By Niels Baardseth · Updated May 2026
75 high school schools serving grades 9 through 12 (ages 14–18).
Browse all 75 schools that offer high school grades (9–12) in Washington DC — including DCPS public schools, public charter schools, and private/parochial options. Filter by sector, ward, or apply via the DC school lottery.
Quick answer
Washington DC has approximately 75 high schools serving grades 9-12: 20 DCPS public (including 6 selective magnets), 22 public charter, and ~33 private (Sidwell, GDS, Maret, NCS, St. Albans, Gonzaga). U.S. News-ranked top public: School Without Walls (#1 DC, #69 national), Benjamin Banneker (#178 national). Selective DCPS high schools (Banneker, SWW, Duke Ellington, McKinley Tech, Phelps ACE, Bard) require application beyond the MySchoolDC lottery.
Looking for the best high schools in Washington DC for 2026-27? Top DCPS selective magnets: Benjamin Banneker (IB Diploma, Ward 2), School Without Walls (GWU dual enrollment, Ward 2). Top private/independent: Sidwell Friends, Georgetown Day School (GDS), Maret, National Cathedral School, St. Albans.
Top public charters: BASIS DC PCS (academically rigorous), Washington Latin PCS (classical curriculum), DC International School (IB Diploma). Catholic options: Gonzaga (Jesuit boys), Georgetown Prep (Jesuit boys, just outside DC), Georgetown Visitation (girls), Archbishop Carroll. Full directory below with sector, ward, and program filters.
Sortable directory — click any school for full profile, contact info, and admissions details.
Sidwell Friends School (Quaker, K-12) is the most widely cited #1 high school in Washington DC — known nationally for academic rigor and high-profile alumni (Obama daughters). Among DCPS public, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School (#178 national US News) and School Without Walls @ GWU are the top selective public high schools. National Cathedral School and St. Albans are top single-gender independents.
Representative top-10: 1) Sidwell Friends, 2) St. Albans (boys K-12, Episcopal), 3) National Cathedral School (girls 4-12, Episcopal), 4) Benjamin Banneker Academic HS (DCPS selective), 5) School Without Walls @ GWU (DCPS selective), 6) Gonzaga College HS (Catholic boys), 7) Maret School (independent K-12), 8) BASIS DC PCS (charter), 9) Washington Latin PCS (charter), 10) Georgetown Day School (independent K-12). Rankings vary by source.
DC has roughly 75 schools serving high school grades (9-12): 20 DCPS public, 22 public charter, ~33 private (independent + Catholic + Episcopal + Jewish + parochial). Several DCPS education campuses combine middle + high grades (Cardozo EC, CHEC, Eastern HS).
Top DCPS public high schools (by US News + OSSE STAR + Niche): Benjamin Banneker Academic HS (selective, IB), School Without Walls @ GWU (selective, AP + GW dual enrollment), Jackson-Reed HS (largest DCPS HS, formerly Wilson), Duke Ellington School of the Arts (audition-based, Ward 2), McKinley Technology HS (selective STEM, Ward 5), Phelps ACE HS (selective Career & Technical, Ward 5).
DCPS selective high schools require application beyond the lottery: Benjamin Banneker Academic HS (academic), School Without Walls (academic + interview), Duke Ellington School of the Arts (audition by discipline), McKinley Technology HS (academic + STEM focus), Phelps ACE HS (career + technical), Bard High School Early College DC (academic + Bard interview). Each has its own application portal alongside MySchoolDC.
School Without Walls (SWW) is DCPS's flagship selective high school, located on the George Washington University campus at 2130 G Street NW. Defining features: GW co-location (students take GW courses for dual college credit), AP across all departments, Senior Project (year-long independent research), founded 1971 with the original "no walls" philosophy of taking students into DC institutions. U.S. News ranks SWW #1 in DC, #2 in DC Metro, #69 nationally.
Benjamin Banneker Academic High School (BBAHS) is a DCPS selective magnet at 1600 9th Street NW (Ward 2, Logan Circle/Shaw). Defining features: full IB Diploma Programme (Pre-IB grades 9-10, IB Diploma 11-12), AP courses, Dual College Enrollment, new 21st-century learning facility opened 2021, U.S. News #178 nationally. ~700 students grades 9-12. Application-only — no in-boundary preference.
For 9th grade entry in 2026-27: MySchoolDC lottery opens mid-November 2026, closes late January 2027. Selective DCPS high schools have additional steps — Banneker requires transcripts + recommendations + essay; SWW requires interview; Duke Ellington requires audition; McKinley Tech requires academic application. Deadlines typically December 2026 – January 2027. Results: late March 2027.
IB Diploma Programme DC high schools: Benjamin Banneker Academic HS (DCPS selective), DC International School (charter), Washington International School (private). Cardozo Education Campus also offers IB programming. Most other DCPS and charter high schools use AP for advanced coursework.
Top public charter high schools: BASIS DC PCS (academically rigorous, selective via assessment), Washington Latin PCS (classical curriculum), DC International School (IB Diploma), KIPP DC College Preparatory, E.L. Haynes PCS, Friendship Collegiate Academy, Thurgood Marshall Academy, Bard High School Early College DC (DCPS-Bard partnership), Washington Leadership Academy, Cesar Chavez PCS. All apply via MySchoolDC.
Independent: Sidwell Friends (Quaker, top tier), Georgetown Day School (GDS), Maret School, Edmund Burke School, Field School. Episcopal: National Cathedral School (girls), St. Albans (boys), St. Stephen's & St. Agnes (Alexandria VA). Catholic: Gonzaga (Jesuit, boys), Georgetown Preparatory (Jesuit, boys, in Bethesda), Georgetown Visitation (girls), Archbishop Carroll, Bishop McNamara. Quaker: Sidwell Friends, Edmund Burke. Tuition typically $40K-$55K for independent.
Independent private HS: $45,000-$60,000/year (Sidwell, GDS, Maret, NCS, St. Albans). Catholic HS: $20,000-$32,000/year (Gonzaga, Georgetown Visitation, Archbishop Carroll). Most independent schools offer need-based financial aid via SSS by NAIS — Sidwell, GDS, Maret have substantial endowment-funded aid programs.
Citywide 4-year graduation rate is 72.8% (OSSE 2025). Selective DCPS schools — Banneker, SWW, McKinley Tech — exceed 95%. Some neighborhood DCPS high schools (Ballou, Anacostia) fall below 60%. Private schools typically exceed 99%. Full school-by-school data: schoolreportcard.dc.gov.
Duke Ellington School of the Arts (DCPS, Ward 2, Georgetown) is DC's pre-eminent arts-focused public high school. Audition required by discipline (dance, music, theater, visual arts, literary media, technical design, vocal). National Cathedral School and Maret have strong arts programs within their college-prep curriculum. Private specialty schools include the Field School and Edmund Burke (project-based with arts emphasis).
McKinley Technology HS (DCPS selective, Ward 5) is DC's flagship STEM public high school — applications-based admission with biotechnology, IT, broadcast engineering pathways. Phelps ACE HS (selective, Ward 5) offers architecture/construction/engineering CTE. BASIS DC PCS (charter) is academically rigorous across STEM. Sidwell, GDS, NCS have strong STEM programs within their broader college prep.
Jackson-Reed High School (formerly Wilson HS, renamed 2022, Ward 3 Tenleytown) is the largest DCPS high school with about 2,000 students. It serves as the in-boundary high school for upper NW Ward 3 and Ward 4. Comprehensive curriculum with AP across all departments, athletics, and arts programs.
MySchoolDC lottery: opens mid-November 2026, closes late January 2027, results late March 2027. Selective DCPS supplements (Banneker, SWW, Ellington, McKinley, Phelps, Bard): typically December-January deadlines, decisions in March alongside lottery. Private school deadlines: September-February depending on school; financial aid (SSS) due weeks before application deadline.
No for public. DCPS and DC charter high schools admit only DC residents. Private high schools accept students from Maryland and Virginia at their discretion — some independent and Catholic high schools draw 30-40% from the Maryland/Virginia suburbs.
KIPP DC College Preparatory PCS (Ward 8) is purpose-built for first-generation college students with extensive college counseling, AP courses, and partnership with KIPP's national alumni network. Thurgood Marshall Academy PCS (Ward 8) has nearly 100% college matriculation. Early College Academy at Coolidge HS (DCPS, Ward 4) offers dual college enrollment for first-gen students. Bard High School Early College DC is another strong dual-enrollment option.
14 neighborhood high schools (boundary-based, in-boundary preference) + 6 selective magnets (application-only): Banneker (academic IB), School Without Walls (academic + GWU), Duke Ellington (arts audition), McKinley Tech (STEM), Phelps ACE (Career/Tech), Bard Early College. Largest: Jackson-Reed HS (~2,000 students).
All citywide lottery — no boundaries. Top picks: BASIS DC (selective via assessment), Washington Latin (classical), DC International School (IB), KIPP DC College Prep, E.L. Haynes, Friendship Collegiate, Thurgood Marshall Academy, Washington Leadership Academy. See charter schools in DC.
Independent (Sidwell, GDS, Maret, Edmund Burke), Episcopal (NCS girls, St. Albans boys), Catholic (Gonzaga, Carroll, Visitation), Quaker, Jewish day (CESJDS). Tuition typically $45K-$60K independent, $20K-$32K Catholic. See private schools in DC.