The 7 best public high schools in Arizona

(Shutterstock Photo)

By Teresa K. Traverse

May 6, 2024

Parents searching for top-ranked public high schools in Arizona to send their children to have options. Using scores from US News & World Report along with the report cards compiled by the Arizona Department of Education, we’ve compiled a list of the best public high schools in the state. (Note: This list excludes charter schools and private schools.)

University High School (Tucson)

Address: 421 N. Arcadia Ave. in Tucson
Grades served: 8 to 12
US News and World Report ranking: #9 high school in Arizona
Graduation rate: 95 percent
Students enrolled: 1,060
AZ School Report Cards grade: A
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 95.38%
Dropout rate: 1.08%

Tucson’s University High School offers 28 Advanced Placement courses and a full honors curriculum. The school focuses on four pillars: academics, a supportive culture, well-rounded students, and diversity.

Photo courtesy of University High School via Facebook.

University High School (Tolleson)

Address: 9419 W. Van Buren Street in Tolleson
Grades served: 9 to 12
US News and World Report ranking: #10 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards grade: A
Total Spent per pupil: $9,160.67
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 100%
Dropout rate: 0.45%

Located in the West Valley, the University High School (Tolleson) touts itself as the only high school in Arizona to receive be named one of the country’s National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2021. The school prides itself on preparing students for college, and offers 22 Advanced Placement classes. According to the school’s website, the high school has a 95 percent persistence rate from the National Student Clearinghouse. Translation? That means that the vast majority of the school’s students enroll in college for a second year after finishing their freshman year. The school also boasts an impressive graduation rate of 100 percent.

Photo courtesy of Tolleson Union High School District via Facebook.

Phoenix Union Bioscience High School

Address: 512 E. Piece St. in downtown Phoenix
Grades served: 9 to 12
US News and World Report ranking: #15 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards grade: A
Students enrolled: 395
Teaching faculty: 22; Support staff: 15
Total Spent per pupil: $11,008.39
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 97.8%

Located in downtown Phoenix, Phoenix Union Bioscience High School has a special focus on science and engineering. The high school’s juniors and seniors “specialize in a biomedical or engineering pathway for math and science,” according to this school’s website.

Seniors must complete a 200-hour capstone internship in an area of interest for their future careers. Students must apply to receive admission to this high school.

Arizona College Prep – Erie Campus

Address: 4477 S. Gilbert Road in Chandler
Grades served: 9 to 12
US News and World Report ranking: #13 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards grade: A
Students enrolled: 2,039
Average class size: 24
Total Spent per pupil: $7,326.99
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 98.62%
Dropout rate: 1.33%

According to a profile posted on its website, Chandler’s Arizona College Prep is dedicated to providing students with a small learning environment to help students thrive in their academic, personal, and professional lives. In the same document, the school claims that 98 percent of its students ended up attending a college or university.

Photo courtesy of Arizona College Prep High School via Facebook.

Gilbert Classical Academy High School

Address: 1016 N. Burk Street in Gilbert
US News and World Report ranking: #14 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards grade: A
Students enrolled: 589
Grades served: 7 to 12
Total Spent per pupil: $7,556.56
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 98.9%
Dropout rate: 0.39%

The Gilbert Classical Academy High School employs the Socratic method to educate students and prepare them for college. All students also are required to complete 80 hours of community service to graduate. In middle school, they start off by learning grammar, logic, and rhetoric. In the upper grades, they progress to learning about rhetoric in English, speech, debate, science and philosophy. They’re also required to write and defend a 4,000-word senior thesis project before a panel of educators.

Photo courtesy of Gilbert Classical Academy via Facebook.

Tanque Verde High School

Address: 4201 N. Melpomene Way In Tucson
Students served: 700
Student to teacher ratio: 20 to 1
US News and World Report ranking: #18 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards Grade: A
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 96.77%
Dropout rate: 1.01%

Tucson’s Tanque Verde High School states on its website that it aims to prepare students to be competitive and successful by providing them with stellar resources and instruction to help them thrive academically. Students take all their classes three times per week. Twice a week, classes are 90 minutes long to provide students with more in-depth learning experiences. Students also can take career and technology education classes in agricultural sciences, computer science, film and TV, technical theater, and precision manufacturing. Students also can participate in 28 different clubs.

Photo courtesy of Tanque Verde High School via Facebook.

Catalina Foothills High School

Address: 4300 E. Sunrise Drive in Tucson
Students served: 1,880
Grades served: 9 to 12
Total spent per pupil: $7,947.97
US News and World Report ranking: #19 high school in Arizona
AZ School Report Cards Grade: A
Graduation rate for both male and female students: 89.7%
Dropout rate: 1.74%

At Tucson’s Catalina Foothills High School, students can take over 150 college prep courses including 23 AP classes and 10 career and technical education programs. According to the school district’s website, “At the high school, students are given more flexibility to customize their schedule based on their interests and passions, graduation requirements and postsecondary endeavors.”

Photo courtesy of Catalina Foothills High School via Facebook.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Author

Teresa K. Traverse

Teresa K. Traverse is a Phoenix, Arizona-based writer and editor. Her work also has appeared in national print outlets including Weight Watchers, Bust and Parenting magazines and on sites like Tripadvisor, Wine Enthusiast, SFGate, Brides, Rachael Ray Every Day, Bustle, Racked, ForRent.com, WeddingWire, Refinery29, The Daily Meal, Oxygenmag.com, USA Today and Fast Company. She's the managing editor of Sedona Monthly. In her spare time, she loves hiking, reading magazines and spending quality time with her long-haired Chihuahua, Rocket. Visit teresaktraverse.com to check out more of her work.

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