2024 SAT Scores:

Top Eight High Schools in Detroit are All Charter Schools

By every metric, the highest-performing high schools in Detroit are all charter schools. That point was driven home once again when the Michigan Department of Education released the 2024 SAT scores.

The results showed that the top eight open-enrollment high schools in Detroit were all charter schools. The SAT test is taken each year by high school juniors to assess their proficiency in math and reading.

An open-enrollment school is defined as one that accepts all students without having to pass a test, write an enrollment essay or meet other restrictive requirements (some schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District are not open-enrollment schools). All charter schools in the state are open-enrollment schools, which mean they accept all students.

The top nine Detroit schools ranked by SAT scores:

1. Detroit Edison Public School Academy – 884.3 (charter)
2. University Prep Academy – 815.1 (charter)
3. Cesar Chavez Academy – 807.2 (charter)
4. University Prep Science and Math Academy – 797.7 (charter)
5. Jalen Rose Leadership Academy – 791.9 (charter)
6. Oakland International Academy – 790.4 (charter)
7. Frontier International Academy – 788.8 (charter)
8. University Prep Art & Design High School – 787.0 (charter)
9. Henry Ford High School
   – 776.8 (Detroit Public Schools Community District)

“Once again, the data is clear – the top high schools in Detroit are all public charter schools,” said Dan Quisenberry, President of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA), the state charter school association.

“It’s refreshing to see that education has become one of the top priorities for legislators and people running for office, so it’s important to look at what’s working. It’s clear that in the state’s largest city, charter schools are leading the way. Everyone needs to take note of that.”

The top high schools in Detroit are all charter schools by every metric and data point, including U.S. News and World Report rankings and college enrollment. The top elementary and middle schools in Detroit are also all charter schools, according to the data.

On top of that, the top teacher in the city of Detroit the past two years, according to the Michigan Department of Education, has been a charter school teacher. In 2024, the Michigan Regional Teacher of the Year for Detroit was Calvin Nellum of the Detroit Academy of Arts and Sciences. And in 2025, the Michigan Regional Teacher of the Year for Detroit was Susan Kelsey-Brewton of Hope of Detroit Academy.

One more data point showing the success of charter schools in Detroit: The elementary and middle school with the highest M-STEP scores in Detroit is Pembroke Academy, a charter school that won the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2024.