Top Schools For Athletes and Sports In the U.S.A.

There can be nothing more rewarding for a high school athlete than to study in one of the best sports schools in the U.S. Many schools all over the country compete for the number one spot, but each year there can only be one. Niche publishes its rankings of the best high schools every year. The rankings are based on various factors such as regional analysis of data and thousands of reviews from students and parents of athletes, high school enrollment, and student athletic participation. All of these factors come into play when deciding on the rankings for the best sports schools in the U.S. Let us see which high school tops the charts this year.

1. Mater Dei High School – Santa Ana, California

Founded in 1950, Mater Dei High School earns the number one spot in the list of best sports schools in the U.S. Located in Santa Ana, California; the school is also the number 15th ranked in best Catholic high schools in the state. 

Mater Dei High School has also earned some impressive wins over the years. They have won 9 national championships and 110 CIF championships. Plus, 8 alumni of Mater Dei High School have also gone on to represent the country at the Olympics in different events.

2. St. Thomas Aquinas High School – Fort Lauderdale, Florida

St. Thoman Aquinas almost goes hand in hand with NFL Team players. If you are wondering where did the best players in the NFL go to study, the best bet might be this school. No wonder it ranks so high up on the list.

St. Thomas Aquinas High School is one of those schools which has the most number of  NFL players graduating from here. Namely, 15 former graduates are now playing in the league. It is a Roman Catholic school that has also acquired national recognition for academic excellence as well. 

3. Arrowhead High School – Hartland, Wisconsin

Arrowhead High School is one of the best-rated public high schools in the country. They place almost equal emphasis on sports and academic pursuits. In 2004, they became the only non-professional venue to use turf on the football field. The high school was also rated second when it came to teachers in high schools.

The high school has 2139 students and is huge for a high school. Arrowhead High School has even provided for an on-campus rink for ice hockey teams. The school has many teams representing all sports such as basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and lacrosse, all of which have taken home championship titles.

4. Bishop Carroll Catholic High School – Wichita, Kansas

Located in Wichita, Kansas, Bishop Caroll Catholic High School is a private Catholic school with 1188 students in the high school. Bishop Carroll Catholic High School is reputed for winning championships just about every year since the 1970s. The teacher-student ratio is 17:1.

The girl’s cross country team is quite impressive. By impressive, we mean that they are winners- championship holders from 1993-2001 and most recently, from 2010-2018. The students of this high school are known to be athletic and highly competitive in regards to a survey done.

5. Bishop Gorman High School – Las Vegas, Nevada

This Roman Catholic High School is located in Las Vegas, Nevada is one of the best sports schools in the entire state. Opened in 1954, the high school holds the state record for the maximum number of successive championships in baseball.

It has also won several golds in bowling, football, swimming, tennis, and lacrosse. The high school has almost always maintained a ranking on the Niche list. Not to mention that they have been mentioned on USA Today and featured in Sports Illustrated.

6. Cathedral Catholic High School – San Diego, California

Cathedral Catholic High School has a great reputation in California for their national sports winnings. They even have a separate name for themselves and call themselves “The Dons.” The Dons are known for their sports teams, and championship wins in the country.

There are 80 teams in the school, which are across 40 sports. The school has won over 160 championship team titles and around 40 individual titles. Plus, the high school students have represented this school in professional football, baseball, and basketball.

7. Bingham High School – Jordan, Utah

Bingham High School is a public school located in Jordan, Utah, which is known for its athletic prowess. This high school has been able to send all of its 16 athletic teams to various championships. Plus, these are gold medal-winning teams, no less! 

There are a number of NFL players who have graduated from this school, namely Bruce Hardy, Harvey Langi, Kevin Curtis, and Star Lotulelei. There have been NBA professionals who have passed out from Bingham High School too. Fred Roberts and Gary Wilkinson both graduated from Bingham.

8. Boston College High School – Boston, Massachusetts

This all-boys Catholic School is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and they are known to nurture their sports students. The school has 1425 students with a student-teacher ratio of 13 to 1. Plus, the school has sky-high tuition fees, $22,300.

According to Sports Illustrated, Boston College High School has one of the top high school athletic programs in the country. The student body has 95% athletic kids, and this high school is even rated in New England! Certainly a great school to go to.

9. Saint Ignatius High School – Cleveland, Ohio

A Catholic private high school for boys, and renowned for its athletics teams Saint Ignatius High School, is home to The Wildcats. In 2019, The Wildcats made history with their impressive ninth state championship and were named national soccer championships.

Saint Ignatius High School has a long history of winning in sports and has won 44 state national championships. Apart from that, they have also won eight national titles. The high school has 1,507 students enrolled, and most of them are into sports.

10. Valor Christian High School – Highland Ranch, Colorado

Making it on the top 10 list this year is Valor Christian High School who have climbed the chart by their impressive accomplishments. They have also won 32 Colorado State Championships, which proves their sport quotient. Sports are everything in this High school.

They have an athletic program wherein more than 150 students went on to play Division 1 athletics. The students collectively got over 5 million dollars worth of scholarships, thanks to their athletic prowess. Clearly, Valor Christian High School deserves to be in the top 10.

11. Lincoln-Way East High School – Lincoln Way, Illinois

Lincoln-Way East High School is a public school in Lincoln Way, Illinois, which has also made it into the big leagues by sealing its position on the Niche list of best sports schools in the U.S. Lincoln-Way won the Class 8A state championship in 2019.

Chicago Sun-Times also recognized the High school and gave it the number 1 ranking that year. One of the most popular events at Lincoln-Way East High School is Friday night football. Even the non athletes at the school love supporting their teams by attending the games.

12. Bedford High School – Bedford, New Hampshire

This public school located in New Hampshire has made a name for itself in sports. Their number one team, which leads in championships, is the boy’s tennis team. The tennis team has won eight championships in a row proving their merit and also setting a state record.

That is not to say that the tennis team is the only one doing well. Bedford High School’s other teams like football, cheerleading, golf, swimming, track, baseball, and wrestling teams have all won gold too. The high school has 1,525 students.

13. La Salle Academy – Providence, Rhode Island

La Salle Academy is a top-rated private Catholic school in Rhode Island, which has made a mark in sports. It is a co-ed school which offers more than 60 sports teams in 18 sports. Almost the entire high school plays sports at La Salle Academy.

La Salle Academy has even been named as the best athletic program in Sports Illustrated. Though getting into this prestigious high school comes at a price. The school fee here weighs pretty heavy on the parents at $14,800 a year at this high school. But, obviously, being a La Salle alumni pays off.

14. Sacred Heart Academy – Louisville, Kentucky

Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Sacred Heart Academy is a highly rated, all-girls, Catholic school. This girls school is known for its athletic prowess and the fact that almost every girl who studies here is involved in sports. Over half of the girls are, to be precise.

Sacred Heart Academy has won 80 state titles since its inception in 1877. The home of the Valkyries has amazing facilities for its students. This includes various facilities like a gym, extensive tennis courts, track for running, and a turf field as well. 

15. Christopher Columbus High School – Miami, Florida

Christopher Columbus High School is a top-rated, all-boys high school, which is also Catholic. Located in Miami, Florida, the school is known for immense brotherhood between its students and, of course, athletic excellence. There are many excellent scholarships on offer from the school to their students.

This high school is also the only one in Florida to compete at an 8A level, which means that they compete with the most advanced college scouts. The boys of Christopher Columbus High School have 14 state championships under their belt.

16. Mount Carmel Academy – New Orleans, Louisiana

Mount Carmel Academy is a top-rated, private school that is Catholic. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, It offers 11 sports only, which might not look very impressive at first glance. However, they have more than proven that they are worthy of being on this list.

Mount Carmel Academy’s athletic program began in 1992, and since then, the Cubs have won numerous titles. 121 district titles, 35 state titles, 19 runner up titles, and 37 individual titles. Most of the students here are athletic in nature, as per the staff.

17. St. Xavier High School – Cincinnati, Ohio

This highly rated, private, all-boys school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio. St. Xavier High School is also Catholic, and they have a mascot called Blue Monster. The boys of St. Xavier have consistently proved themselves by taking home the best athletic high school title by Sports Illustrated.

This school is a part of the 59 Jesuit high schools in the country. The official Mascot of St. Xavier High School is the “Bomber,” which refers to the bomber jackets worn during World War II. It is difficult to turn into a costume, so now their mascot wears a shaggy, blue costume.

18. Hereford High School – Parkton, Maryland

Hereford High School is a top-rated high school in Parkton, Maryland. Of the school’s 1,271 students, most of them live and breathe athletics. Hereford High School has received around 50 athletic championships which are more than any other school in this area.

Many Hereford High School alumni have made it to the big leagues. There is NFL’s Andrew DePaola, who graduated from Hereford in 2005, and Carl Runk, who went on to coach lacrosse and football at Towson University. There is also Suzanne Stettinius, a pentathlete who represented the United States at the 2012 Olympics. 

19. Cathedral High School – Indianapolis, Indiana

Cathedral High School is a top-rated Catholic school that has made its mark in the state’s athletic ranks. This school has won more football games than any other school in the state. Located in Indianapolis, they surprisingly do not have their own football field.

They have even set the record for the most wins in the history of Indiana high school football and has now racked up over 600 wins over its program for many years. Perseverance and grit are qualities their team definitely has since they don’t even have a home field.

20. Glastonbury High School – Glastonbury, Connecticut

Glastonbury High School is a top-rated school in Glastonbury, Connecticut, which also has been consistently winning games. It placed 20th on the Niche list of the best sports schools in the US and also came first as the best athletic school in Connecticut.

The Glastonbury High School has been winning championships for a long time and has won 64 state championships. There are 34 sports teams at the high school and most of the parents vouch for this school’s athletic skills and teams. Go, Glastonbury! 

21. Kimberly High School – Kimberly, Wisconsin

This public school located in Kimberly, Wisconsin, has 24 sports teams, and they excel in most of them. Their mascot, “Papermakers,” is not the most intimidating, but the way they play against their competitors surely is. The Papermakers have been winning trophies consistently.

Kimberly High School has some extraordinary state championship wins. They have won the state championship 31 times in various sports. The sports include football, softball, girls basketball, boys track field, and girls ice hockey. Students in this school love attending pep rallies, spirit week, and sports events.

22. Cardinal Gibbons High School – Raleigh, North Carolina

Cardinal Gibbons is a top-rated, private school which is also Catholic. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this school has some seriously impressive stats. There are a whopping 908 students-athletes in this school who have won 112 state championships.

Cardinal Gibbons students have also won 13 Wells Fargo Cups. They have around 50 sports teams covering 27 different sports. Almost all of the Cardinal Gibbons teachers say that the students at this school are great athletes with high stature.

23. Divine Savior Holy Angels High School – Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Divine Savior Holy Angels High School is another top-rated, all-girls high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They have 39 sports teams which cover 15 sports, and they are all equally good. They call themselves the DSHA Dashers and have won 8 national championships.

They are the winners of other innumerable titles also which include 2 ski state championships, 27 soccer state championships, and 16 state rugby championships. The parents and teachers vouch for the student’s athletic prowess here at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School.

24. Trinity High School – Louisville, Kentucky

This all-star, all-boys school, which is located in Louisville, Kentucky, is also one of the best sports high schools in the US. Kentucky is known for its competitive sports teams, and Trinity High School comes right at the top for winning most of the championships.

They have won 25 state championships and have also been the winners of eight undefeated football seasons. Trinity High School is truly one of the best high schools for athletic kids looking to expand their horizons. That too, with only 21 sports teams in the school.

25. St. Catherine’s School – Richmond, Virginia

This top-rated, all-girls high school has also made it to the top 25 sports schools in the US. That, too, in a field that is literally dominated by men. The girls of St. Catherine’s School love setting the bar high and how!

A survey was done about St. Catherine’s School where 100 percent of the people said that the kids in this school are athletic. The school offers 14 different sports teams for the girls to choose from and excel at.