public school. The staff has changes a lot, and their focus is back on the students. They have a large band section that involves any music aficionado. They are top 2% in all of Texas for academics. All of the sports teams are evenly funded, and Mrs. Richey encourages her cheer leaders to work hard and support each other. The drama club is always going to state for their one act plays. Overall Sherman High School has something for everyone.
    Read 106 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,780 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 57% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  26. Young Women'S College Preparatory Academy

    • Houston Independent School District, TX
    • 6-12
    • 56
    18 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Junior: Attending for Young Women College Preparatory Academy for 6 years has prepared me academically for the future ahead of me in my college path. Making every individual reach their full potential and giving them a sense of authority as future female leaders in the STEM related field. It has exponentially provided many courses is which one can challenge herself and have many opportunities.
    What i do suggest in changing is the limited fields available in the campus. To not only have a superior engineering field but also medical, nursing and other STEM related that are students might feel interested in majoring in the future.
    Read 56 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 522 Students
    • 18:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 69% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  27. Houston Academy for International Studies

    • Houston Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 152
    19 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Junior: For certain, Houston Academy for International Studies (HAIS) gives students a lot of freedom to explore their fields of interest with dual credit classes and opportunities to travel abroad whether it's a summer or a year. I would like to see a change in the attitude on how certain students are treated, organization for Fridays or in case of disaster, how work loads can be more spread out, and more SAT or AP prep.
    Read 152 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 441 Students
    • 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 71% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  28. North Garland High School

    • Garland Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 595
    20 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: When I started North Garland, I was terrified of the change but adapted quickly. I had made the best of friends, and overcame challenges from peer pressure to make better decisions for myself. I can't think about being in other school because being here at North Garland is my home being the beginning to the end. The teachers are very understanding and very tough for all good reasons. The staff is very hardworking to keep the school clean, so to return the thanks is to pick up after yourself with the trash and how the school equipment is treated. My experiences at North Garland was the best and I wouldn't change it for the world. Go Raiders!
    Read 595 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,497 Students
    • 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 63% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  29. Mumford High School

    • Mumford Independent School District, TX
    • 7-12
    • 13
    21 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    High School Senior: I would like to choose this school again if I can because, the teachers and students in here are friendly. The students in here have the great endeavor toward theirs careers in life. They recognize how significance role of education impact on their life and they take any opportunity as much as they can to help them success. Not only the students, but also the teachers have the passionate and whole-hearted toward their students.
    Read 13 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 218 Students
    • 13:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 75% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  30. Victory Early College High School

    • Aldine Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 310
    22 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: Victory Early College is a small and productive school. Where everyone in your class knows each other, where you can find help from teachers and from your classmates as well. Being at Victory for four years was difficult but not impossible. Being dedicated and always trying your best will get you through the test and college classes you have to take while taking your high school classes. Its a little challenging but with the friendly environment, the help of everyone it can be great. When leaving from Victory , you have being successful by completing your associates degree and getting your high school diploma.
    Read 310 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 470 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 75% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  32. Berkner High School

    • Richardson Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 523
    23 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Alum: I enjoyed going to school here. I learned a lot, and there were some teachers that really got me ready for college. My AP and PreAP classes were challenging and fair. I also met a wide variety of people which helped me with my social skills. Extracurricular activities were amazing! Sometimes I didn't feel all that safe and there were some "bad seed" students in the school but I never had any issues.
    Read 523 Reviews

    • A-
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,494 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 53% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  33. Smith High School

    • Carrollton-Farmers Branch Independent School District, TX
    • 9-12
    • 244
    24 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Senior: The school is very good with its education but it is very scrict. i an a senior at smith and I'm glad it's my last year, smith is a good school as far as making sure the student body is learning something new everyday or trying something new. The biggest problem I have with Smith is some of the rules they have set for the students, an example would be the dress code. Students aren't allowed to wear ripped jeans because its "distracting" and "takes away from education." I think it's dumb how the school doesn't let us have any fun such as school spirit, our homecoming was two weeks ago and we weren't even allowed to wear a onesie for animal day! The school rules are riduculouse and needs a change as soon as possible
    Read 244 Reviews

    • B+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,973 Students
    • 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 60% Free or Reduced Lunch
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  34. Westchester Academy for International Studies

    • Spring Branch Independent School District, TX
    • 6-12
    • 266
    25 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas

    Alum: I enjoyed being there from middle school to high school and all of the teachers are very helpful. Senior year in particular was hard because I was taking IB and AP courses but in the end I finished. The facility is always clean and the thing I loved the most about Westchester is that everyone is friendly and they will always try to help you. The foreign language teachers are amazing even though they are often strict it is definitely worth learning a new language and being able to master it throughout the years. Aside from all of that the teachers will always try to help the students, when I was struggling the teacher was always willing to give me extra help and stay after school to help be before a test or quiz.
    Read 266 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 971 Students
    • 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    • 56% Free or Reduced Lunch
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2018 Niche Standout High Schools in Texas
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