Where are the BEST Public Schools in Atlanta, Georgia in 2025?
Sit down, students, because school is now in session. I’m your home economics teacher, Mr. Tim Trevathan and today we’ll be discussing Atlanta’s top 10 public high school districts to consider buying your next home in. Whether you have high schoolers in your household, brand new toddlers, or are just weighing your options for a long-term investment in your future children’s education, it should always be top of mind to gauge which school systems will most enrich that pedagogical pedigree. But wait a minute, Mr. Tim, you might say, there’s a million things to consider when debating a top 10 ranking like average test scores, student-to-teacher ratios, athletic departments, extracurriculars, safety, and oh so much more. You would be absolutely correct, but in this crash course, let’s do our best to break it all down so you can pass the test when it comes to finding the perfect high school for your next perfect home. Class is now in session.
North Gwinnett High School
I want to start this list off with a school that might not make it on anyone’s radar at first, but is definitely an up-and-comer that’s worth looking at since it has its own unique benefit to consider that should help color the rest of this list. Coming in at number 10 is North Gwinnett High School, built in 1958 and located in Suwanee, GA, ranked #12 out of Atlanta’s 188 public high schools and #490 nationally according to Niche.com. An impressive statistic of note is that NGHS has a majority minority population! Roughly 56% of the student body is Asian, Black, or Hispanic, making for a truly diverse cohort. It goes without saying that this school meets and exceeds the minimum expectations for a top 10 school. With a 96% graduation rate and 51% AP enrollment, this school is excellent at preparing its 3087 students for the rigors of a collegiate education. Now the reason why this school absolutely makes this list is because it is situated right in the middle of a prime, growing housing market that’s quickly becoming the most popular, affordable place to find a forever home. In today’s hyper-competitive market, a lot of families are getting priced out of places like Alpharetta and Johns Creek, but NGHS is a school that can keep up with the best of those districts while having home prices that are on average 25% cheaper! The numbers don’t lie. You can’t sleep on our number 10.
McIntosh High School
For number 9, I’d like to present McIntosh High School. Considered the number 1 high school in Fayette County, it was built in 1981 in Peachtree City and is the southernmost school on this list, located in an amazing suburban area 25 minutes south of Hartsfield-Jackson airport. It has a very unique location and for those considering moving to an area south of the perimeter for other reasons such as proximity to work or the many incredible golf course communities there, this school is the best possible choice for your high schooler. Ranked #8 in the Atlanta area and ranked #441 nationally, this is a highly competitive school, but isn’t overly crowded with a small student body of just 1719 students and a very comfortable 17:1 student-to-teacher ratio, with many student reviewers acknowledging that the rigorous coursework makes them feel more prepared to enter college. I mentioned earlier that the golf course communities around McIntosh are very popular, and once you step foot in the school, you won’t forget it. A lot of students hold learner’s permits in order to drive their golf carts to school, so if you’ve got a sophomore who can’t wait to get behind a wheel, they’ll have an early opportunity at McIntosh.
South Forsyth High School
You may be able to tell by now that the locations of each of these schools cover a wide area of the Atlanta Metro Area, and this is now the northernmost school coming in at number 8, South Forsyth High School, built in 1989, and located in the southern region of Forsyth county right off of Georgia highway 400. The large suburban area that supports this school is known to have affordable but lavish houses with close access to a highway that can take you directly to the perimeter of Atlanta, and the level of academics here far outstrips its neighbors. However, it’s not just the location alone that has earned it high marks; South Forsyth High School is considered ranked #9 in the Atlanta Metro area and #273 nationally by Niche.com, and an amazing 36% of its student body is Asian. With 2355 students and a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1, this school is well-known to have the best teaching environment out of all of the Forsyth County schools, and the numbers show it. The graduation rate here is 99%, with 55% of its students engaging in AP enrollment. As a 7A classified school, athletics are considered a huge part of SFHS’s heritage, with over 35% of all students engaged in their 26 different athletics programs, so if you’re interested in an education that’s sporty and smart in the North Metro area, consider our number 9.
Walton High School
In 7th place, we have Walton High School, which is the only public charter school on this list, but it does rank as the #1 charter high school in all of Georgia. Located in lovely Marietta, GA of Cobb County, Walton opened its doors in 1975, establishing itself in an area in East Cobb, sandwiched between Marietta proper and the city of Roswell to an otherwise underserved area at the time. They’ve since become nationally recognized, now considered ranked #8 best in Atlanta and #267 nationally. As far as charter schools go, they are also considered #40 in all of the US! With 2689 students and a relatively high 20:1 student to teacher ratio, they are better known for their academics and extracurriculars, boasting a high emphasis on college preparation by offering 33 AP courses and an AP exam pass rate of 94%. The most noteworthy point of Walton in this list is again the fact that it is in fact a charter school, which means that while it is publicly funded, it is optional for parents in this area to enroll their children in this school, and more importantly, offers more flexibility than other public schools when it comes to the day-to-day of a student’s academic lifestyle. For example, there are half-days on Wednesdays that allow for a student to pursue extra help on a subject they may be struggling in or to explore early career opportunities, so for the Marietta area student looking to engage in a little extra credit, this may be the school for you.
Chattahoochee High School
Rounding out the bottom half at number 6 is Chattahoochee High School, the first of our Fulton County schools. Built in 1991 right next to its feeder school Taylor Road Middle School, Chattahoochee has long had an excellent reputation in the Alpharetta area, which may have indirectly lead to Johns Creek becoming the quickly growing community that it is today, since historical overcrowding lead to the construction of many new, also nationally recognized high schools in the area. Nonetheless, it has stood the test of time ranking #7 in the Atlanta metro area and #235 nationally. By now, I won’t need to bore you too much with the numbers since the rest of the schools on this list will all have very high AP participation, high average SAT scores, and impressive academics all around, so I will note that the most unique thing about Chattahoochee that gives it our number 6 spot is that it is all around a very well-known school in an affluent area that is centrally located in Johns Creek with a strong reputation for having excellent teachers with ample opportunities for a wide variety of extracurricular clubs and athletics. It is all around our middle-of-the-pack, golden standard school.
Lambert High School
And edging in with a close number 5 is Lambert High School. As befitting a school in our top 5, Lambert of course is ranked #6 overall in the Atlanta area and #224 nationally and is considered the best school in Forsyth county, although if you look at a map, you’d find that it has an excellent location nestled in between Johns Creek, Suwanee, and Cumming, GA. The other schools on this list may put up impressive numbers for diversity so far, but Lambert has them beat with a winning plurality Asian population at 44.1% out of a total student population of 2,941. Despite being one of the newest schools in this list, first built in 2009, it has come out of the gate swinging and quickly rose to become one of the most competitive schools in all of Georgia. One of the most unique amenities at Lambert is that since 2020, they have the one and only therapy dog program for special needs students in all of Georgia. If you want to meet Duck the Therapy Dog, you may want to choose Lambert High.
Milton High School
Now we’re getting into our semifinals, and coming in 4th is Milton High School, located in Milton, GA just north of Roswell. Ranked #5 in Atlanta as well and #223 nationally, this old landmark was built in 1921, originally serving all grades from first to eleventh for nearly thirty years. Of the schools on this list, Milton boasts the highest rating for athletics, with an extremely high participation rate for boys athletics and a long, consistent history of high school state championship wins. Football games in particular are considered a beloved tradition among students and alumni for Milton High School, although it seems the girls’ lacrosse team is no joke either, winning 14 state championships since 2005. If you’re interested in a school with a bit of history and strong community ties, Milton High School is one to check out.
Northview High School
Our bronze medalist is the one and only Northview High School, famous in the Johns Creek area for being the best school in the area. It was built in 2002 and has risen to become the #4 best public high school in Atlanta as well as #186 nationwide. If you thought Lambert was impressive, it turns out Northview actually boasts a majority Asian population at 55.8%. The standards couldn’t get much higher anywhere else in the country if we’re being honest, and the top spots could change with each passing year at this level of academic excellence, but the reason why I have placed Northview at third is because the cost-of-living in this very affluent part of the north Atlanta suburbs can be a restricting factor. Still, if you’re able to comfortably afford living in the area, this high school is definitely your number one pick.
Alpharetta High School
Our silver medalist is the aptly named Alpharetta High School located in the heart of Alpharetta, GA. Another Fulton County school, Alpharetta High School was opened in 2004 and has maintained top marks since its very inception, now considered the #3 school in not only Atlanta but all of Georgia, as well as being ranked #124 nationally with a reputation of having the best teachers in all of Fulton County. Recently in 2018, they have also become recognized as an International Baccalaureate World School, authorized to provide the Diploma Programme to eligible juniors and seniors, so if you and your child have an interest in studying abroad for their college years, this may be the best school to do so.
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology
Who stands at the very top of this educational hill as number 1? It’s none other than the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology, or GSMST for short in Lawrenceville, GA. Originally a charter school, GSMST’s admissions process is a lottery system that means a student may not be guaranteed a place even if they apply, which may explain it’s relatively low student count at 1,165. In almost all rankings, whether it’s Niche.com or US News, this school is number one in the entire state of Georgia and has been for the past decade, consistently placing in the top 20 of all public high schools in the entire country. The numbers seem to say it best, this school is the best, placing a very high emphasis on college and career preparation in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. If your child can excel here, you can be certain that they’ll be well-equipped to excel anywhere else in the world as long as their interest is in STEM. If your child is more interested in athletics or arts, however, they may wish to look elsewhere.
So that’s it! It feels like we’ve studied an entire semester’s curriculum worth of information but we made it to the end, so it’s time for a review. My top 10 schools distributed all around the metro Atlanta area in order are North Gwinnett High School, McIntosh High School, South Forsyth High School, Walton High School, Chattahoochee High School, Lambert High School, Milton High School, Northview High School, Alpharetta High School, and finally the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology. If we were to look at how these schools are ranked according to their test scores, or if you compare my list to a list on Niche.com, you may wonder why there’s a difference. I wanted to make sure that not only would a school’s academics or athletics come into play, but also the best schools in each general location on the map. It’s well known that the best schools are clustered chiefly in the northeast metro Atlanta area, but it may not help future homebuyers who are interested in options outside of the most heavily concentrated places. It could be that you need to balance the best educational opportunities with affordability, commute times, proximity to friends and family, or whatever else is a pressing priority in life. It can be reassuring to know that there’s no need to worry about missing out no matter where life may take you, and I want to help you each step of the way. So as always, feel free to reach out via email, DM, text, or a call if you want to get to know more about metro Atlanta and the best districts for you and your budding scholar. This is Tim Trevathan with Tim Trevathan Homes signing off!
