The Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts is the top public high school in Arkansas for the fourth consecutive year in the 2026 Niche.com rankings.
Niche.com is a website that provides in-depth profiles of 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.
In addition to being No. 1 on the website’s Best Public High Schools in Arkansas list, ASMSA is ranked in the top half percent of public high schools in the nation. The school is No. 55 out of almost 20,200 public high schools nationwide. It is the only public high school in Arkansas ranked in the top 150 nationally. ASMSA is also rated as top in the state in Niche.com’s Best College Prep Public High Schools in Arkansas list.
ASMSA earned an A-plus Overall Niche Grade as well as A-plus grades in the individual categories of Academics, Teachers, College Prep, and Resources and Facilities. It achieved an A grade in the Administration category as well as the Clubs and Activities Category. To view ASMSA’s profile, visit https://asmsa.me/nicheprofile.
“What makes these rankings meaningful is that they aren’t just numbers,” said ASMSA Executive Director Corey Alderdice. “Instead, they are rooted in the reviews and stories of the students, alumni and parents who experienced ASMSA firsthand. That’s the strongest endorsement of school choice we could ask for.”
ASMSA is a public high school with both residential and online programs 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.
The school also ranked No. 14 on 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 42 of ASMSA students are from families who qualify for federal school menu programs, and about 38 percent identify as students of color.
The data reflects an effort by the school to meet the demand for school choice for Arkansas students and their parents. As the State of Arkansas focuses on providing students and parents access to quality education no matter their ZIP code, race or family income, Niche’s ranking reflects ASMSA’s commitment to ensuring those opportunities exist for the state’s most talented and motivated students.
“Thanks to the vision and support of the State of Arkansas, ASMSA’s residential program ensures that geography is never a barrier to opportunity,” Alderdice said. “Empowered parents and motivated students can choose a world-class education right here at home at no cost to them.”
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 2026 Best Public high Schools in Arkansas, visit https://www.niche.com/k12/search/best-public-high-schools/s/arkansas/.