Alaska is the largest state in the United States and is located in the northwest corner of North America. It is bordered by Canada to the east, and has a maritime border with Russia to the west. Alaska has 19 boroughs, which are legally equivalent to counties in other states. These boroughs are further divided into census areas, which are not legally recognized but serve as geographic and statistical entities for data collection purposes. In total, Alaska has 191 census areas.
Alaska has 55 school districts, which are organized on a borough-wide basis with some exceptions such as Anchorage School District which operates independently from any other district boundaries. All public schools in Alaska must meet certain state standards as set forth by the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. These standards include testing requirements for students in grades 3-8 as well as graduation requirements for high school students. Additionally, all public schools must provide an adequate level of education services including special education programs for students with disabilities or special needs.
The majority of Alaska‘s school districts receive funding from both local and state sources, however some districts receive additional funding from federal sources such as Title I grants or Impact Aid for Native Americans living on tribal lands within their district boundaries. Additionally, some districts may receive additional funds through various private grants or donations from individuals or organizations that support educational initiatives within their communities.
There are many public and private high schools in the state of Alaska. It is rather difficult for you to choose one that fits you most. In order for you to better evaluate your choice, we have ranked these high schools based on latest SAT/ACT scores, graduation rates, and state test scores from the Alaska Department of Education. See below for top 7 high schools throughout the state of Alaska.
| # | High Schools | Honor |
| 1 |
Cordova Junior/Senior High School
Cordova City School District Valdez-Cordova Census Area, 100 Fisherman Ave Cordova, AK 99574 Telephone: (907) 424-3266 |
Bronze |
| 2 |
Mt. Edgecumbe High School
Mount Edgecumbe High School School District City and Borough of Sitka1, 330 Seward Avenue Sitka, AK 99835 Telephone: (907) 966-3200 |
Bronze |
| 3 |
Nikiski Middle/Senior High School
Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Kenai Peninsula Borough, 52275 Education Dr. Nikiski, AK 99635 Telephone: (907) 776-3456 |
Bronze |
| 4 |
Petersburg High School
Petersburg City School District Petersburg Census Area, 109 Charles W Street Petersburg, AK 99833 Telephone: (907) 772-3861 |
Silver |
| 5 |
Polaris K-12 School
Anchorage School District Municipality of Anchorage, 6200 Ashwood Street Anchorage, AK 99507 Telephone: (907) 742-8700 |
Bronze |
| 6 |
Susitna Valley High School
Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Mile 986 Parks Highway Talkeetna, AK 99676 Telephone: (907) 733-9300 |
Bronze |
| 7 |
Unalaska Junior/Senior High School
Unalaska City School District Aleutians West Census Area, 55 East Broadway Unalaska, AK 99685 Telephone: (907) 581-1222 |
Bronze |
Alaska Facts
- The area of the state of Alaska – 1,717,854 km 2 (1st place in the USA)
- The length of the state of Alaska:
- from north to south – 2,285 km
- from east to west – 3,639 km
- Alaska Region – US Pacific States
- The highest point in the state of Alaska is 6,194 meters above sea level.
- The lowest point in Alaska is 0 meters above sea level
- The abbreviation for the state of Alaska is AK
- The state capital of Alaska is Juneau
- The largest city in Alaska is Anchorage.
- Date of formation of the state of Alaska – January 3, 1959 (49 in the USA)
- The population of the state of Alaska is about 700,000 people (47th place in the USA)
- The population density in the state of Alaska is 0.4 people per km 2 (50th place in the USA)
- The state motto of Alaska is North to the Future.
- Alaska State Nickname – “Last Frontier”, “Midnight Sun State”
Alaska state name
Like many US states, the name of the state of Alaska comes from the language of the indigenous residents of the Aleutian Islands – the Aleuts. “Alaska” is a distorted Aleutian word Alakshak, meaning “big land” (or “what blocks the sea”, “peninsula”).
The name “Alaska” came into English from Russian, because it was Russian explorers who discovered Alaska and for a long time Alaska was the territory of Russia. Prior to the sale of Alaska to the US, it was commonly referred to as “Russian America”.
Alaska state symbols
- The Alaska state bird is the ptarmigan (Lagopus lagopus)
- Alaska state flower – forget-me-not (Myosotis)
- Alaska state tree – Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis)
- Alaska state animal – elk (Alces alces), bowhead whale (Balaena mysticetus)
- Alaska state fish – chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, king salmon)
- Mineral of the state of Alaska – gold
- Alaska State Gemstone – Jade