Best High Schools in Brandon, MS

The city of Brandon, Mississippi, is served by two public high schools—Brandon High School (grades 9–12, 1,609 students) and Pisgah High School (grades 7–12, 482 students)—both operating within the highly rated Rankin County School District. Brandon is more than three times larger than Pisgah, and while both schools share the same district, they serve distinct communities with different grade structures and student-teacher ratios (14.1 at Brandon vs. 11.9 at Pisgah).

When comparing the two, Pisgah stands out for its overall academic performance and state ranking. In the latest 2025–2026 ranking, Pisgah placed 42nd out of 224 Mississippi high schools with a 4-star rating, while Brandon placed 89th with a 3-star rating. Pisgah’s mathematics program is especially strong—its Algebra I proficiency rate of 85.0% is roughly 19 points above the state average, and its 7th and 8th grade math scores also far exceed district and state benchmarks. Brandon, meanwhile, shines in graduation and attendance: its 95.5% graduation rate tops both Pisgah (94.4%) and the district (94.6%), and its chronic absenteeism rate of 13.8% is well below the state’s 23.9%. Brandon also posted exceptional end-of-course scores in 2024–2025, particularly in Biology (81.2% proficient) and U.S. History (86.8% proficient), though those scores dropped noticeably the following year.

Both schools outperform the state on several key measures, especially attendance and graduation, and both benefit from a strong district reputation. Interestingly, Pisgah achieves higher rankings despite serving a slightly higher share of students eligible for free/reduced lunch (41.91% vs. 35.67% at Brandon), suggesting effective support systems in a smaller setting. The main concern for both schools is year-to-year consistency: Brandon’s Algebra I proficiency fell from 71.7% to 57.3%, and Pisgah saw double-digit drops in some English scores. Still, parents in Brandon have two solid public high school options—Pisgah for exceptional math and overall rankings, and Brandon for a larger comprehensive experience with excellent graduation outcomes.