New Canaan High School

Summary:

New Canaan High School is a public high school serving grades 8-12 in the highly-ranked Darien School District of Connecticut, with a student population of 1,294 that is predominantly White (81.61% in 2022-2023).

New Canaan High School consistently ranks among the top high schools in Connecticut, ranking 1st out of 145 high schools in the state for the 2023-2024 school year. This is reflected in its exceptional test scores, with 88.9% of 11th-grade students proficient or better in SAT/English Language Arts, 70.5% in SAT/Math, and 85.7% in NGSS/Science - significantly outperforming the state averages. The school's students also perform at the top of the state in various subgroups, ranking 4th out of 102 Connecticut high schools for female students and 3rd out of 100 for male students. Additionally, the school has an exceptionally low percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch (0.23% in 2022-2023), indicating a high socioeconomic status of the student population.

When compared to nearby high schools, such as Westhill High School and Stamford High School, both in the Stamford School District, New Canaan High School stands out as a top-performing institution with significantly higher test scores and lower poverty rates. The school also outperforms the nearby Center for Global Studies, a public magnet school in the Norwalk School District, in most academic metrics.

Detail:

Public 8-12

11 Farm Rd.
New Canaan, CT 06840

(203) 594-4600

District: New Canaan School District

SchoolDigger Rank:
1^st of 145 Connecticut High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $25,690

Feeder schools for New Canaan High School:

Elementary:	East School
	South School
	West School
Middle:	Saxe Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 12.0

Number of students: 1,257

Racial breakdown:

White:

79.5%

Asian:

8.0%

Hispanic:

7.2%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 0.2%

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Compare New Canaan High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details New Canaan High School ranks better than 99.3% of high schools in Connecticut. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 96.73. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at New Canaan High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (79.5%), Asian (8%), Hispanic (7.2%). (See more...)

Compare Details

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at New Canaan High School is 12. (See more...)

Compare New Canaan High School employs 103.9 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at New Canaan High School is $25,690.

Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

New Canaan High School:

SchoolDigger ranks New Canaan High School 1^st of 145 Connecticut public high schools. (See New Canaan High School in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Female students:

Male students:

White students:

New Canaan School District:

SchoolDigger ranks New Canaan School District 1^st of 158 Connecticut school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for New Canaan High School

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Rank History for all students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2007	82.39	6^th	176	96.6%
2008	83.71	3^rd	176	98.3%
2009	83.39	4^th	176	97.7%
2010	83.01	2^nd	186	98.9%
2011	83.47	2^nd	189	98.9%
2012	83.53	7^th	188	96.3%
2013	81.48	10^th	193	94.8%
2015	92.28	4^th	196	98.0%
2017	95.38	1^st	140	99.3%
2018	93.98	5^th	121	95.9%
2021	97.18	1^st	200	99.5%
2022	95.60	2^nd	139	98.6%
2023	96.92	1^st	142	99.3%
2024	96.73	1^st	145	99.3%

See the entire list of Connecticut High School Rankings!

Rank History for Special Education students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	90.09	12^th	175	93.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Female students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	92.04	1^st	79	98.7%
2019	93.22	1^st	84	98.8%
2021	96.54	1^st	189	99.5%
2022	93.72	3^rd	106	97.2%
2023	94.42	2^nd	103	98.1%
2024	93.19	4^th	102	96.1%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2021	97.83	2^nd	57	96.5%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	88.74	10^th	78	87.2%
2019	94.43	3^rd	80	96.3%
2021	96.70	1^st	182	99.5%
2022	92.05	3^rd	102	97.1%
2023	94.72	2^nd	100	98.0%
2024	94.65	3^rd	100	97.0%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for White students at New Canaan High School

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CT State Percentile
2018	91.86	3^rd	105	97.1%
2019	95.70	1^st	113	99.1%
2021	95.86	2^nd	155	98.7%
2022	92.26	7^th	117	94.0%
2023	96.40	2^nd	116	98.3%
2024	95.34	5^th	116	95.7%

See the entire list of Best Connecticut High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Connecticut Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: Connecticut State Department of Education

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Enrollment information for New Canaan High School

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	949	14	18	11	0	n/a	n/a	0	992
1989	866	13	22	11	1	n/a	n/a	0	913
1990	806	23	18	11	n/a	n/a	n/a	0	858
1991	757	15	34	7	0	n/a	n/a	0	813
1992	753	10	30	5	0	n/a	n/a	0	798
1993	735	7	24	9	0	n/a	n/a	0	775
1994	741	9	18	10	0	n/a	n/a	0	778
1995	986	14	23	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	1037
1996	986	14	23	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	1037
1997	979	16	23	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	1035
1998	1042	15	32	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	1103
1999	1066	16	30	17	0	n/a	n/a	0	1129
2000	1063	15	39	18	1	n/a	n/a	0	1136
2001	865	16	35	15	0	n/a	n/a	0	931
2002	938	15	32	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	999
2003	938	15	32	14	0	n/a	n/a	0	999
2004	991	13	34	18	0	n/a	n/a	0	1056
2005	1043	12	35	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	1115
2006	819	9	25	25	0	n/a	n/a	0	878
2007	1135	9	36	30	0	n/a	n/a	0	1210
2008	1155	10	31	27	0	n/a	n/a	0	1223
2009	1152	16	32	22	0	n/a	n/a	0	1222
2010	1209	15	35	27	1	n/a	n/a	0	1287
2011	1211	16	44	45	11	3	13	0	1343
2012	1178	15	47	37	16	4	13	0	1310
2013	1151	21	45	33	11	2	12	0	1275
2014	1148	18	40	34	11	2	11	0	1264
2015	1137	18	40	34	2	0	19	0	1250
2016	1120	14	48	52	1	0	16	0	1251
2017	1125	12	58	45	2	1	23	0	1266
2018	1140	19	69	54	3	1	33	0	1319
2019	1096	23	77	53	2	1	32	0	1284
2020	1120	23	79	62	2	0	38	0	1324
2021	1139	18	81	69	3	0	34	0	1344
2022	1069	12	89	77	3	0	37	0	1287
2023	1056	11	91	84	3	1	46	2	1294
2024	999	14	100	90	3	2	47	2	1257

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at New Canaan High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	992	68.0	14.5	n/a
1989	913	65.4	13.9	n/a
1990	858	59.4	14.4	n/a
1991	813	54.8	14.8	n/a
1992	798	58.6	13.6	n/a
1993	775	59.9	12.9	0.1
1994	778	59.2	13.1	1.2
1995	1037	60.9	17.0	0.6
1996	1037	60.9	17.0	0.6
1997	1035	78.3	13.2	1.2
1998	1103	81.3	13.6	0.4
1999	1129	85.6	13.2	1
2000	1136	85.4	13.3	0.8
2001	931	72.2	12.9	n/a
2002	999	79.6	12.6	0
2003	999	79.6	12.6	0
2004	1056	86.8	12.2	0
2005	1115	81.3	13.7	n/a
2006	878	81.7	10.7	1.8
2007	1210	84.6	14.3	n/a
2008	1223	91.5	13.4	n/a
2009	1222	105.6	13.2	n/a
2010	1287	93.2	13.8	n/a
2011	1343	96.9	13.8	n/a
2012	1310	101.5	12.9	n/a
2013	1275	98.8	12.9	0
2014	1264	97.7	12.9	0
2015	1250	97.0	12.8	0
2016	1251	97.0	12.8	0
2017	1266	100.6	12.5	0.2
2018	1319	108.5	12.1	0.2
2019	1284	96.3	13.3	0.2
2020	1324	100.9	13.1	0.2
2021	1344	98.5	13.6	0.2
2022	1287	103.3	12.4	0.2
2023	1294	105.9	12.2	0.2
2024	1257	103.9	12.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio New Canaan High School

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	992	68.0	14.5	n/a
1989	913	65.4	13.9	n/a
1990	858	59.4	14.4	n/a
1991	813	54.8	14.8	n/a
1992	798	58.6	13.6	n/a
1993	775	59.9	12.9	0.1
1994	778	59.2	13.1	1.2
1995	1037	60.9	17.0	0.6
1996	1037	60.9	17.0	0.6
1997	1035	78.3	13.2	1.2
1998	1103	81.3	13.6	0.4
1999	1129	85.6	13.2	1
2000	1136	85.4	13.3	0.8
2001	931	72.2	12.9	n/a
2002	999	79.6	12.6	0
2003	999	79.6	12.6	0
2004	1056	86.8	12.2	0
2005	1115	81.3	13.7	n/a
2006	878	81.7	10.7	1.8
2007	1210	84.6	14.3	n/a
2008	1223	91.5	13.4	n/a
2009	1222	105.6	13.2	n/a
2010	1287	93.2	13.8	n/a
2011	1343	96.9	13.8	n/a
2012	1310	101.5	12.9	n/a
2013	1275	98.8	12.9	0
2014	1264	97.7	12.9	0
2015	1250	97.0	12.8	0
2016	1251	97.0	12.8	0
2017	1266	100.6	12.5	0.2
2018	1319	108.5	12.1	0.2
2019	1284	96.3	13.3	0.2
2020	1324	100.9	13.1	0.2
2021	1344	98.5	13.6	0.2
2022	1287	103.3	12.4	0.2
2023	1294	105.9	12.2	0.2
2024	1257	103.9	12.0	n/a

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for New Canaan High School

Year	Total Expenditures Per Pupil
2018	$21,307
2019	$22,594
2020	$22,323
2021	$23,126
2022	$23,816
2023	$25,690

Data source: Connecticut Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on New Canaan High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1284	1294	0.8%
African American	23	11	52.2%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	77	91	18.2%
Hispanic	53	84	58.5%
Pacific Islander	1	1
White	1096	1056	3.6%
Two or More Races	32	46	43.8%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	0.2%	0.2%	0%

Schools Near New Canaan High School

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				NGSS Science (2024)	SAT English Language Arts (2024)	SAT Math (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
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/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	NGSS Science 11th Grade	SAT English Language Arts 11th Grade	SAT Math 11th Grade	Total
New Canaan High School	Public	8-12	11 Farm Rd.	New Canaan	06840	Fairfield County	New Canaan School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 594-4600	1,257	104	12.0		999 (79.5%)	14 (1.1%)	90 (7.2%)	100 (8.0%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.2%)	47 (3.7%)	96.7	1^st of 145 public high schools	99.3%		96.9	1^st of 142 public high schools	99.3%		85.7	88.9	70.5	$25,690
Darien High School	Public	9-12	80 High School Ln.	Darien	06820	Fairfield County	Darien School District	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 655-3981	1,398	122	11.4		1,151 (82.3%)	9 (0.6%)	113 (8.1%)	81 (5.8%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	40 (2.9%)	95.3	6^th of 145 public high schools	95.9%		95	4^th of 142 public high schools	97.2%	2	75.5	90.9	76.3	$24,718
Brien McMahon High School	Public	9-12	300 Highland Avenue	Norwalk	06854	Fairfield County	Norwalk School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 852-9488	1,766	115	15.3	49.2%	355 (20.1%)	227 (12.9%)	1,082 (61.3%)	62 (3.5%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	33 (1.9%)	27.7	98^th of 145 public high schools	32.4%		27.8	96^th of 142 public high schools	32.4%	2	30.7	39.3	21.2	$21,620
Center for Global Studies	Public, Magnet	9-12	300 Highland Avenue	Norwalk	06854	Fairfield County	Norwalk School District	No	Yes	No	No	(203) 852-9488	284	34	8.4	33.8%	96 (33.8%)	45 (15.8%)	101 (35.6%)	21 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (6.0%)	80.6	26^th of 145 public high schools	82.1%		79.3	30^th of 142 public high schools	78.9%	4		80.6	38.8	$22,153
The Academy of Information Technology & Engineering	Public, Magnet	9-12	411 High Ridge Rd.	Stamford	06905	Fairfield County	Stamford School District	No	Yes	No	No	(203) 977-4336	630	46	13.5	46.0%	202 (32.1%)	87 (13.8%)	258 (41.0%)	60 (9.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	22 (3.5%)	56.5	65^th of 145 public high schools	55.2%		66.9	48^th of 142 public high schools	66.2%	17	45.0	64.7	29.3	$20,488
Westhill High School	Public	9-12	125 Roxbury Rd.	Stamford	06902	Fairfield County	Stamford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 977-4477	2,259	170	13.2	47.3%	539 (23.9%)	257 (11.4%)	1,260 (55.8%)	157 (6.9%)	3 (0.1%)	2 (0.1%)	37 (1.6%)	32	92^nd of 145 public high schools	36.6%		37.5	80^th of 142 public high schools	43.7%	12	28.3	47.4	22.5	$19,717
Stamford High School	Public	9-12	55 Strawberry Hill Ave.	Stamford	06902	Fairfield County	Stamford School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 977-4223	2,121	161	13.1	51.3%	601 (28.3%)	396 (18.7%)	976 (46.0%)	91 (4.3%)	3 (0.1%)	3 (0.1%)	48 (2.3%)	38.6	80^th of 145 public high schools	44.8%		35.3	87^th of 142 public high schools	38.7%	7	36.4	49.8	24.1	$20,067
P-Technical Norwalk	Public	9-12	23 Calvin Murphy Drive	Norwalk	06851	Fairfield County	Norwalk School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 838-4481	380	40	9.5	50.3%	84 (22.1%)	62 (16.3%)	191 (50.3%)	34 (8.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	8 (2.1%)	52.8	69^th of 145 public high schools	52.4%		48.6	70^th of 142 public high schools	50.7%	1	37.6	57.7	35.6	$18,678
Norwalk High School	Public	9-12	23 Calvin Murphy Drive	Norwalk	06851	Fairfield County	Norwalk School District	No	No	No	No	(203) 838-4481	1,547	112	13.7	51.0%	338 (21.8%)	224 (14.5%)	912 (59.0%)	37 (2.4%)	3 (0.2%)	1 (0.1%)	28 (1.8%)	25.8	103^rd of 145 public high schools	29.0%		24.2	102^nd of 142 public high schools	28.2%	1	27.5	38.2	21.3	$22,055
J. M. Wright Technical High School	Public	9-12	120 Bridge St.	Stamford	06905	Fairfield County	Connecticut Technical Education and Career System	No	No	No	Yes	(203) 324-7363	451	38	11.8	56.8%	59 (13.1%)	71 (15.7%)	304 (67.4%)	4 (0.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.2%)	7.4	136^th of 145 public high schools	6.2%		8.2	129^th of 142 public high schools	9.2%	7	12.7	23.6		$30,290

Frequently Asked Questions about New Canaan High School

Is New Canaan High School a good school?

Yes! New Canaan High School is one of the best high schools in the state. It ranks 1^st of 145 Connecticut high schools.

What district is New Canaan High School in?

New Canaan School District

How many students attend New Canaan High School?

In the 2023-24 school year, 1,257 students attended New Canaan High School.

What schools feed into New Canaan High School?

New Canaan High School is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : East School
Elementary : South School
Elementary : West School
Middle : Saxe Middle School

What is the racial makeup of New Canaan High School?

Students at New Canaan High School are 79% White, 8% Asian, 7% Hispanic, 4% Two or more races, 1% African American.

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