Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in District of Columbia Public Schools

This page covers 20 high schools in District of Columbia Public Schools. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

20
Schools Ranked
District of Columbia
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 20
1
rank
School Without Walls HS
Grades 09–12602 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
89
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Eastern HS
Grades 09–12865 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($36,134/student)
80
/100
Graduation Rate
77%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
13.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Jackson-Reed HS
Grades 09–122,153 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($36,134/student)
80
/100
Graduation Rate
83%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
16.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
McKinley Technology HS
Grades 09–12696 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
77
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
14.7:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering HS
Grades 09–12317 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%) · small class sizes (12.4:1)
76
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Benjamin Banneker HS
Grades 09–12579 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
75
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Columbia Heights Education Campus
Grades 06–121,567 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (11.3:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
73
/100
Graduation Rate
81%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
11.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
40/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Duke Ellington School of the Arts
Grades 09–12564 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
72
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
80.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Ron Brown College Preparatory HS
Grades 09–12169 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (5.9:1) · above-average investment ($36,134/student)
71
/100
Student:Teacher
5.9:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Dunbar HS
Grades 09–12868 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($36,134/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
77%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
14.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
36/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$36,134
Above nat'l avg
10 more high schools in District of Columbia Public Schools not shown here.
View all schools in District of Columbia Public Schools
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
20
High Schools
116
Total Schools
89
#1 Score
67
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
School Without Walls HS
Score: 89/10098% graduation
Compare District of Columbia Public Schools with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.