Districts leading these new rankings have much in common

A familiar formula fuels the nation’s top districts, as ranked by an influential school search website: exceptional academics, well-funded schools and highly affluent communities.

Niche’s latest ranking of the best school districts placed five districts in Illinois and New York at the top of its list:

1. Glenbrook High School District 225, Illinois
2. Roslyn Union Free School District, New York
3. Syosset Central School District, New York
4. New Trier Township High School District 203, Illinois
5. Scarsdale Union Free School District, New York

They differ in size and geography, but share many of the same advantages.

For instance, every district earned an A+ for college preparation from Niche, and their students overwhelmingly target highly selective institutions like Northwestern University, Cornell University and New York University.

All five districts maintain student-teacher ratios between 10:1 and 13:1, compared to the national average of 16:1.

Average teacher salaries are also notably high. In Roslyn, teachers make roughly $140,000 per year.

Academics are a clear common denominator. Each boasts graduation rates of 96% or higher, strong reading and math proficiency rates, and SAT and ACT scores that exceed national averages.

Additional rankings

Best public high schools

1. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NC)
2. The Davidson Academy (NV)
3. South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics (SC)
4. MA Academy for Math & Science (MA)
5. Stuyvesant High School (NY)

Best private high schools

1. Phillips Academy Andover (MA)
2. Groton School (MA)
3. Phillips Exeter Academy (NH)
4. The Lawrenceville School (NJ)
5. Choate Rosemary Hall (CT)

View the complete ranking here.