Tom Tolen / news@whmi.com

The Brighton Area Schools, with 5,820 on-campus students, is ranked among the top 25 districts in the state, according to the top school rating service.

Niche, which performs the ratings, reviews both school districts and individual schools across the nation and ranks them based on federal and state data and user-generated reviews.

Niche ranks the Brighton Area Schools 6th among school districts in Michigan for athletes, 7th for best places to teach and 11th for districts with the best teachers. No other Livingston County districts were ranked in the top 50.

According to the new rankings, termed the "2025 Best Schools and Districts", the Brighton Area Schools District is rated #25 in the state. Among individual schools, Brighton High School is ranked 50th in the state according to Niche, and is the only high school in Livingston County represented in the top 50. In April, US News and World Report, which also performs such rankings, rated Brighton High School 38th in the state.

Superintendent Matt Outlaw tells WHMI there is a reason the Brighton area Schools are rated so highly. "We have a dedicated staff, supportive families and community and absolutely amazing students," he says.

Outlaw continued, "We are in the third year of our strategic planning work as a district and we are seeing the fruits of the labor from so many. It is an honor for this district to be recognized, but I think that we can all see that Brighton's best days still lie ahead."

Brighton received “A plus” from Niche in the areas of teachers, administration, sports, food, and clubs & activities. The district earned “A's” in academics, college prep, and resources & facilities. However, the district got a “C minus” in diversity. The Brighton Area Schools are located in Livingston County, which is 95.3% white.

In 2018, Brighton High School won a national award by ESPN as one of the top five schools in the US for its unified sports program, which promotes inclusion of all students, and in particular focuses on those with special needs. However, Outlaw says the Niche rankings are based solely on demographic data, "and not the culture and climate of the district,” which he calls “positive and focused.”

A sampling of excerpts from comments by students and former students included: “Some of the best parts of my experience include the involved staff and the true care administrators and principals had for us...” “The teachers are understanding and supportive and want to make sure kids are ready for college…” "The athletic facilities are top notch…” “I feel safe, I have fun and I feel welcomed by most there…” "They tend to really prioritize pushing college to all students as a blanket option…”

“So far I’ve been able to take an AP (Advanced Placement) class and two honors classes with my busy schedule…” “I got to make connections with teachers who were there for me when I needed support…” “...not very LGBTQ+ friendly and it is extremely (non)-diverse. About 99% of the student population is white. I am an artist and the high school had an amazing art program. The theater program was great as well.”

The average graduation rate in Brighton is 97%, the average SAT 1230 and average ACT 28. The district has 712 graduates attending Michigan State University, 473 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and 371 who attend Grand Valley State University. BHS graduates attend a variety of other colleges and universities as well.

Photo #2 - Brighton High School complex