Niche has just released its 2026 ‘Best Schools’ rankings, and both Conard and Hall received ‘A’ grades and rank in the top 20 in Connecticut.

By Ronni Newton

Search platform Niche has just released its rankings of the 2026 “Best Schools” and West Hartford’s Conard and Hall high schools are both included in the top 20 among public high schools in the state, with both earning an “A” grade.

Hall is ranked No. 16 and Conard is ranked No. 18 in this year’s report which ranked more than 200 public traditional, charter, and magnet schools in the state.

The ratings, according to Niche, are based on “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users.” Dozens of public data sources are used, “along with millions of reviews from students, parents, and residents,” in addition to test scores and academic performance, Niche explained. More than 93,000 public high schools nationwide are included in the rankings.

In Connecticut, the top seven schools are all in Fairfield County. Farmington (No. 8) and Avon (No. 9) are the only area public high schools in the top-10. Glastonbury is ranked No. 12, while Simsbury High School is in between Hall and Conard at No. 17. Hall and Conard are ranked fifth and seventh in the Hartford area respectively.

Hall’s detailed ranking can be found here, while Conard’s can be found here.

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