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DENVER (Stacker) – As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a ’96 commencement address at Wellesley College, “Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead.” If that’s the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It’s a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 48.1 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools in 2020; and there are almost 24,000 public high schools in the U.S., according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

For many anxious parents, getting their child into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Find out how the best high schools in the state stack up against each other, 7 of the 10 schools in the list are private schools. Stacker compiled a list of the best high schools in Colorado using rankings from Niche.

#10. Vail Mountain School (private)
– Location: Vail
– Enrollment: 432 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#9. Fairview High School (public)
– District: Boulder Valley School District, CO
– Enrollment: 2,131 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)

#8. Stargate Charter School (public)
– District: Adams 12 Five Star Schools, CO
– Enrollment: 1,421 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)

#7. Dawson School (private)
– Location: Lafayette
– Enrollment: 530 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#6. St. Mary’s Academy (private)
– Location: Englewood
– Enrollment: 681 (6:1 student to teacher ratio)

#5. Cherry Creek High School (public)
– District: Cherry Creek School District, CO
– Enrollment: 3,806 (21:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#4. The Colorado Springs School (private)
– Location: Colorado Springs
– Enrollment: 300 (8:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#3. Fountain Valley School (private)
– Location: Colorado Springs
– Enrollment: 241 (7:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#2. Colorado Academy (private)
– Location: Denver
– Enrollment: 1,006 (6:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

#1. Kent Denver School (private)
– Location: Englewood
– Enrollment: 740 (8:1 student-to-teacher ratio)

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