More than 7.6 million US high school students played sports during the last academic year, and schools in the Sunshine State offer some of the best athletic programs in the nation.
Florida has some of the best high schools for sports in the US, according to Niche, a service that analyzes public data on US schools.
More than 7.6 million high school students played sports during the 2021-22 academic year, according to data from the National Federation of State High School Associations.
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Those athletes participate in a variety of sports, including football, the most popular among high school boys, and track and field, the most popular sport among high school girls, according to the data.
Data and surveys show that Florida and California have the most high-profile high school athletic programs, according to Niche.
Based on that information, Stacker, a newswire service, compiled a list of the best high schools for sports in Florida.
The data analyzed the rankings factor in parent and student surveys on sports, total high school enrollment, K-12 sports championships, number of sports, and athletic participation rates.
These are the top 12 best high schools for sports in Florida.
1) St. Thomas Aquinas High School
City: Fort Lauderdale
Type: Private, Catholic
Overall Niche Grade: A+
2) Christopher Columbus High School
City: Miami
Type: Private, Catholic, All-Boys
Overall Niche Grade: A+
3) American Heritage Schools, Broward Campus
City: Plantation
Type: Private, Boarding
Overall Niche Grade: A+
4) The Bolles School
City: Jacksonville
Type: Private, Boarding
Overall Niche Grade: A+
5) Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
City: Miami
Type: Private, Catholic, All-Boys
Overall Niche Grade: A+
6) Jesuit High School
City: Tampa
Type: Private, Catholic, All-Boys
Overall Niche Grade: A+
7) Montverde Academy
City: Montverde
Type: Private, Boarding
Overall Niche Grade: A+
8) Our Lady of Lourdes Academy
City: Miami
Type: Private, Catholic, All-Girls
Overall Niche Grade: A+
9) Ponte Vedra High School
City: Ponte Vedra
Type: Public
Overall Niche Grade: A+
10) Fort Myers High School
City: Fort Myers
Type: Public
Overall Niche Grade: A+
11) Dr. Phillips High School
City: Orlando
Type: Public
Overall Niche Grade: A
12) Niceville Senior High School
City: Niceville
Type: Public
Overall Niche Grade: A
Mivette Vega is our Puerto Rico Reporter. This seasoned journalist reports on what happens on the island. She is passionate about justice, equality, environmental matters, and animals. She is a Salvadorrican—Salvadorian that grew up in Puerto Rico—that has lived in San Juan, Venice, and Miami.
