Downingtown STEM Academy
State ranking: #2
School district: Downingtown Area
Enrollment: 924
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
College readiness index: 98/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 99.5%
Graduation rate: 99%
What makes it special: Downingtown STEM Academy is an International Baccalaureate World School, one of about 5,000 around the globe, where students adhere to rigorous academic and personal standards. “Downingtown STEM students bring a strong math and analytical background and are willing to put in hours of studying and practice to reach their goals,” says RK Test Prep’s Rick Koshgerian. “The IB program conditions them for a high workload, and this serves them well in the classroom and beyond.”
Conestoga High School
State ranking: #4
District: Tredyffrin/Easttown
Enrollment: 2,347
Student-teacher ratio: 16:1
College readiness index: 63.4/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 99.8%
Graduation rate: 97%
What makes it special: In 2023, Conestoga students scored above the national average on the SAT, and the school led the state with 43 National Merit Semifinalists. “Conestoga students are down-to-earth and willing to put in the work,” says Main Line Test Prep and Tutoring’s Steve Odabashian.
Radnor High School
State ranking: #6
School district: Radnor Township
Enrollment: 1,126
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
College readiness index: 66.8/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 97.5%
Graduation rate: 97%
What makes it special: Radnor’s vast selection of electives is impressive, with courses in cooking essentials, metals and jewelry, journalism, and more. “The kids are resilient. If they don’t get results right away, they stick with it and get the numbers they wanted all along,” Odabashian notes.
Great Valley High School
State ranking: #7
School district: Great Valley
Enrollment: 1,403
Student-teacher ratio: 13:1
College readiness index: 55.7/10
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 98.6%
Graduation rate: 98%
What makes it special: The United States Department of Education has extended an Excellence in Education award to Great Valley. “The kids are quite coachable,” Obadashian says. “Their final scores are competitive with students’ scores from the higher-ranked schools.”
Harriton High School
State ranking: #10
School district: Lower Merion
Enrollment: 1,261
Student-teacher ratio: 11:1
College readiness index: 59.5/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 96.2%
Graduation rate: 100%
What makes it special: Harriton has twice been recognized as a Blue Ribbon School by the United States Department of Education. “The kids are smart and not afraid to do more than I ask of them,” Odabashian says. “They keep me on my toes.”
Unionville High School
State ranking: #13
School district: Unionville-Chadds Ford
Enrollment: 1,306
Student-teacher ratio: 14:1
College readiness index: 55.4/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 96%
Graduation rate: 99%
What makes it special: The district has received a $450,000 grant from the Longwood Foundation. “Unionville students have high levels of focus and organization,” Koshgerian says. “They’re also extremely motivated and eager to learn, which helps them excel.”
Lower Merion High School
State ranking: #14
School district: Lower Merion
Enrollment: 1,712
Student-teacher ratio: 12:1
College readiness index: 51/100
Percentile score on Keystone Exams: 96.5%
Graduation rate: 96%
What makes it special: Three students were chosen to receive National Merit Scholarships, selected from a pool of 15,000 finalists across the country. “Students are driven and eager to please. They do what I ask, and it shows in the results,” says Odabashian.
Statistics culled from 2024 U.S. News & World Report education rankings.
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