2023 Best Schools with Gifted and Talented Programs in Washington

• 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+

• Students 610

• 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+

• Students 430

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• 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+

• Students 1,569

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• 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+

• Students 591

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• 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+

• Students 1,792

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• 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+

• Students 1,514

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Northshore School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  60 reviews

Freshman: Overall, North Creek is pretty great. Good choice of classes, beautiful campus (very well maintained and super sustainable). Everyone there is pretty nice. The only complaint I have… are the teachers. This obviously differs from person to person, and I’m only in my freshman year, but I really haven’t had a good experience with a lot of teachers, and I can say that I’m speaking for a lot of people. I think that they need to do a better job with hiring teachers that are suited for their jobs and a better job monitoring them. Now I know that this may be difficult, but I think that there are plenty of ways to fix this issue. We do a couple of surveys every once in a while, and I think including one for feedback for teachers would definitely be something they should do. Another thing I’d like to mention that from my experience had been really outstanding is the counselors and administration. They do an amazing job at supporting students, and have a great system. Anyways, that’s it. Go jags!... Read 60 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,698

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  456 reviews

Junior: I've enjoyed many parts of high school, like meeting new people and learning new material. Extracurricular opportunities have always been the largest contributing factor to my enjoyment and how I've met the most friends. Having involvement in a wide variety of clubs, sports, and activities has also been a big help. However, there are also many things to dislike. For example, the strict routine with minimal time to socialize and eat during lunch. Overall, many of the teachers are fantastic and make me want to participate and absorb new material. But teachers in the math department tend to be lacking. The student body is almost 2,500 students and tends to lack school spirit and unity, but there is lots of work being to done to try to remedy that. With additions to improve student learning with better teacher and attempts to bring students together that more accurately cater to students the school would be a much better place.... Read 456 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,161

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• 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+

• Students 1,544

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• 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+

• Students 2,302

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Mercer Island, WA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  19 reviews

Parent: NYHS has been a great choice for our son. We love the small class size, which enables each student to receive the full attention of every teacher. The teachers are excellent and the course offerings are challenging and adaptive to the interests of the students and faculty. In a small school, teachers are able to request and read multiple drafts of every essay, fostering the development of high level writing skills. The teachers make themselves available during lunch or after school, ensuring that students with questions are able to have them answered in a timely manner. The campus itself feels like comfortable home, with beautiful and inviting spaces both indoors and out, and even space to garden and raise chickens and bees! The school is deeply invested in college prep, and is highly interactive with parents in supporting the application process. We could not be more pleased with the education our son is receiving, both the Judaics and the general education components, at NYHS.... Read 19 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 53

• Student-teacher ratio 2:1

• 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+

• Students 1,672

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Seattle Public Schools, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  512 reviews

Senior: So far, my experience at Garfield High School has been great in my four years here! At Garfield, there are plenty of clubs, sports, and extracurricular activities to keep students busy. Some of the extracurricular activities that I participated in were Garfield Swim and Dive and Theatre. Although Garfield is a great school, there are many things that Garfield can improve on. One of the things that come to mind is safety and health among other students. During the 2022-2023 school year, there have been two known fights between students where the students fighting got arrested. In my opinion, arresting students in an unnecessary action can potentially ruin the individual's life. There shouldn't be students arrested on campus because it endangers their education and their health. On top of that, that arrest will be on their personal record. Now, there are exceptions to arresting students on campus. If a student were to commit a serious felony, then action should be taken.... Read 512 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,675

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Bainbridge Island School District, WA•

• K-4

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Both of my kids loved this school academically and socially. One of them had an IEP and felt very supported. The other needed no special help. Both kids had incredible teachers every year.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 343

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Bainbridge Island School District, WA•

• PK, K-4

• grade A+

• Students 347

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Bainbridge Island School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  265 reviews

Senior: Most of the teachers all care about their students and there are incredible art as well as materials classes. The facilities that this school has with an industrial kitchen, two wood shops and a metal shop, full ceramic studio with 6 kilns and 8 wheels and a well stocked art room is just amazing. All of the teachers are willing to help out if special attention is needed such as extra help and things like that. The social situation is very different in an island community where people have grown up here their whole lives and all seem to know each other which is fun to see but hard to break into as a new student. Overall very good school academically and with resources.... Read 265 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,275

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• PK, K-6

• •
  Rating 3.25 out of 5  4 reviews

High School Senior: The school is fairly new, so the school is a good learning environment with a lot of windows.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 476

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• 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+

• Students 1,575

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Mercer Island School District, WA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  6 reviews

Middle School Student: This mostly an outstanding school, I am currently finishing my 7th grade at IMS. Most of the teachers are pretty amazing. This school offers a variety of accelerated classes, which I always try to utilize. IMS has some varsity teams, although not much, a track, and volleyball teams. The atmosphere and culture is definitely something I value at this school, a huge portion of students participate in spirit days, and most people are nice and welcoming. The cafeteria food definitely needs improvement. But honestly, so far I’m having a good middle school experience.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 956

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Mercer Island School District, WA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 370

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Mercer Island School District, WA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 427

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• K-6

• grade A

• Students 437

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Bellevue School District, WA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  246 reviews

Senior: I'll start with what I love. The student spirit and diversity of this school is amazing. There are so many different backgrounds and culture represented though the clubs, classes, students, and teachers. Some of the things that I think we could work on would be lowering the amount of hostile student-admin conflicts. Arguments can get heated really quickly and get out of control even quicker. I also think sports and clubs should be better supported and funded. Overall though, I have loved my time and experience at Sammamish High School and the experiences and opportunities it has opened me up to.... Read 246 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,287

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Lake Washington School District, WA•

• K-6

• grade A

• Students 304

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Issaquah School District, WA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 1.5 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 513

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1