Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Detroit Public Schools Community District

This page covers 23 of the 25 high schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District had enough federal data to rank. 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.

23
Schools Ranked
Michigan
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 23
1
rank
Davis Aerospace Technical High School at Golightly
Grades 09–12134 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (10.3:1) · above-average investment ($22,389/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
10.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Detroit School of Arts
Grades 09–12432 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · small class sizes (12.4:1)
71
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
12.4:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Martin Luther King Jr Senior High School
Grades 09–12821 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($22,389/student)
71
/100
Graduation Rate
86%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
20.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
Communication and Media Arts High School
Grades 09–12306 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($22,389/student)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
15.3:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Crockett Midtown High School of Science and Medicine
Grades 09–12206 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%) · small class sizes (12.1:1)
69
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
12.1:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Pershing High School
Grades 09–12408 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($22,389/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
75%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
16.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Frederick Douglass Academy for Young Men
Grades 09–1276 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (8.2:1) · above-average investment ($22,389/student)
68
/100
Graduation Rate
85%
Nat'l avg 86.5%
Student:Teacher
8.2:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
29/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Renaissance High School
Grades 09–121,146 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($22,389/student)
67
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Cass Technical High School
Grades 09–122,395 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (100%) · above-average investment ($22,389/student)
64
/100
Graduation Rate
100%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
24.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
32/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Cody High School
Grades 09–12466 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($22,389/student)
64
/100
Graduation Rate
62%
Below nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
13.6:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$22,389
Above nat'l avg
13 more high schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District not shown here.
View all schools in Detroit Public Schools Community District
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
23
High Schools
107
Total Schools
79
#1 Score
63
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
Compare Detroit Public Schools Community District with neighbouring districts
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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.