Best High Schools in Delaware (2025-26)
Every ranked high school in Delaware, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
Delaware rankings: High Schools · Middle Schools · Elementary Schools
Delaware high schools ranked
| Rank | Grade | School | City | District | Actual | Projected | Impact | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | A+ | Charter School Of Wilmington (Charter) | Wilmington | Charter School of Wilmington | 87% | 54% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 968 |
| #2 | A | Newark Charter School (Charter, K-12) | Newark | Newark Charter School | 67% | 39% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 2,987 |
| #3 | A | Sussex Academy (Charter, K-12) | Georgetown | Sussex Academy | 61% | 40% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 1,118 |
| #4 | A- | Calloway Cab School Of The Arts (Magnet) | Wilmington | Red Clay Consolidated School District | 59% | 44% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 930 |
| #5 | A- | Odessa High School | Townsend | Appoquinimink School District | 55% | 55% | Meets Expectations | 917 |
| #6 | A- | Mot Charter School (Charter, K-12) | Middletown | MOT Charter School | 52% | 49% | Exceeds Expectations | 1,383 |
| #7 | B+ | Caesar Rodney High School | Camden | Caesar Rodney School District | 57% | 48% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 2,257 |
| #8 | B+ | Appoquinimink High School | Middletown | Appoquinimink School District | 54% | 54% | Meets Expectations | 1,484 |
| #9 | B+ | Conrad Schools Of Science (Magnet) | Wilmington | Red Clay Consolidated School District | 51% | 41% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 1,169 |
| #10 | B | Middletown High School | Middletown | Appoquinimink School District | 48% | 52% | Meets Expectations | 1,355 |
| #11 | B | Sussex Central High School | Georgetown | Indian River School District | 47% | 39% | Exceeds Expectations | 2,039 |
| #12 | B | Odyssey Charter School (Charter, K-12) | Wilmington | Odyssey Charter School | 39% | 35% | Exceeds Expectations | 2,123 |
| #13 | B- | Delaware Military Academy (Charter) | Wilmington | Delaware Military Academy | 45% | 41% | Exceeds Expectations | 584 |
| #14 | B- | Cape Henlopen High School | Lewes | Cape Henlopen School District | 43% | 49% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,813 |
| #15 | B- | Christiana High School | Newark | Christina School District | 43% | 36% | Exceeds Expectations | 1,256 |
| #16 | B- | Indian River High School | Dagsboro | Indian River School District | 43% | 44% | Meets Expectations | 1,088 |
| #17 | B- | Concord High School | Wilmington | Brandywine School District | 42% | 46% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,014 |
| #18 | C+ | Lake Forest High School | Felton | Lake Forest School District | 38% | 38% | Meets Expectations | 870 |
| #19 | C+ | Delmar High School | Delmar | Delmar School District | 37% | 33% | Exceeds Expectations | 670 |
| #20 | C+ | Brandywine High School | Wilmington | Brandywine School District | 35% | 42% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 950 |
| #21 | C+ | Early College School At Del State (Charter) | Dover | Early College High School at Del State | 35% | 22% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 519 |
| #22 | C+ | Mount Pleasant High School | Wilmington | Brandywine School District | 35% | 43% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,107 |
| #23 | C+ | Penn William High School | New Castle | Colonial School District | 35% | 32% | Exceeds Expectations | 2,239 |
| #24 | C+ | Smyrna High School | Smyrna | Smyrna School District | 35% | 37% | Meets Expectations | 1,807 |
| #25 | C | Dover High School | Dover | Capital School District | 32% | 31% | Meets Expectations | 1,771 |
| #26 | C | Dickinson John School | Wilmington | Red Clay Consolidated School District | 30% | 36% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,058 |
| #27 | C- | First State Military Academy (Charter) | Clayton | First State Military Academy | 30% | 36% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 439 |
| #28 | C- | Dupont Alexis I High School | Wilmington | Red Clay Consolidated School District | 28% | 32% | Meets Expectations | 680 |
| #29 | C- | Milford Senior High School | Milford | Milford School District | 28% | 33% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,279 |
| #30 | C- | Newark High School | Newark | Christina School District | 28% | 33% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,105 |
| #31 | D+ | Las Americas Aspira Academy (Charter, K-12) | Newark | Las Americas Aspira Academy | 20% | 26% | Meets Expectations | 1,341 |
| #32 | D | Woodbridge High School | Greenwood | Woodbridge School District | 20% | 22% | Meets Expectations | 723 |
| #33 | D | Laurel Senior High School | Laurel | Laurel School District | 18% | 22% | Meets Expectations | 747 |
| #34 | D | Seaford Senior High School | Seaford | Seaford School District | 18% | 23% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 879 |
| #35 | D- | Glasgow High School | Newark | Christina School District | 17% | 23% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 895 |
| #36 | D- | Freire Charter School (Charter) | Wilmington | Freire Charter School Wilmington | 15% | 24% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 450 |
| #37 | D- | Mckean Thomas High School | Wilmington | Red Clay Consolidated School District | 13% | 30% | Underperforms Expectations | 927 |
| #38 | F | Positive Outcomes Charter School (Charter) | Camden | Positive Outcomes Charter School | 9% | 28% | Underperforms Expectations | 115 |
| #39 | F | Great Oaks Charter School (Charter) | Wilmington | Great Oaks Charter School | 8% | 21% | Underperforms Expectations | 217 |
How Delaware's high schools compare
A: 6B: 11C: 13D: 7F: 2
44% of the 39 ranked high schools in Delaware earn an A or B (6 A grades, 11 B, 13 C, 7 D, 2 F), against 48% of high schools nationwide. 25 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (64% here, 75% nationally), and 14 exceed it. On average 37% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 37% (national averages: 42% actual, 40% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Charter School Of Wilmington (87% against 54%, A+), Newark Charter School (67% against 39%, A), Sussex Academy (61% against 40%, A), Calloway Cab School Of The Arts (59% against 44%, A-), Early College School At Del State (35% against 22%, C+).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): Appoquinimink School District (3), Red Clay Consolidated School District (2).
Cities with the most ranked high schools: Wilmington (13, 6 at A or B), Newark (5, 2 at A or B), Middletown (3, 3 at A or B).
The largest ranked high schools: Newark Charter School (2,987 students, A, #2), Caesar Rodney High School (2,257 students, B+, #7), Penn William High School (2,239 students, C+, #23).
Of the top 25, 2 are magnet schools and 7 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
High schools in Delaware that are not ranked
16 graded high schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Special-purpose schools (13)
Alternative, special-education and vocational schools serve a different mission and a different student body, so they are graded but not ranked against regular schools.
- D Brennen School The, Newark
- D Delaware School For The Deaf, Newark
- D Delcastle Technical High School, Wilmington
- D+ Ennis Howard T School, Georgetown
- D Hodgson Paul M Vocational Technical High School, Newark
- D- Howard High School Of Technology, Wilmington
- D- John S Charlton School, Camden
- D+ Kent County Secondary Ilc, Dover
- D Meadowood Program, Newark
- B- Polytech High School, Woodside
- C+ St Georges Technical High School, Middletown
- D- Sussex Consortium, Lewes
- B Sussex Technical High School, Georgetown
Not yet graded (3)
Too little test data to grade.
- Douglass School, Wilmington
- Kent County Community School, Dover
- Leach John G School, New Castle
About this ranking
- Scope: every public high school in Delaware.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the high schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about high schools in Delaware
What is the best high school in Delaware?
Charter School Of Wilmington in Wilmington ranks first among the 39 ranked high schools in Delaware with a SchoolGrade of A+, 87% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 54%.
How are high schools in Delaware ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many high schools does Delaware have?
SchoolGrade grades 55 public high schools in Delaware; 39 are ranked here and 16 are listed as not ranked.