Best Public Schools in Exeter, NH

Exeter, New Hampshire, has seven schools serving approximately 2,819 students in grades PK/K through 12, with strong traditional public schools alongside virtual and charter options but no standalone middle school. The largest school is Exeter High School, which serves 1,348 students in grades 9–12. Elementary options include Main Street School, serving PK–2, and Lincoln Street Elementary School, serving the upper elementary grades. Middle-grade students are included in the K–8 programs at Virtual Learning Academy (E) and Great Bay Charter School (E). The traditional schools are associated with the highly ranked Exeter School District and Exeter Region Cooperative School District, while virtual and charter alternatives are operated by separate organizations.

Lincoln Street Elementary School is the clearest elementary standout, with 70% mathematics, 71% reading, and 63% science proficiency—well above New Hampshire averages—and a recent statewide ranking around the 90th percentile. Exeter High School also offers a strong overall profile, combining above-state reading and science results with a 95.8% graduation rate and a very low 0.2% dropout rate. Main Street School has limited achievement data because it serves younger students, but its 9.4-to-1 student-teacher ratio is favorable. Together, the traditional Exeter schools enroll about three-quarters of the students represented and generally provide the strongest combination of academics, rankings, and completion outcomes.

The alternative schools have more uneven results. Both Virtual Learning Academy (H) and Virtual Learning Academy (E) show excellent reading and solid science performance, but mathematics is weaker; the high school also reports a 65.2% graduation rate. Great Bay Charter School (H) has weak test results but a 91.3% graduation rate and no reported dropouts. Great Bay Charter School (E) has the lowest academic results, particularly in mathematics, despite a small student-teacher ratio. Across Exeter, reading and science are generally stronger than mathematics, and parents should compare schools using achievement, graduation, school structure, and student needs rather than relying on one rating.