List of the oldest public high schools in the United States

The following are the oldest public high schools in the United States that are still in operation. While some of these schools have operated as private schools in the past, all are currently public schools. The list does not include schools that have closed or consolidated with another school to form a new institution. The list is ordered by date of creation, and currently includes schools formed before 1870.

Boston Latin School (1635), Boston, Massachusetts
Hartford Public High School (1638), Hartford, Connecticut
Cambridge Rindge and Latin School (1648), Cambridge, Massachusetts
Hopkins Academy (1664), Hadley, Massachusetts
Academy of Richmond County (1773), Augusta, Georgia
Erasmus Hall (1786), Brooklyn, New York
Glynn Academy (1788), Brunswick, Georgia
Canandaigua Academy (1791), Canandaigua, New York
Westford Academy (1792), Westford, Massachusetts
Oxford Academy and Central Schools (1794), Oxford, New York
Newburgh Free Academy (1796), Newburgh, New York
Woodstock Academy (1801), Woodstock, Connecticut ("a quasi-private, independent school")
Monmouth Academy (1803), Monmouth, Maine
Bacon Academy (1803), Colchester, Connecticut
Hampden Academy (1803), Hampden, Maine
Pinkerton Academy (1814), Derry, New Hampshire (not strictly public, yet not private)
Columbia High School (1814), Maplewood, New Jersey
Cony High School (1815), Augusta, Maine
Bel Air High School (1816), Bel Air, Maryland
Pembroke Academy (1818), Pembroke, New Hampshire
Delaware Academy (1819), Delhi, New York
English High School of Boston (1821), Boston, Massachusetts
Portland High School (1821), Portland, Maine
Kentucky School for the Deaf (1823), Danville, Kentucky
Prattsburgh Central School (1823), Prattsburgh, New York
New Bedford High School (1827), New Bedford, Massachusetts
Norcross High School (1827), Norcross, Georgia
Keene High School (1828), Keene, New Hampshire
Elyria High School (1830), Elyria, Ohio
Lahainaluna High School (1831), Maui, Hawaii
Leon High School (1831), Tallahassee, Florida
Lowell High School (1831), Lowell, Massachusetts
Newburyport High School (1831), Newburyport, Massachusetts
Woodward High School (1831), Cincinnati, Ohio
Cambridge High School (1834), Cambridge, Illinois
Medford High School (1835), Medford, Massachusetts
Bellevue High School (1836), Bellevue, Michigan
Central High School (1836), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Auburn High School (1837), Auburn, Alabama
Windsor High School (1837), Windsor, New York
Barringer High School (1838), Newark, New Jersey
Cohasset High School (1838), Cohasset, Massachusetts
Nantucket High School (1838), Nantucket, Massachusetts
Taunton High School (1838), Taunton, Massachusetts
Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind (1838), Staunton, Virginia
Baltimore City College (1839), Baltimore, Maryland
Gloucester High School (1839), Gloucester, Massachusetts
Middletown High School (1840), Middletown, Connecticut
Brighton High School (1841), Boston, Massachusetts
Haverhill High School (1841), Haverhill, Massachusetts
Warren Easton Charter High School, formerly known as Boys High School (1843), New Orleans, Louisiana
Brookline High School (1843), Brookline, Massachusetts
Classical High School (1843), Providence, Rhode Island
Drury High School (1843), North Adams, Massachusetts
Tennessee School for the Deaf (1844), Knoxville, Tennessee
Western High School (1844), Baltimore, Maryland
Charlestown High School (1845), Boston, Massachusetts
Lyons High School (1845), Lyons, New York
Mary D. Bradford High School (1845), Kenosha, Wisconsin
New Braunfels High School (1845), New Braunfels, Texas
Windsor High School (1845), Windsor, Vermont
Chelsea High School (1846), Chelsea, Massachusetts
Concord High School (1846), Concord, New Hampshire
Georgia School for the Deaf (1846), Cave Spring, Georgia
Manchester Central High School (1846), Manchester, New Hampshire
Pine Tree High School (1847), Longview, Texas
Biddeford High School (1848), Biddeford, Maine
Lockport High School (1848), Lockport, New York
Philadelphia High School for Girls (1848), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
B.M.C. Durfee High School (1849), Fall River, Massachusetts
Charlotte High School (1849), Charlotte, Michigan
Fitchburg High School (1849), Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Lawrence High School (1849), Lawrence, Massachusetts
Rockport High School (1849), Rockport, Massachusetts
Waltham High School (1849), Waltham, Massachusetts
Ypsilanti High School (1849), Ypsilanti, Michigan
Innovation Central High School (1850), Grand Rapids, Michigan (AKA Grand Rapids High School)
Somerville High School (1852), Somerville, Massachusetts
Central High School (Commonly called Central VPA High School) (1853), St. Louis, Missouri
Pottsville Area High School (1853), Pottsville, Pennsylvania
Holmes Junior/Senior High School (1853), Covington, Kentucky
New Albany High School (1853), New Albany, Indiana
Arundel High School (1854), Gambrills, Maryland
Norwich Free Academy (1854), Norwich, Connecticut (a "quasi-private school," "privately governed, independent secondary school")
Weymouth High School (1854)
Sacramento High School (1856), Sacramento, California
Andover High School (1856), Andover, Massachusetts
Louisville Male High School (1856), Louisville, Kentucky
Lowell High School (1856), San Francisco, California
Pioneer High School (1856), Ann Arbor, Michigan
Peoria High School (1856), Peoria, Illinois
Texas School for the Deaf (1856), Austin, Texas
University High School (1857), Normal, Illinois
Braintree High School (1858), Braintree, Massachusetts
Ravenna High School (1858), Ravenna, Ohio
Hillhouse High School (1859), New Haven, Connecticut
Central High School, formerly known as St. Joseph High School (1861), St. Joseph, Missouri
San Jose High School (1863), San Jose, California
Shortridge High School (1864), Indianapolis, Indiana
Loyola High School (1865), Los Angeles, California
Saint Paul Central High School (1866), Saint Paul, Minnesota
Hastings Senior High School (1866), Hastings, Minnesota
Wilson High School (1866), Florence, South Carolina
Alfred Ely Beach High School (1867), Savannah, Georgia
Parkersburg High School (1867), Parkersburg, West Virginia
Round Rock High School (1867), Round Rock, Texas
Greely High School (1868), Cumberland, ME
Theodore Roosevelt High School (1868), Kent, Ohio
Morristown High School (1869), Morristown, New Jersey
Lincoln High School (1869), Portland, Oregon
Hunter College High School (1869), New York City, New York
Elgin High School (1869); Elgin, Illinois
Oakland High School, (1869), Oakland, California
Little Rock Central High School (1869), Little Rock, Arkansas

See also