The Top 10 Best Movie High Schools

Who Wouldn’t Want to Graduate from these Movie High Schools?

The kids are back from camp (hopefully still alive), the weather is becoming a bit more tolerable, and school is right around the corner. That’s why I’ve decided to tackle the 10 best movie high schools of all time! A lot of people look back on their teen years with rose-tinted glasses, but in my opinion, you’ve got to take the good with the bad. Being a teen sucks while you’re one because you have no idea what’s going on. When you’re older, you have a better idea, and then suddenly you’ve got nostalgia for the good old days. That nostalgia doesn’t really help at the time, but I’d like to think that getting a chance to attend any of the movie high schools below then things would have at least made being a teen a lot more entertaining. With that in mind, I specifically picked 10 movie high schools I’d actually like to attend. So, grab your back to school supplies and strap on your backpack because class is in sessions for these movie high schools. 

10. East Great Falls High School- The American Pie Franchise

They have a pretty good lacrosse team too.

As outrageous as the American Pie movies are, East Great Falls High School feels like one of the more realistic high schools on this list. There’s nothing fancy about it, which is actually a huge relief. At the same time, there are some students there (Stiffler in particular) that know just how to cause a scene and throw a pretty killer party. Lots of crazy stuff tends to happen at the school, which isn’t a bad thing. As I said earlier, a lot of these schools earned spots because they would have made my teenage years a bit more interesting, and East Great Falls High School would probably have been nothing if not interesting. The fact is that it’s a fairly safe pick as far as movie high school goes, which I suppose makes it the perfect “safety school.” 

9. Sagan High School- 21 Jump Street

Dang kids and their incredible drugs.

To be honest, the students at Sagan High School seem pretty great. They’re open-minded, progressive, and not afraid to embrace their passions. Best of all, they’re all very anti-bullying and have turned the school into a pretty safe place. Yeah, there’s a bit of a drug problem… Okay, so it’s actually a pretty big drug problem and I hear rumors that a couple of undercover cops are attending the school incognito. Then again, aren’t drugs “a problem” at most schools? I mean, what movie high schools don’t have drugs in them? The fact is that if I went to Sagan High School, I could, as the DARE officer used to drill into me, just say “no.” Now, the really hard part of going to Sagan is never knowing if your new BFF is actually a 30-year-old baby-faced cop or not.  

8. Sky High- Sky High 

There are some pretty cool teachers at Sky High.

I’m not here to argue whether Sky High is a good movie or not. However, I will argue that it would be one of the best movie high schools to attend. Why? Uh, because it’s a school for teenage superheroes. Ergo, if I was a student there, then I’d be a teenage superhero… Or I would at least have superpowers (not sure how “heroic” I was at 14). Sky High lives up to its name as it floats high above the Earth, which probably helps a lot to keep supervillains and run of the mill creeps out. That’s kind of a double-edged sword though since there’s really only one way in or out. So, playing hooky is probably off the table if you’re a student there. There’s also the chance that a villain might get it in their head that all those kids in one place is too tempting a target to pass up. Still, Sky High would be a pretty cool place to learn. 

7. Rushmore Academy- Rushmore 

Always got to race from one extracurricular to another at Rushmore.

One thing that always makes school more tolerable are lots of extracurricular activities. Being able to meet new friends and discover passions is critical when it comes to piecing together what you want your future to be when you grow up. That’s why I’ve decided to include Rushmore Academy among these movie high schools. You can probably tell from the name that it’s a private school, which might make it a bit on the pricey side. However, they offer a scholarship program to students, which is pretty great. Plus, you’d get to wear a school uniform which would make it easy to hide your poor fashion sense from your peers (or was that just me). Sure, you might have to put up with a few snobs, but think of all the cool stuff you’d get to try out while there. It’s amazing what schools can do when they have the funding…  

6. Ridgemont High School- Fast Times at Ridgemont High 

Biology, algebra, and life-lessons.

One thing that we all learn in high school, usually the hard way, is that life hardly ever works out the way you think it will. It’s a hard lesson, considering it comes at a time when you’re supposed to be figuring out what to do with the rest of your life, but it’s one that’s best learned early on. Brad Hamilton and a few other seniors have to learn that lesson in Fast Times at Ridgemont High as they navigate their final year there. Early on they all find that nothing is going for them as planned, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Ridgemont High seems like the perfect place to learn not just the quadratic formula, but a lot of life lessons thanks to its eccentric collection of students and teachers, especially the teachers. Take hardass Mr. Hand, he spent the last night of the year forcing the class-clown to actually learn something. Harsh? Maybe. But it’s also kind of touching that he would care that much about a kid’s education.