It’s not just about K-12—it’s where students head after graduation
It’s easy to get caught up in rankings and test scores. But, when it comes down to it, it’s incredibly important where kids end up post-graduation. These five top-ranked schools in the Dallas suburbs have it all, from AP classes and competitive sports to high scores and solid college matriculations.
#1. Westlake Academy
Unlike many area charters, Westlake Academy is operated by the Town of Westlake. A top-rated charter school with a 13:1 student/teacher ratio, Westlake ranks #4 for Texas charter schools and #16 for best college prep public schools in Dallas. Here, the average SAT score hovers just below 1300, and students matriculate to top state and national colleges including UT Austin, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M, Rice University, Baylor and New York University.
#2. Highland Park High School
Another top tier school in the Dallas suburbs, Highland Park High School ranks #12 in the state, with an A+ for academics and college prep—and it shows. Their average SAT was 1320 last year, with an average ACT of 30. Half of the students take AP and, after graduation, they also head to top colleges and universities—UT Austin, Southern Methodist University, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and UVA, among other highly-ranked schools.
[rp4wp]
#3. Lovejoy High School
Located in Lucas, this top-rated high school was recently ranked #4 in Collin County. The big appeal, though? The district has ONE high school by design, and this is it. The school has just 1,400 students with a 13:1 student/teacher ratio. The school is so popular that home prices in Lovejoy tend to be significantly higher, simply because parents want this school.
Students at Lovejoy average 1280 on their SATs, 28 on their ACTs and the school boasts an 85% AP pass rate. Go-to colleges include UT Austin, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Baylor, Rice and SMU.
#4. Plano West Senior High School
Following close behind Liberty, Plano West ranks #2 in the county for top schools. College matriculation is similar—schools like UT Austin, Texas A&M, UT Dallas, Southern Methodist, Texas Tech, Baylor and Rice top the must-attend list. Ninety-three person of respondents call Plano West “competitive,” 81% say the students are “athletic” and 86% call the student body “artsy.” The average SAT score is 1300 and the average ACT is 30.
#5. Coppell High School
Coppell High School has nearly 3,300 students attend grades 9 through 12 here. Even so, class sizes are manageable at just 17:1, often smaller in the AP and IB courses. The average SAT score is 1330 and the average ACT is 29, with three in five students enrolled in AP. Top schools include UT Austin, Texas A&M, UT Dallas, Baylor, Southern Methodist University and Rice.
There are hundreds of towns to choose from. How do you figure it all out? You simply don’t, without getting a Suburban Jungle Strategist to help you through it all. Schedule here for your strategy session with our innovative suburbs strategy team. All services are completely free.
Source: Niche Best Public High Schools in Texas