Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Jefferson County

This page covers 35 high schools in Jefferson County. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score below the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

35
Schools Ranked
Kentucky
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 35
1
rank
Central High Magnet Career Academy
Grades 09–121,220 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (96%) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
78
/100
Graduation Rate
96%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Eastern High
Grades 09–122,036 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($19,590/student)
73
/100
Graduation Rate
89%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Atherton High
Grades 09–121,461 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (97%) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
72
/100
Graduation Rate
97%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
58/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
U of L PACT Program
Grades 12–1219 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.1:1) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
72
/100
Student:Teacher
9.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
The Phoenix School of Discovery
Grades 06–12380 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (9.3:1) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
9.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Fern Creek High
Grades 09–121,688 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($19,590/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
89%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
15.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Butler Traditional High
Grades 09–121,421 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Waggener High
Grades 09–12863 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($19,590/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
81%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
55/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Ballard High
Grades 09–122,014 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (94%) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
94%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
43/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
duPont Manual High
Grades 09–121,929 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (100%) · above-average investment ($19,590/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
100%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
33/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$19,590
Above nat'l avg
25 more high schools in Jefferson County not shown here.
View all schools in Jefferson County
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
35
High Schools
168
Total Schools
78
#1 Score
63
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
Central High Magnet Career Academy
Score: 78/10096% graduation
Compare Jefferson County with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.