The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts once again is the top public high school in Arkansas and as well as the top 1 percent of schools across the nation in the 2025 Niche.com rankings.
Niche.com is a website that provides in-depth profiles on thousands of colleges, K-12 districts and individual schools across the nation. Parents and students use Niche’s information to find the right school for them. It released its 2025 rankings on Sept. 27.
For the third straight year, ASMSA is No. 1 on the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas list. The school is also rated as top in the state in Niche.com’s Best College Prep Public High Schools in Arkansas and Best High Schools for STEM in Arkansas lists.
The school is No. 31 out of more than 20,700 public high schools included in the website’s national rankings, improving 15 spots from the 2024 edition. It is the only public high school in Arkansas to be ranked in the top 150 nationally.
ASMSA earned an A-plus Overall Niche Grade as well as A-plus grades in the individual categories of Academics, Teachers, College Prep, Resources and Facilities, and Clubs and Activities. To view ASMSA’s profile, visit https://asmsa.me/nicheprofile.
“While national rankings are always exciting, what brings me joy about this year's results from Niche.com is that the foundation of their analysis is student, family, and alumni satisfaction with their ASMSA experience and the way we position young Arkansans for success in college and careers,” said Executive Director Corey Alderdice. “Moreso than any number, that speaks volumes about the dedication of our faculty and staff.”
ASMSA is a public, residential school for talented and highly motivated students in the 10th through 12th grades who have an interest and aptitude for mathematics and science as well as a passion for creativity and the arts. ASMSA is the early college campus of the University of Arkansas System. Students from across Arkansas choose to attend ASMSA for advanced academic opportunities that may not be available at their local school.
“Our community of learning is honored by this recognition, but we'll strive to find new ways to grow while ensuring that our students thrive during this experience and beyond,” Alderdice said. “With Arkansas' new era of school choice at hand, we look forward to continuing to be the destination of choice for the state's most talented and motivated students.”
The school also ranked No. 12 in Niche’s Most Diverse Public High Schools in Arkansas. Niche uses demographic data to determine the ranking, including student racial diversity, gender diversity and percentage of economically disadvantaged students. About 40 percent of ASMSA students are from families who qualify for federal school menu programs, and about 41 percent identify as students of color.
“Gov. Sarah Sanders has regularly noted that Arkansas students deserve access to a quality education no matter their ZIP code, race or family income. Even while seeking out students who must be ready for the demands of an early college experience, we're proud that ASMSA reflects the diversity of our state,” Alderdice said.
Grades, ratings and rankings for each school are determined by information provided to Niche by the U.S. Department of Education, self-reported information from each individual institution as well as reviews by students, parents and alumni of the school. To see a full list of the 2025 Best Public High Schools in Arkansas, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/s/arkansas/.