What high school you attend matters for your chances of attending a great college. Some high schools simply have more resources, and do a better job of preparing their students to apply to and succeed at top universities. In any given city, there will be some schools that are better than others. We’ve looked at cities like Houston and LA before, and today we’re going to look at the best high schools in Dallas, Texas.
First, we’re going to briefly discuss what makes a good school, then we’re going to go through some options for great schools, both public and private, in and around Dallas. Note that just because a school is good in a vacuum, doesn’t mean it will be right for every individual student; you must also weigh what it offers, and how well it suits your needs. Let’s get started!
What Makes a Great High School?
In general great high schools are those schools that best prepare their students, academically and otherwise, for their futures. They offer them the most options and the most support, and students who attend them have a better shot at getting accepted to a top-tier college.
In order to determine a high school’s quality, we look at the students who have attended, and their successes, and also what the high school offers. A school which offers more advanced coursework, options for high schoolers to pursue independent projects, and specialized curriculums is more likely to support students in their goals.
Finally, some high schools offer specialized options for certain populations of students, and are great for them, while not necessarily being ideal for every student. This is most true for specialized schools, such as those dedicated to the performing arts; if you are interested in the arts, this is great, but if you aren’t they may not be the best choice for you.
Private Schools
We are going to look at public and private schools separately, as each has different things to recommend them. Here are some of the best rated private high schools in Dallas, and what recommends each. We are ordering these roughly by which are best, but these are in some cases subjective rankings.
This is a smaller private school, serving approximately 900 students in grades 1-12. This is an all-boys school, and is Episcopalian, though students from all faith backgrounds are welcomed. It is regarded as one of the best high schools not just in Dallas, but nationally. The tuition is $34,305 annually, though this varies slightly by grade. Some students receive financial aid.
The average SAT score at St. Marks is 1500, and the average ACT score is 34. It has a student:teacher ratio of 9:1. They offer an advanced curriculum, with both a very wide selection of AP coursework, and a number of other advanced courses which go beyond APs. The most recently reported acceptance rate for St. Mark’s was 15% in 2024. You may apply to the school online, this requires a written form, ISEE test scores, a transcript, letters of recommendation from your current math and ENglish teachers, and an interview.
This is a private day school serving grades K-12. It is only open to girls, and is secular, without religious affiliation. It used to offer a boarding option, but that has been phased out. Tuition is currently $38,802, though this differs based on the grade level of the student in question. There is some need-based aid available. It is regarded as one of the best high schools in Dallas, and is often seen as a counterpoint to St. Mark’s, though the schools have no formal relationship.
The average SAT score at the school is 1460, and the average ACT is 33. The school offers some AP courses, but in many subjects also offers their own honors coursework; these are meant to be on-level with or harder than AP courses, and explore subjects in more depth, or in directions not covered by AP. Applications to Hockaday may be submitted online. These require the online application itself, an interview, an ISEE test, a transcript, and letters of recommendation from their current math and English teachers, and a counselor or administrator. Note that admissions may be contingent on space being available.
Located in Addison, Texas (a suburb of Dallas), Greenhill is a coeducational day school, serving students in grades pre-k through 12. Their campus is located 12 miles north of downtown Dallas. There are around 1,400 students total attending the school, with 470 in the upper school. Annual tuition for the school is $39,770, though this does vary by grade level. There is some need-based financial aid available.
The average SAT score at Greenhill is 1410, and the average ACT score is 32. Beyond academic requirements, students are expected to perform community service in order to graduate. The school offers a range of AP course options, but students are permitted to take only up to three AP courses per year. Seniors are also required to complete a capstone project. Applications to Greenhill must be submitted online; you can apply to grades 9-11, but most students enter in grade 9. The application requires the online form, an interview, an ISEE test, a transcript, and letters of recommendation from your current math and English teachers.
This is a private day school located in Irving, Texas. This is a Catholic, all-boys school, and is the best Catholic school in the Dallas area. It serves students in grades 5-12, and has a current student population of around 350. The current tuition is $25,700, though this varies by grade level. There is need-based aid available. The campus is located in the suburbs of Dallas, with the majority of its students coming from throughout the Dallas area.
The average SAT score at Cistercian is 1450, and the average ACT score is 34. All required courses at the school are offered at an Honors level; they expect all students to work at an advanced academic level at all times. They offer no AP courses or exams, preferring their own suite of advanced coursework. Note that it is a Catholic school, and students are required to take Theology courses in order to graduate; there is no requirement for students to be Catholic, but the school does have a strong Catholic character.
All applications to the school must be submitted online. This requires the online form, a release of all prior standardized test records which exist, and letters of recommendation from your current math and English teachers. Note that Cistercian has its own entrance exam that it requires students to take, in place of the SSAT or ISEE. One sitting of this exam is offered per admissions cycle.
The Episcopal School of Dallas
The Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) is a coed private day-school based in Dallas, Texas, serving students in grades pre-k through 12. There are approximately 1,150 students in the school as a whole, with 435 of those in the upper school. The school is Episcopalian in character, as the name suggests, though students of all faith backgrounds are welcomed. Tuition for ESD is $28,940, with some need-based financial aid available.
The average SAT score at ESD is 1440, and the average ACT score is 32. The school offers 43 AP courses, and a broad advanced curriculum; you must receive approval in order to enroll in AP or honors-level courses. In addition to core subjects students are required to take one religion class, and complete community service in order to graduate. There is daily chapel at the school, and attendance is mandatory. The application to the school must be submitted online.
Public Schools
We’re now going to look at some of the best public schools in and around Dallas. We will also note any admissions requirements these have, from those with selective enrollment to those which simply enroll students based on their district.
School for the Talented and Gifted
By Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51164210
This is a public magnet school, founded in 1982, and meant to serve all of the brightest and highest achieving students in the Dallas Independent School District. The school enrolls students from across Dallas, with each feeder middle school evaluating and sending students to the school. Students are evaluated by a screening process to determine the students who are most fit to attend the school.
The school offers an advanced curriculum, with students taking a suite of AP courses. All courses offered at TAG are at an advanced level, and students all come in knowing and expecting this. There is slightly less variety in the advanced coursework offered, as TAG is a somewhat small program, but all of the students and teachers there are quite dedicated to academic success. It enrolls fewer than 300 students total, and is regularly ranked as one of the best public schools in the US. The average SAT score is 1400, and the average ACT is 32.
School of Science and Engineering
This is a public magnet school, and is based in the same building as the School for the Talented and Gifted (Dallas hosts six different magnet high schools in the same building, for the sake of efficiency). This particular school, as the name implies, has a very strong focus on its STEM curriculum, and has a philosophy of hands-on science education. On admissions, students are placed in one of three tracks for math and science, based on previous coursework and test scores: regular, fast, or super fast. This affects which and how many math and science courses they take.
They offer a range of AP coursework, and have some classes that go beyond, including their own unique mathematical theory class for students who finish Calc BC, and a laboratory class which combines Physics C with AP Chem. They offer a number of computer science courses as well. They do have the standard humanities and social studies courses all high schools have and colleges want to see, but those are not the focus of the school. Due to Dallas’ rules on magnet schools, there are no sports teams at the school (though students can participate with their zoned school’s teams. The average SAT score is 1360, and the average ACT is 31.
Coppell High School is located in Coppell, which is a suburb of Dallas, located in the Northwest of Dallas county. The school offers 32 AP courses, and also a full IB curriculum. Due to the requirements of the IB, partaking in it will limit the number of AP courses you can fit in your schedule. Their average SAT score is 1310, and their average ACT is 27.
The school has two campuses; 9th graders have their own separate campus, with the other three grades together. All students partake in the same extracurriculars, and they receive a single transcript from the high school. The school has a partnership with Dallas College, and also allows students to dual enroll in their courses. Their advanced coursework tends to end with the upper end of AP and IB courses, students who want to explore beyond these can pursue it through dual enrollment.
By Loadmaster (David R. Tribble)This image was made by Loadmaster (David R. Tribble).Email the author: David R. TribbleAlso see my personal gallery at Google Photos – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24231211
Located in Frisco Texas (a suburb of Dallas), Liberty is generally considered the best public school in Frisco, and one of the best in the Dallas region. They offer 31 AP courses, and a full suite of dual enrollment options, offered in partnership with Collin College, a local community college. Students may also enroll in some courses at the University of North Texas, with both in-person and online options. This gives students a range of options beyond normal high school coursework. The average SAT score at Liberty is 1190, and the average ACT is 25.
Outside of just academics, the school is well known for both its student newspaper (which has won a few awards), and their debate team. There are approximately 1,700 students in the school, with a student:teacher ratio of 14:1. There are many varsity sports available, but athletics is not a major focus on campus (or at least, it falls within the normal range for Texas high schools).
Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet
This is another magnet school offered by the Dallas ISD, generally referred to as Law Magnet. The school is named in honor of Judge Barefoot Sanders. The goal of the school is to prepare students for careers in law or government, and offers three pathways; students choose one pathway when they enroll in the school. These pathways are: Criminal Justice, Government, and Pre-Law. The school offers both standard high school curricular options, and a range of hands-on internship and experiential learning opportunities related to various aspects of government work and the legal profession.
The school has an average SAT of 1170, and an average ACT of 25. It is based in the same building as Dallas ISD’s other magnet schools, including the two we discussed above. It enrolls approximately 450 students. We recommend this school strongly for students interested in law or government. If you do not want to pursue one of those fields, this is not the best fit for you. Note that as with other magnet schools in Dallas, Law Magnet does not host its own sport teams. There are a number of academic extracurriculars offered by the school however.
By formulanone – Flower Mound Texas Aerial, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=150113457
Located in Flower Mound, a suburb of Dallas, Flower Mound High School is generally regarded as one of the best public schools in the Dallas area. They serve approximately 2,600 students, with a student:teacher ratio of 16:1. Note that the school serves students in grades 10-12. Flower Mound offers a full suite of AP coursework, with more than 30 AP courses offered. The average SAT score at Flower Mound is 1228, and the average ACT is 25.
Flower Mound also offers a range of dual enrollment courses, in partnership with North Central Texas College. These are good options for students who have gone beyond the standard course offerings. A number of extracurriculars at the school are competitive at a statewide level, including academic decathlon, marching band, and math club.
The Right High School for You
This is by no means a full list of every high school in the Dallas area, and there are plenty of great schools that we did not have space to cover. That said, what makes a high school perfect for you goes beyond just the raw numerical stats; a high school is the courses you take, the people you meet, and a whole ecosystem working in sync; what supports and nurtures one student well might be completely overwhelming for another.
When evaluating a school, we recommend both looking through their curriculum and academic record, as well as reading reviews and talking to current and former students. This is especially true for magnet programs or private schools, which require more of an investment, and have unique environments.
The right high school is the one that both does the best job of supporting you where you are, and preparing you for what comes next. If you are already certain of where you want to be, then a specialized school can be an amazing asset. This is something Dallas itself does a great job of offering through its magnet schools, and we advise you to investigate those options, especially for students interested in STEM or law.
Final Thoughts
The choice of high school is one that frequently weighs heavy on the minds of parents, especially in Texas, where doing well enough in high school can secure you an automatic seat at one of the state’s excellent public universities. This leads to a lot of questions, especially whether a more challenging school is more advantageous for preparing for college, or if they should aim for a lower intensity school, where a student may have a better chance of topping the class rankings and earning automatic admission.
If you are looking for advice on your own choice of high school, or help evaluating which of your options would be best for you, Ivy Scholars can help. We’ve worked with many families in the Dallas area to compare their choice of high schools, and find the one which best suited their needs. Schedule a free consultation today to learn more about how we can help you.
