Staples has secured its place as the number one public high school in Connecticut, according to the 2024 Niche rankings released in October. Staples also ranked first in the state for Best College Prep Public High Schools and Best High School Teachers. Nationally, Niche ranked Staples as number 151 out of the over 20,733 high schools that it evaluated in 2024.
The Niche rankings are based on a variety of factors including academics, teachers, clubs and activities, diversity and facilities. This year, Staples achieved an overall grade of A+, maintaining its strength in categories like academics, sports and food, though diversity received a B-, being the school’s lowest grade overall.
“I feel like there are so many great teachers at Staples that have so many different levels of expertise that really care about their community and their students. I feel like we have it all,” social studies teacher Nell-Ayn Lynch said. “[But] if there was a way to diversify the population, I think everybody could benefit from that.”
Earlier this year, Staples was ranked as the ninth best public high school in Connecticut by the US News & World Report, behind its Fairfield County competitors, Darien, Weston and Greenwich. Both Niche and US News & World Report consider factors such as scores on state proficiency assessments, but unlike US News & World Report, Niche considers responses to student and teacher surveys.
Despite its strong overall ranking on Niche, Staples’ diversity grade highlights a recurring challenge. Last year, Staples also received a B- in the diversity category. Students noted the lack of diversity as one of the few drawbacks at Staples.
“Having diversity at Staples is really important because it lets people learn from other backgrounds and learn about other cultures,” Alexa Beyda ’27 said. “It also prepares us for the real world where we will be face to face with different people.”
While diversity remains an area for growth, Staples continues to excel in academics, college preparation and athletics. With a student-teacher ratio of 10 to 1 and strong test scores—78% proficiency in math and 91% in reading—Staples remains a leader in education.
“I really appreciate Staples because of the incredible opportunities and resources it provides, which allow students to explore different aspects of their identity,” Maddie Hendley ’25 said. “Academically, Staples excels with having teachers who genuinely want their students to succeed, which makes me feel confident and well-prepared for my future.”
Niche also ranked Staples highly for its extracurricular programs, which many students find an important part of their high school experience.“Players has positively impacted my experience at Staples because it gives me a place to go after school every day and gives me something to look forward to,” Gavin Jamali ’27 said. “It fosters such a great community and has allowed me to create great relationships and bonds that I would not have had if I didn’t do Players.”
