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High schools · Atlanta, Georgia · Updated for 2026 on NCES and Georgia data

Best High Schools in Atlanta, Georgia

39 high schools compared, ranked on the evidence each campus reports.

The fieldEvery ranked high school on the 1–10 scale.
Ranked schools run3.6Mcnair High Schoolto8.8Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academyon the one-to-ten scale.

39 ranked · top 25 from 6.1 to 8.8 · median 6.3

The brief

I'm choosing a school for

The top-rated high schools in Atlanta for 2026 are Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academy (8.8/10), Midtown High School (8.3/10), and North Atlanta High School (8.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of 39 high schools with real test data included in this ranking. Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Atlanta's 23 ranked high schools span a meaningful range of performance, with an average composite score of 6.0/10 across the metro. Charles Drew Charter JA/SR Academy leads the field at 8.4/10 — a full 1.3 points ahead of the next tier — followed by Carver High School Early College, Riverwood International Charter School, and B.E.S.T Academy, which all land at or above 7.1/10. Only 4 schools, or 17% of the ranked list, clear the 7.0 threshold, making the top of this table genuinely competitive. The table below lets you sort by score, school type, and other key metrics to find the right fit. Charter and magnet options appear throughout the rankings, giving families real alternatives to traditional neighborhood assignments. Use the filters to narrow by what matters most — whether that's academic rigor, proximity, or program focus — then click any school for a deeper look at the data behind its score.

Ranked by composite score; the tick is the score on the 1–10 axis.

  1. 18.8
  2. 2
    Midtown High SchoolAtlanta Public Schools
    8.3
  3. 3
    North Atlanta High SchoolAtlanta Public Schools
    8.2
  4. 48.2
  5. 58.1
  6. 68.0
  7. 78.0
  8. 8
    Maynard Jackson High SchoolAtlanta Public Schools
    7.9
  9. 97.8
  10. 107.3
The ten highest-rated high schools in Atlanta, best first.MySchoolScout composite scores. Updated for 2026 on NCES and Georgia data.

All 39 ranked

Every ranked school on the axis, then the ledger.

Top 25 of 39

Rating · students · student-teacher ratio · grades
  1. 1Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr AcademycharterAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 8.8students 916student-teacher ratio 12.4:1grades 6th–12th
  2. 2Midtown High SchoolAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 8.3students 1,658student-teacher ratio 15.6:1grades 9th–12th
  3. 3North Atlanta High SchoolAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 8.2students 2,332student-teacher ratio 15.4:1grades 9th–12th
  4. 4The New School Atlantarating 8.2students 91student-teacher ratio 5.5:1grades 9th–12th
  5. 5Brandon Hall Schoolrating 8.1students 109student-teacher ratio 5.5:1grades 6th–12th
  6. 6Atlanta Girls Schoolrating 8.0students 187student-teacher ratio 6.4:1grades 6th–12th
  7. 7The New Schoolrating 8.0students 91student-teacher ratio 5.5:1grades 9th–12th
  8. 8Maynard Jackson High SchoolAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 7.9students 1,551student-teacher ratio 13.5:1grades 9th–12th
  9. 9Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership AcademyAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 7.8students 339student-teacher ratio 6.9:1grades 6th–12th
  10. 10North Springs High SchoolFulton Countyrating 7.3students 1,304student-teacher ratio 15.2:1grades 9th–12th
  11. 11Riverwood International Charter SchoolFulton Countyrating 6.9students 1,716student-teacher ratio 16.2:1grades 9th–12th
  12. 12Yeshiva Ohr Yisrael of Atlantarating 6.9students 60student-teacher ratio 4.9:1grades 9th–12th
  13. 13Ben Franklin Academyrating 6.9students 94student-teacher ratio 4.6:1grades 9th–12th
  14. 14B.e.s.t AcademyAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 6.8students 237student-teacher ratio 6.6:1grades 6th–12th
  15. 15Bright Futures Academyrating 6.8students 67student-teacher ratio 6.7:1grades 5th–12th
  16. 16The Howard Schoolrating 6.7students 345student-teacher ratio 8.5:1grades 8th–12th
  17. 17Temima, the Richard and Jean Katz High School forrating 6.6students 61student-teacher ratio 5.1:1grades 9th–12th
  18. 18Westlake High SchoolFulton Countyrating 6.5students 2,156student-teacher ratio 19.2:1grades 9th–12th
  19. 19Kipp Atlanta Collegiate Charter SchoolcharterAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 6.4students 832student-teacher ratio 14.1:1grades 9th–12th
  20. 20Carver High School Early CollegeAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 6.3students 526student-teacher ratio 7.7:1grades 9th–12th
  21. 21D. M. Therrell High SchoolAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 6.2students 1,005student-teacher ratio 15.7:1grades 9th–12th
  22. 22Druid Hills High SchoolDekalb Countyrating 6.2students 1,430student-teacher ratio 15.5:1grades 9th–12th
  23. 23Hapeville Charter Career AcademycharterFulton Countyrating 6.2students 694student-teacher ratio 17.4:1grades 9th–12th
  24. 24Carver High SchoolAtlanta Public Schoolsrating 6.1students 492student-teacher ratio 14.9:1grades 9th–12th
  25. 25Cristo Rey Atlanta Jesuit High Schoolrating 6.1students 508student-teacher ratio 18.1:1grades 9th–12th

Scores are based on 2024-25 data from the NCES Common Core of Data and Georgia education department. Rankings are relative to all public high schools in Georgia. Learn about our methodology.

The map

The top 25 pinned; open a pin for the campus.
The top 25 high schools in Atlanta, pinned and colored by score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries.

Campus by campus

What each of the top ten reports.
  1. 1

    Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academy

    Atlanta Public Schools

    916 students · 12.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–12th

    Top 6% in Georgia · charter

    Academics
    8.1
    Growth
    9.8
    Environment
    9.9
  2. 2

    Midtown High School

    Atlanta Public Schools

    1,658 students · 15.6:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 13% in Georgia

    Academics
    7.5
    Growth
    9.3
    Environment
    7.7
  3. 3

    North Atlanta High School

    Atlanta Public Schools

    2,332 students · 15.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 15% in Georgia

    Academics
    6.5
    Growth
    8.8
    Environment
    8.2
  4. 4

    The New School Atlanta

    91 students · 5.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 5% in Georgia

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  5. 5

    Brandon Hall School

    109 students · 5.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–12th

    Top 6% in Georgia

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  6. 6

    Atlanta Girls School

    187 students · 6.4:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–12th

    Top 8% in Georgia

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  7. 7

    The New School

    91 students · 5.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 8% in Georgia

    Academics
    not scored
    Growth
    not scored
    Environment
    not scored
  8. 8

    Maynard Jackson High School

    Atlanta Public Schools

    1,551 students · 13.5:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 20% in Georgia

    Academics
    4.9
    Growth
    9.1
    Environment
    8.6
  9. 9

    Coretta Scott King Young Women's Leadership Academy

    Atlanta Public Schools

    339 students · 6.9:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 6th–12th

    Top 22% in Georgia

    Academics
    5.9
    Growth
    9.0
    Environment
    10.0
  10. 10

    North Springs High School

    Fulton County

    1,304 students · 15.2:1 student-teacher ratio · grades 9th–12th

    Top 32% in Georgia

    Academics
    6.3
    Growth
    8.1
    Environment
    4.6

Questions

What is the best high school in Atlanta, Georgia?

According to MySchoolScout's 2026 rankings, Charles Drew Charter Ja/sr Academy is the top-rated high school in Atlanta with a composite score of 8.8/10. The score blends student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools — with equity shown as context, not scored.

How many high schools are in Atlanta, Georgia?

Atlanta has 42 high schools, including 3 charter schools. Of these, 39 have enough data for a full composite rating on MySchoolScout.

What is the average high school rating in Atlanta?

Among 39 Atlanta high schools with a composite score, the average is 6.4/10. Scores range from 1.0 (bottom of the state) to 10.0 (top 1% in Georgia).

How does MySchoolScout rate high schools?

Schools with enough data receive a 1-10 composite score that blends Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, with growth counting most in elementary and middle grades. Equity data is shown for context but not scored. All scores are computed within Georgia, so schools are compared to peers in the same state. Data comes from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments.

What is a good school rating on MySchoolScout?

A score of 7 or above means a school is in roughly the top 30% of its state. A 5 is average. Anything above 8 is exceptional. Our ratings are relative to other schools in Georgia, not a national comparison, because each state has different testing standards.

Are charter schools included in the Atlanta high school rankings?

Atlanta has 3 charter high schools in its directory. Charter schools that meet this ranking's data requirements are included alongside traditional public schools using the same composite scoring methodology.

How should I use this ranking?

Consider your child's learning style. Some children thrive in smaller settings (look for student-teacher ratios under 14:1), while others do well in larger, more social environments. The schools on this list range widely in size and approach.

Look beyond the composite score. A school ranked #15 might be the best fit if it excels in growth (improving student outcomes year over year) even if its raw academic score is lower. Click into individual school profiles to see the breakdown.

Visit your top choices. Walk the hallways during a school day. Watch how teachers interact with students. Ask about before- and after-school care, transportation, and parent involvement. These details matter more than any dataset.

Explore more