While every high school in the DMV offers a variety of coursework on liberal arts and sciences alike, many disciplines that fall under the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) umbrella require specialized knowledge and teaching strategies that not every school offers. Some high schools, however, are able to provide the kind of robust STEM educational experience that will help prime students for majoring in STEM fields in college and beyond.
Through Niche, a trusted platform for ratings and reviews of schools across the country, Washington Parent has compiled a list of the top 10 STEM high schools in the DC area. Niche incorporates many factors into its rating of schools, including alumni and family reviews, class sizes, teacher expertise, graduation rates and more.
1. BASIS Independent McLean
- Address: 8000 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: This is a private school with a selective admissions process and tuition and is unrelated to BASIS Public Charter Schools.
- Why it Stands Out: Students at this school typically finish their graduation requirements by senior year, dedicating their final year instead to capstone projects, college counseling and their three-month student driven senior project.
BASIS Independent McLean has a strong focus on AP courses, and its unique approach to senior year allows STEM students to pursue learning in their field of interest in a way not normally supported by traditional limitations of course options.
2. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
- Address: 6560 Braddock Rd., Alexandria, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: Though it is part of the Fairfax County Public School system, it is a selective secondary high school that requires application to attend and serves a broader area than most schools in the system, taking applicants from Arlington County, Fairfax County (including the City of Fairfax), Falls Church City, Loudoun County and Prince William County.
- Why it Stands Out: It’s a magnet school with a full-day, four-year program, unlike most magnet schools, which are more limited in scope and cohabitate with more standard schooling.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology’s name says it all. It is the Governor’s School for Science and Technology in Northern Virginia, and while its main focus is, of course, heavily on STEM, it does not leave out an education in the arts as an integral part of understanding the world.
3. Sidwell Friends School
- Address: 3825 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: A tuition-based private school, applicants should note that a recommendation from a current teacher of the applicant is required as a part of the process.
- Why it Stands Out: As a Quaker school, Sidwell’s students practice Quaker values through community service and environmental stewardship projects that allow for hands-on learning.
Sidwell Friends’ STEM offerings are enhanced by their 1:1 laptop program which ensures every student has a laptop provided by the school to use, which may be applied when taking part in their coding or robotics offerings, among other classes.
4. Holton-Arms School
- Address: 7303 River Rd., Bethesda, Md.
- Notes on Admissions: Holton-Arms is an all-girls private school that requires recommendations from three teachers and an introduction video.
- Why it Stands Out: The school proudly boasts that 100% of Holton-Arms Graduates are accepted into four-year institutions.
Holton-Arms features such STEM specialties as their Center for the Advancement of STEM and advanced classes that are ready to be taught if interested students sign up, even if they aren’t held every year.
5. The Madeira School
- Address: 8328 Georgetown Pk., McLean, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: An all-girls boarding school, requiring recommendations from current teachers and statements from both the student and their parent/guardian when applying.
- Why it Stands Out: Niche ranks the Madeira as their #1 boarding high school and #1 all-girls high school in the state.
Madeira uses a distinct modular system where school is split up into five-week periods. During each period, students take only three classes a day, allowing for more time to be spent on deeper learning and comprehension, while the modular structure ensures they have opportunities to learn a variety of subjects every year.
6. The Potomac School
- Address: 1301 Potomac School Rd., McLean, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: Potomac is a private school that takes applicants from all over the DMV and beyond, though local applicants must visit campus as a part of their application process.
- Why it Stands Out: The science program focuses on developing scientific understanding through lab and field work alike, and has courses in neuroscience, organic chemistry and genetics.
The Potomac School’s large wooded campus is somewhat out of the way, but it compensates for it with one of the most robust dedicated shuttle systems for a private school in the area, with serviced areas shown on their quick facts sheet.
7. National Cathedral School
- Address: 3612 Woodley Rd. NW, Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: An all-girls school in the district, National Cathedral School (NCS) requires recommendations from teachers, and for students entering its upper school, an interview process.
- Why it Stands Out: NCS has an emphasis on skills acquisition in their STEAM (adding an A for Arts) program as a part of their “spiraled” curriculum which builds on skills taught earlier to teach deeper methods to further comprehension of subject matter.
NCS has been operating for 125 years and is an Episcopal school that represents students from 97 different zip codes across the country.
8. Ideaventions Academy for Math and Science
- Address: 12340 Pinecrest Rd. #10, Reston, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: As a private specialty school, Ideaventions’ application process, from interviews to essays, assesses not just intelligence, but curiosity about STEM disciplines.
- Why it Stands Out: Ideaventions offers post-AP level coursework in STEM fields in their high school program, allowing driven students to get a head start diving into a niche STEM field.
Ideaventions is a STEM-focused school, making it one of the best options for a student who wants to fully pursue a discipline under that umbrella. Their mean SAT score is 1529, the highest of any high school in the state.
9. St. Albans School
- Address: 101 Wisconsin Ave., Washington, DC
- Notes on Admissions: An all-boys private school, St. Albans boasts that it has met 100% of demonstrated financial need with aid to mitigate its tuition costs.
- Why it Stands Out: St. Albans has an average graduation rate of 100% according to Niche’s analytics.
St. Albans has relatively small classes, with an average size of just 13, and each senior gets to engage in a self-directed learning project one-on-one with a mentor.
10. Pinnacle Academy
- Address: 14120 Newbrook Dr., Chantilly, Va.
- Notes on Admissions: As a science and technology focused private school, Pinnacle is interested in students who are specifically curious about their fields of focus.
- Why it Stands Out: Its STEAM programs pair neatly with an emphasis on service learning to ensure the knowledge gained is understood and applicable in real world contexts, not just theory.
Pinnacle Academy used to market itself as a STEM school, but over time its priorities have broadened to include the arts, as their relationship with the technology that governs our lives and the way they help us understand the “hard sciences” becomes more relevant every day.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
Liam McCrickard holds a B.A. in creative and professional writing from Goucher College. He is former assistant editor at Washington Parent. He works as a freelance designer, writer and editor of tabletop role-playing games.
