In this article, we’ll look into the 10 Best Public High Schools in Vermont in the school year 2025–2026 and discover what sets these schools apart.
The list cements some of Vermont’s public high schools into topnotch status based on student achievement on state assessments, graduation rates, and college readiness measures. Top public schools based on Vermont’s excel across all these measures and to guide you in discovering what distinguishes each one, this guide highlights six of Vermont’s top-performing public academic institutions.
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1. Mt. Mansfield Union High School (MMU)
U.S. News Ranking: #478 nationally, #1 in Vermont
Location: Jericho, VT
Mt. Mansfield Union High School (MMU) is Vermont’s highest-ranked public high school for 2025–2026.
The school’s small student body allows for strong student-teacher relationships while still offering a wide range of academic courses, including Advanced Placement options.
The school maintains test scores that consistently outperform state averages across all student subgroups, reflecting strong instructional support and student outcomes across different classes. Beyond academics, the school also offers a robust selection of arts programs and athletic teams, making MMU an ideal school for students who seek both academic challenge and a supportive community.
2. Craftsbury Schools
U.S. News Ranking: #646 nationally, #2 in Vermont
Location: Craftsbury Common, VT
Craftsbury Schools is Vermont’s smallest school in the state’s top rankings, yet it achieves outcomes that rival those of much larger institutions. The school’s PK-12 configuration, with only 198 students and a 9:1 student-teacher ratio, fosters an exceptionally tight-knit community where students receive highly personalized attention to their learning. With a high school population of just 44 students, Craftsbury Academy ranks first in the state for college readiness and in the top three for curriculum breadth and student proficiency, demonstrating that student population size is no barrier to excellence as an academic community.
3. Champlain Valley Union High School (CVU)
U.S. News Ranking: #1,061 nationally, #3 in Vermont
Location: Orleans, VT
Champlain Valley Union High School has built a strong academic reputation since its founding in 1964. One of its most distinguished alumni is Curtis T. McMullen, who was awarded the Fields Medal in 1998—often regarded as the mathematics equivalent of the Nobel Prize. Today, McMullen serves as the Cabot Professor of Mathematics at Harvard University.
The house system at CVU divides students into four smaller communities, namely: Chittenden, Fairbanks, Nichols, and Snelling Houses. Each of these is staffed with dedicated house administrators and counselors. Each house also has its own identity and leadership, creating personalized support while students enjoy access to CVU’s comprehensive coursework.
4. Lake Region Union High School
U.S. News Ranking: #1,638 nationally, #4 in Vermont (2025-2026)
Location: Barton, VT
Lake Region Union High School serves Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Despite its location, the school’s place in national rankings shows that strong academic outcomes are not exclusively determined by geography or socioeconomic background. Lake Region Union High School has also shown particular strength in the academic achievement of its female students and low-socioeconomic status students, who rank highly compared to their peers in Vermont.
5. Montpelier High School
U.S. News Ranking: #1,990 nationally, #5 in Vermont (2025-2026)
Location: Montpelier, VT
Montpelier High School (MHS) caters to students in the capital city of Montpelier, Vermont. With a student body of about 400 and a 10:1 student-teacher ratio, the school offers a close-knit learning environment where teachers can provide individualized academic support.
MHS places a strong emphasis on community-based learning that connects academic training with real-world experiences. MHS features a robust community-based learning program and major service-learning projects that help students understand how their education applies beyond the classroom.
6. Essex High School
Location: Essex Junction, VT
Essex High School is one of Vermont’s most established comprehensive public high schools. Founded in 1957, it is the second largest high school after CVU and the largest secondary technical school in Vermont. As a comprehensive high school, Essex offers a wide range of programs, including college-preparatory academics, career and technical education, arts, athletics, and student support services, creating an ideal environment for students to pursue different academic and career pathways within the same institution.
Its location outside Burlington allows the school to benefit from proximity to higher education institutions, regional employers, and technical centers while maintaining a strong suburban community identity.
The school adjoins the Center for Technology, Essex, a technical and vocational school where approximately 10% of students enroll in concurrent high school and technical programs. Technical programs such as engineering and architectural design, computer animation and web design, residential building systems, and automotive technology provide career and technical education pathways for students interested in the skilled trades and technical fields.
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7. South Burlington High School
Location: South Burlington, VT
Students interested in developing their STEM skills would be pleased to know that the school offers 13 AP courses, with very high AP Science enrollment.
Known for its academic consistency and strong performance across subjects, South Burlington High School demonstrates significantly higher proficiency rates than the state average in English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. However, the recent recognition in the U.S. News is not the first time it has received its laurels. The school has also earned a College Success Award in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, based on its success in preparing students for college.
8. Middlebury Union High School
Location: Middlebury, VT
Middlebury Union High School derives benefits from its location in Middlebury, home to Middlebury College, one of the nation’s top liberal arts colleges. Advanced students have the opportunity to enroll in Middlebury College courses at no charge, and this proximity to the College influences the school’s intellectual culture and academic ambition. The school is located in a town known for its college-like atmosphere and strong community involvement, and is thus conducive to effective collaboration and learning among academic peers.
Students also participate in civic engagement organizations, engaging directly with local elected representatives and state government officials. These opportunities are not only unique learning experiences but also reinforce the importance of dialogue, community building, and growth through hands-on participation in service to those outside the classroom.
9. Colchester High School
Location: Colchester, VT
Located near Lake Champlain, Colchester High School combines suburban accessibility with a strong community identity, drawing from a mix of residential neighborhoods and lakeside communities. It also maintains strong school spirit, competitive athletics, including football, hockey, and track.
Clubs in the school span leadership development through the Athletics Council and Model UN, social justice initiatives through its very own Social Justice Alliance, and arts programming, including the award-winning Theater Company with musical and theatrical productions.
Offering students ample opportunities to pursue what they do best, Colchester High School trains not only stellar students but also holistic individuals in the community.
10. White River Valley High School
Location: South Royalton, VT
White River Valley High School is a representation of Vermont’s rural, small-school model. The school comprises the towns of Bethel and Royalton and serves students from other neighboring communities with school choice, as part of the 10-town White River Valley Supervisory Union.
With approximately 204 students in grades 9-12 and a 9:1 student-teacher ratio, White River Valley High School offers a individualized attention and highly community-centered experience characteristic of small rural schools.
What Makes Vermont High Schools Unique?
Personalized Instruction
With an average student–teacher ratio of about 10.5:1 (one of the lowest in the country), classrooms in Vermont are small enough for teachers to know their students better, both academically and personally. In many Vermont high schools, graduating classes may have 50–90 students or fewer. This allows teachers to tailor lessons to diverse learning paces, provide detailed feedback, and quickly identify when a student is struggling. For motivated learners, this type of environment fosters deeper intellectual conversations and closer mentorship, supporting both academic growth and personal development.
Proficiency-Based Learning
Vermont leads the nation in proficiency-based graduation requirements. Under Vermont’s Education Quality Standards, schools’ graduation standards must be rooted in the basis of student proficiency rather than simply completing a set number of classroom hours. At schools like Montpelier High School, students are required to demonstrate proficiency in core subjects and are graded on transferable skills, including communication, reading, writing, and habits of learning. This model often involves capstone projects, portfolio defenses, and community-based learning experiences.
This way, the students of Vermont public schools are not confined to recognizing that learning is a daily, continuous pursuit that does not end with the usual skills gained in the classroom.
Strong Community Integration
Many Vermont high schools serve multiple small towns, where teachers wear multiple hats, as coaches, club advisors, and often local leaders. In these close-knit communities, families frequently know each other across generations, creating strong networks of support for students. Students are then encouraged to connect their learning with real-life experiences through internships, partnerships with technical centers, and local business collaborations. This connection helps them apply their skills in impactful contexts.
Academic Depth Over Volume
Vermont schools typically provide fewer classes. But in more meaningful ways, these smaller class sizes give students the space to engage in richer discussions and gain more direct access to their teachers. The emphasis is on writing-intensive instruction, interdisciplinary projects, and long-term mentorship. Students seeking advanced coursework can pursue independent studies, dual-enrollment opportunities, or technical programs.
Relationships Drive Outcomes
Vermont’s comprehensive education framework includes personalized learning plans that track students’ progress and prioritize student-centered learning environments. Counselors work with families for years, as college advising is highly personalized, and teachers are deeply involved in extracurricular activities that extend learning beyond the classroom. Schools help build a strong sense of shared community identity, where students learn to value mentorship and leadership opportunities and flourish in this environment.
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