What are the best high schools in the KC area? See the latest rankings
When deciding on where to send your kids to high school, a lot of things may come into consideration. Whether it be the neighborhood the school is in, the sports teams, or the graduation rate, many factors can play a role.
Education website Niche has provided lists that could make this process easier. The website published its list of the best public and private high schools in the Kansas City area for 2026.
Niche’s Kansas City public school rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. The private school rankings were based on data and “millions of reviews from students and parents.”
Is your high school one of the best in the area? Here’s what Niche has to say.
What are the top public schools in the Kansas City area?
All five high schools in the Blue Valley Unified School District 229 made the top five for best public schools in the Kansas City area. Blue Valley North High School in Overland Park is the best ranked public school in the metro, with an overall grade of A+.
Blue Valley North also ranked as the No. 1 college prep high school in Kansas, and ranks 261 out of 20,162 for the best public high schools in America by Niche. The school also received an A+ for academics and its teachers.
According to polls conducted by Niche, 84% of Blue Valley North students feel safe at the school, while 82% of them like their school and feel happy to be there.
These are the top public schools in the Kansas City area, according to Niche.
1. Blue Valley North High School — Overland Park
2. Blue Valley High School — Stilwell
3. Blue Valley West High School — Overland Park
4. Blue Valley Northwest High School — Overland Park
5. Blue Valley Southwest High School — Overland Park
6. Olathe North High School — Olathe
7. Shawnee Mission East High School — Shawnee
8. Sumner Academy of Arts & Science — Kansas City, Kansas
9. Academie Lafayette - Armour — Kansas City
10. Lee’s Summit West High School — Lee’s Summit
In 2025, Niche named Blue Valley North High School as the third all-around high school in Kansas City. On that list, Blue Valley Southwest High School was the only school from its district to not crack the top 10.
What are the top private schools in the Kansas City area?
Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City is the No. 1 private school in the area according to Niche. It received an A+ grade and was ranked No. 170 out of 3,055 for private K-12 schools in America.
Pembroke also tops other Niche lists for the local area, including the best high school for STEM in the metro, the best college prep private high school in the area, as well as the best private K-12 school in the area.
“My time at Pembroke Hill School allowed me to lay an educational foundation that supported my growth and helped me cultivate my ability to be curious, disciplined, and confident in my intellect,” one review said on Niche.
The top five private high schools in the metro are all in Kansas City, Missouri. Here’s the top five:
1. Pembroke Hill School — Kansas City
2. Notre Dame de Sion High School — Kansas City
3. The Barstow School — Kansas City
4. Rockhurst High School — Kansas City
5. St. Teresa’s Academy — Kansas City
6. Bishop Miege High School — Roeland Park
7. Whitefield Academy — Kansas City
8. St. James Academy — Lenexa
9. Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy — Overland Park
10. Saint Thomas Aquinas High School — Overland Park
Pembroke was the best all-around school in the Kansas City area for 2025, according to Niche. Rockhurst was the eighth-best all-around school in the area last year.
