Best High Schools in Denver, CO (2025-26)
Every ranked high school in Denver, CO, 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.
Denver, CO rankings: High Schools · Middle Schools · Elementary Schools
Denver, CO high schools ranked
How Denver, CO's high schools compare
A: 8B: 4C: 8D: 12F: 5
32% of the 37 ranked high schools in Denver, CO earn an A or B (8 A grades, 4 B, 8 C, 12 D, 5 F), against 50% of high schools nationwide. 27 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (73% here, 74% nationally), and 14 exceed it. On average 35% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 28% (national averages: 44% actual, 41% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Dsst Conservatory Green High School (50% against 30%, B+), Robert F Smith Steam Academy (40% against 20%, B+), Develyn Juniorsenior High School (82% against 63%, A+), Denver School Of The Arts (76% against 57%, A+), Denver School Of Innovation And Sustainable Design (61% against 43%, A).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): School District No. 1 in the county of Denver and State of C (8).
The largest ranked high schools: East High School (2,505 students, A-, #5), Northfield High School (1,872 students, A-, #6), South High School (1,844 students, A-, #7).
Of the top 25, 1 is a magnet school and 11 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 Denver, CO that are not ranked
23 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 (16)
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 5280 High School, Denver
- F Aul Denver, Denver
- D Career Education Center Early College, Denver
- C+ Colorado High School Charter, Denver
- D+ Colorado High School Charter Ges, Denver
- B Compassion Road Academy, Denver
- D- Contemporary Learning Academy, Denver
- D Delta High School, Denver
- D+ Denver Center For 21st Century Learning At Wyman, Denver
- D- Excel Academy, Denver
- D- Florence Crittenton High School, Denver
- C- Legacy Options High School, Denver
- F Montbello Career And Technical High School, Denver
- D Riseup Community School, Denver
- F Summit Academy, Denver
- F Vista Academy, Denver
Fully online schools (1)
Statewide virtual schools draw students from everywhere, so a place ranking is not a fair comparison.
- D- Mapleton Online, Denver
Not yet graded (6)
Our source data has no school-level proficiency results for these schools, so they carry no SchoolGrade yet.
- Denver Justice High School, Denver
- Emily Griffith High School, Denver
- New America School Aurora, Denver
- North High School Engagement Center, Denver
- Prep Academy, Denver
- Respect Academy, Denver
About this ranking
- Scope: public high schools in Denver, CO, as grouped on its schools page; the Colorado ranking covers the whole state.
- 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 Denver, CO
What is the best high school in Denver, CO?
Develyn Juniorsenior High School in Denver ranks first among the 37 ranked high schools in Denver, CO with a SchoolGrade of A+, 82% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 63%.
How are high schools in Denver, CO 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 Denver, CO have?
SchoolGrade grades 60 public high schools in Denver, CO; 37 are ranked here and 23 are listed as not ranked.