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Portsmouth High School

Q: Is Portsmouth High School a good school?

Yes. Portsmouth High School ranks in the top 7.9% of New Hampshire high schools.

Q: How many students attend Portsmouth High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,017 students attended Portsmouth High School.

Q: What is the racial makeup of Portsmouth High School?

Students at Portsmouth High School are 81% White, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian.

Q: What schools feed into Portsmouth High School?

Portsmouth High School is fed by the following schools: Elementary : Little Harbour School Elementary : Mary C. Dondero Elementary School Elementary : New Franklin School Middle : Portsmouth Middle School

Public Grades 9-12

7^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 89 New Hampshire High Schools

Better than 92% of New Hampshire high schools

Summary

Portsmouth High School is a public school serving about 1,017 students in grades 9–12 in Portsmouth, a Seacoast New Hampshire community. The school is part of the highly rated Portsmouth School District, which ranks in the 95th percentile statewide. With a five-star rating, Portsmouth ranks 7th among 89 New Hampshire high schools for 2025–2026, placing it among the state’s strongest comprehensive high schools.

Academic results are especially strong in reading and science. In 2025–2026, 82% of students were proficient in reading, compared with 55% statewide, and 61% were proficient in science, compared with 38% statewide. Reading performance has improved steadily over four years, rising from 77% to 82%. Mathematics is solid at 51% proficiency—above the 44% state average—but it is the school’s clearest opportunity for improvement, particularly because the districtwide mathematics result is 67%. Portsmouth’s 95.5% graduation rate is also well above the state rate of 87%, while its 0.8% dropout rate is comparatively low. The school reports a favorable student-teacher ratio of about 11.4 to 1.

For nearby comparisons, Oyster River High School is Portsmouth’s closest academic peer: both schools report 51% mathematics and 82% reading proficiency, while Portsmouth leads in science, 61% to 53%. Oyster River has the stronger graduation rate, however, at 99%. Portsmouth also currently outperforms Exeter High School in all three tested subjects, although Exeter reports a 100% graduation rate. Compared with Winnacunnet High School and Dover Senior High School, Portsmouth has notably higher proficiency in reading, mathematics, and science. Overall, the school combines strong academics, high completion rates, and generally strong outcomes across student groups.

1,017

Students ?

11.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$19,004

Per pupil spending ?

11.0%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

50 Andrew Jarvis Dr.
Portsmouth, NH 03801-5474

(603) 436-7100

District: Portsmouth School District

Feeder schools for Portsmouth High School:

Elementary:	Little Harbour School
	Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
	New Franklin School
Middle:	Portsmouth Middle School

Racial breakdown:

White:

80.8%

Two or more races:

7.7%

Hispanic:

5.8%

See top rated New Hampshire high schools

Compare Portsmouth High School to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 42nd percentile in 2015 → 92nd in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the New Hampshire average (65% vs 46% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 8% of New Hampshire high schools

✓96% graduate in 4 years — above the New Hampshire average (87%)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school65%

District avg67%

New Hampshire avg46%

7^th of 89

New Hampshire public high schools ?

Top 8%▲ up 9 pts since 2016

From top 17% (2016) to top 8% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of New Hampshire High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

9^th of 166Portsmouth School District among New Hampshire districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	92.1	7 of 89	92.1%	★★★★★
2025	90.6	6 of 86	93.0%	★★★★★
2024	92.1	4 of 87	95.4%	★★★★★
2023	86.2	12 of 85	85.9%	★★★★☆
2022	72.2	16 of 85	81.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.2	22 of 84	73.8%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	17 of 81	79.0%	★★★★☆
2017	86.0	10 of 82	87.8%	★★★★☆
2016	77.9	14 of 84	83.3%	★★★★☆
2015	38.1	45 of 77	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2014	68.3	23 of 85	72.9%	★★★★☆
2013	60.9	27 of 83	67.5%	★★★★☆
2012	71.7	19 of 83	77.1%	★★★★☆
2011	81.0	11 of 81	86.4%	★★★★☆
2010	64.0	26 of 81	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2009	83.0	7 of 79	91.1%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2025	74.8	3 of 12	75.0%	★★★★☆
2024	88.4	2 of 14	85.7%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	92.2	7 of 80	91.3%	★★★★★
2025	92.5	4 of 80	95.0%	★★★★★
2024	90.9	5 of 81	93.8%	★★★★★
2023	83.8	12 of 78	84.6%	★★★★☆
2022	73.2	17 of 79	78.5%	★★★★☆
2021	66.8	12 of 59	79.7%	★★★★☆
2019	67.9	17 of 63	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	74.2	10 of 60	83.3%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	96.2	1 of 17	94.1%	★★★★★
2025	70.4	3 of 14	78.6%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	7 of 20	65.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	60.3	3 of 9	66.7%	★★★★☆
2021	79.0	1 of 5	80.0%	★★★★★
2019	57.0	3 of 9	66.7%	★★★★☆
2018	76.8	1 of 7	85.7%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	88.5	10 of 81	87.7%	★★★★☆
2025	81.2	12 of 78	84.6%	★★★★☆
2024	91.5	8 of 82	90.2%	★★★★★
2023	83.6	15 of 78	80.8%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	14 of 78	82.1%	★★★★☆
2021	64.1	17 of 60	71.7%	★★★★☆
2019	66.8	14 of 61	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	68.6	11 of 61	82.0%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2024	63.2	5 of 10	50.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.3	3 of 10	70.0%	★★★★☆
2022	58.1	4 of 7	42.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	36.1	1 of 2	50.0%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	71.3	8 of 33	75.8%	★★★★☆
2025	77.3	6 of 35	82.9%	★★★★☆
2024	79.6	4 of 32	87.5%	★★★★★
2023	76.9	5 of 29	82.8%	★★★★☆
2022	50.2	15 of 32	53.1%	★★★☆☆
2021	34.5	12 of 14	14.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	47.5	13 of 31	58.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.3	8 of 21	61.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	New Hampshire percentile	Rating
2026	89.2	10 of 88	88.6%	★★★★☆
2025	90.0	7 of 86	91.9%	★★★★★
2024	93.2	3 of 87	96.6%	★★★★★
2023	85.3	11 of 83	86.7%	★★★★☆
2022	73.1	16 of 85	81.2%	★★★★☆
2021	65.4	15 of 67	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	71.6	14 of 66	78.8%	★★★★☆
2018	80.0	9 of 64	85.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile~ school

Female (2026)91st percentile~ school

White (2026)89th percentile-3 vs school

Male (2026)88th percentile-4 vs school

Special Education (2026)76th percentile-16 vs school

Asian (2025)75th percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2024)50th percentile-45 vs school

By subject vs New Hampshire (2025-2026) ?

Reading82%+27 vs state

Science61%+23 vs state

Mathematics51%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Portsmouth High School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				SAT Mathematics (2026)	SAT Reading (2026)	NH SAS Mathematics (2026)	NH SAS Reading (2026)	NH SAS Science (2026)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2019)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	SAT Mathematics 11th Grade	SAT Reading 11th Grade	NH SAS Mathematics All Grades	NH SAS Reading All Grades	NH SAS Science 11th Grade	NH SAS Science All Grades	Total
Portsmouth High School	Public	9-12	50 Andrew Jarvis Dr.	Portsmouth	03801	Rockingham County	Portsmouth School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 436-7100	1,017	89	11.4	11.0%	822 (80.8%)	7 (0.7%)	59 (5.8%)	49 (4.8%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	78 (7.7%)	92.1	7^th of 89 public high schools	92.1%		90.6	6^th of 86 public high schools	93.0%	1	51.0	82.0	51.0	82.0	61.0	61.0	$19,004
Newmarket Junior-Senior High School	Public	9-12	213 S Main St	Newmarket	03857	Rockingham County	Newmarket School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 659-3271	274	28	9.8	19.3%	223 (81.4%)	3 (1.1%)	17 (6.2%)	12 (4.4%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	17 (6.2%)	76.5	19^th of 89 public high schools	78.7%		79.8	16^th of 86 public high schools	81.4%	3	46.0	66.0	46.0	66.0	51.0	51.0	$17,720
Winnacunnet High School	Public	9-12	1 Alumni Dr.	Hampton	03842	Rockingham County	Winnacunnet Cooperative School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 926-3395	993	98	10.1	15.8%	927 (93.4%)	11 (1.1%)	38 (3.8%)	10 (1.0%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	74.3	20^th of 89 public high schools	77.5%		54.9	30^th of 86 public high schools	65.1%	10	44.0	68.0	44.0	68.0	47.0	47.0	$22,412
Virtual Learning Academy (H)	Public, Virtual, Charter	9-12	19 Hampton Rd	Exeter	03833	Rockingham County	Virtual Learning Academy Charter School	Yes	No	Yes	No	(603) 778-2500	386	66	5.8	11.9%	333 (86.3%)	5 (1.3%)	21 (5.4%)	8 (2.1%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (4.4%)	78.6	17^th of 89 public high schools	80.9%		81.7	13^th of 86 public high schools	84.9%	4	27.0	80.0	27.0	80.0	70.0	70.0
Oyster River High School	Public	9-12	55 Coe Dr.	Durham	03824	Strafford County	Oyster River Coop School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 868-2375	825	67	12.3	7.4%	714 (86.5%)	6 (0.7%)	14 (1.7%)	39 (4.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (6.3%)	88.5	11^th of 89 public high schools	87.6%		91.2	5^th of 86 public high schools	94.2%	6	51.0	82.0	51.0	82.0	53.0	53.0	$19,567
Dover Senior High School	Public	9-12	25 Alumni Dr.	Dover	03820	Strafford County	Dover School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 516-6900	1,371	108	12.6	23.1%	1,118 (81.5%)	24 (1.8%)	64 (4.7%)	83 (6.1%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	80 (5.8%)	58.1	27^th of 89 public high schools	69.7%		42.4	48^th of 86 public high schools	44.2%	21	34.0	67.0	34.0	67.0	36.0	36.0	$14,825
Great Bay Charter School (H)	Public, Charter	9-12	30 Linden St	Exeter	03833	Rockingham County	Great Bay Charter School	Yes	No	No	No	(603) 519-9003	94	8	11.8	22.3%	82 (87.2%)	1 (1.1%)	3 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (8.5%)	19.5	76^th of 89 public high schools	14.6%		20.5	72^nd of 86 public high schools	16.3%	4	411.0	35.0	< 10%	35.0	33.0	33.0
Exeter High School	Public	9-12	1 Blue Hawk Dr	Exeter	03833	Rockingham County	Exeter Region Cooperative School District	No	No	No	Yes	(603) 775-8400	1,348	111	12.1	7.2%	1,209 (89.7%)	23 (1.7%)	40 (3.0%)	42 (3.1%)	10 (0.7%)	3 (0.2%)	21 (1.6%)	81.4	14^th of 89 public high schools	84.3%		85.3	10^th of 86 public high schools	88.4%	4	45.0	70.0	45.0	70.0	55.0	55.0	$19,185
Somersworth High School	Public	9-12	11 Memorial Dr.	Somersworth	03878	Strafford County	Somersworth School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 692-2431	399	35	11.4	28.6%	298 (74.7%)	11 (2.8%)	19 (4.8%)	39 (9.8%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	31 (7.8%)	19.3	77^th of 89 public high schools	13.5%		19.6	73^rd of 86 public high schools	15.1%	4	19.0	44.0	19.0	44.0	23.0	23.0	$20,583
Epping High School	Public	9-12	21 Academy St.	Epping	03042	Rockingham County	Epping School District	No	No	No	No	(603) 679-5472	213	23	9.2	16.0%	195 (91.5%)	2 (0.9%)	8 (3.8%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (2.8%)	45.2	40^th of 89 public high schools	55.1%		50.9	35^th of 86 public high schools	59.3%	5	29.0	69.0	29.0	69.0	19.0	19.0	$21,864

Frequently Asked Questions about Portsmouth High School

What district is Portsmouth High School in?

Portsmouth School District

Is Portsmouth High School a good school?

Yes. Portsmouth High School ranks in the top 7.9% of New Hampshire high schools.

What schools feed into Portsmouth High School?

Portsmouth High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Little Harbour School
Elementary : Mary C. Dondero Elementary School
Elementary : New Franklin School
Middle : Portsmouth Middle School

How many students attend Portsmouth High School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,017 students attended Portsmouth High School.

What is the racial makeup of Portsmouth High School?

Students at Portsmouth High School are 81% White, 8% Two or more races, 6% Hispanic, 5% Asian.

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Latest New Hampshire data All new data »

2025–26 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 7, 2026

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 12, 2025

2024–25 NH SAS & SAT test scoresSep 6, 2025

2015–16 through 2023–24 dropout rates & graduation ratesJul 30, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the New Hampshire Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.