As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.
It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.5 million students enrolled in public PreK-12 schools in 2021, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.
For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.
Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in Mississippi using 2023 rankings from Niche. Niche uses eight weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics and grades, but other factors include culture and diversity, health and safety, clubs and activities, resources, and surveys of parents, teachers and students. School districts are provided when available; otherwise, the city is listed instead.
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#30. Bay High School
– District: Bay St. Louis-Waveland School District
– Enrollment: 526 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: B+
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#29. Clarkdale High School
– District: Lauderdale County School District
– Enrollment: 460 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#28. Olive Branch High School
– District: DeSoto County School District
– Enrollment: 1,097 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#27. D’Iberville Senior High School
– District: Harrison County School District
– Enrollment: 1,284 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#26. West Harrison High School
– District: Harrison County School District
– Enrollment: 1,045 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#25. New Hope High School
– District: Lowndes County School District
– Enrollment: 777 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#24. Nanih Waiya Attendance Center
– District: Louisville Municipal School District
– Enrollment: 570 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#23. Long Beach High School
– District: Long Beach School District
– Enrollment: 895 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#22. Clinton High School
– District: Clinton Public School District
– Enrollment: 1,154 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#21. Walhalla High School
– District: Oconee County School District
– Enrollment: 1,151 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#20. Pearl High School
– District: Pearl Public School District
– Enrollment: 1,118 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#19. Lafayette High School
– District: Lafayette County School District
– Enrollment: 827 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#18. Belmont School
– District: Tishomingo County School District
– Enrollment: 814 (13:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#17. Mississippi School of the Arts
– District: Brookhaven
– Enrollment: 101 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#16. Northwest Rankin High School
– District: Rankin County School District
– Enrollment: 1,743 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#15. DeSoto Central High School
– District: DeSoto County School District
– Enrollment: 1,841 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#14. Germantown High School
– District: Madison County School District
– Enrollment: 1,289 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#13. Center Hill High School
– District: DeSoto County School District
– Enrollment: 1,059 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#12. Tupelo High School
– District: Tupelo Public School District
– Enrollment: 1,937 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#11. St. Martin High School
– District: Jackson County School District
– Enrollment: 1,249 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#10. Gulfport High School
– District: Gulfport School District
– Enrollment: 1,765 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#9. Oxford High School
– District: Oxford School District
– Enrollment: 1,267 (20:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A-
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#8. Petal High School
– District: Petal School District
– Enrollment: 1,167 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#7. Biloxi High School
– District: Biloxi Public School District
– Enrollment: 1,742 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#6. Lewisburg High School
– District: DeSoto County School District
– Enrollment: 1,227 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#5. Oak Grove High School
– District: Lamar County School District
– Enrollment: 1,701 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#4. Madison Central High School
– District: Madison County School District
– Enrollment: 1,237 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#3. Pass Christian High School
– District: Pass Christian Public School District
– Enrollment: 653 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#2. Ocean Springs High School
– District: Ocean Springs School District
– Enrollment: 1,808 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A
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#1. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
– District: Columbus
– Enrollment: 238 (11:1 student to teacher ratio)
– Niche grade: A+
