Prospective Students & Families

How to Enroll …

Admission is open to all students in the Cincinnati Public School District who score in the 70th percentile or above on the Walnut Hills Entrance Exam (WHEE) offered through Cincinnati Public Schools. In addition, Cincinnati Public School District students who score at the 65th percentile or above on both components, and have a composite score of 140 or higher on the two combined components, will gain admission. To schedule an appointment http://cps-k12.org/whee. Registration for CPS residents is only accepted for those students who qualify and attend registration on one of the scheduled registration nights as posted on our website. Registration will not be guaranteed outside those times.

For families who are moving into the Cincinnati Public School District from out of town or out of the country, please contact the Testing Office at 513-363-8546 for additional information or questions on the testing process.

Registration materials are available in January on our website and include information about placement testing for language, math and music.

If your child lives outside the CPS district, once they have passed the Walnut Hills Entrance Exam they are eligible to apply for open enrollment through the CPS website. The open enrollment period for 2025/2026 is available at https://www.cps-k12.org/our-district/enrollment/out-of-district-enrollments.Seats will first be filled by CPS residents and if additional spots are available, out of district students will be selected to fill those seats. Call 363-0186 for more information.

Why Choose Walnut Hills?

A College Preparatory School - Grades 7 through 12 - Established in 1895

Walnut Hills High School is nationally recognized as one of America’s top public schools. Upon graduation, students are accepted to the finest universities and colleges in America.

Walnut Hills Offers …

An advanced, accelerated curriculum for six grade levels.
A rigorous classical program requiring three years of Latin for incoming 7th and 8th graders.
An Honors Program and College Board Advanced Placement Program with 35 courses.
An outstanding Fine Arts Program with AP Art Studio and AP Music Theory classes.
A culturally and ethnically diverse student body with students from every urban neighborhood in Cincinnati, Amberley Village, Cheviot, Golf Manor, Green Township, and Silverton. (41% minority, 20.4% of student body African American; 2512 student population comprised of 54% females and 46% males.)
A superbly trained faculty with 83% holding master’s degrees, equivalent or above, and many are National Board certified teachers.
An enthusiastic parent organization and alumni organization that volunteer time and contribute funds for program enhancement.
Campus facility that rivals small college campus

Walnut Hills Has …

Over 96% of our graduates attend four and two-year colleges or universities.
In 2024-2025 16 National Merit Finalists, 17 National Merit Semi-Finalists and 28 Commended Students.
Eighty-two Cum Laude Initiates in 2024-2025.
Administered over 2,281 College Board AP exams, taken by 1082 students in 2025; 91% of our seniors scored three or higher.
Almost half of our students receive honor diplomas from the state.
Science and foreign language competitions, National Mathematics Examinations, and Harvard Model United Nations.
A minimum of five plays or musicals, 22-25 concerts performed by 19 performing ensembles as well as an award-winning marching band.
Over 90 sports teams and 75 extracurricular activities from Art Club to Youth in Government.
Students scoring significantly above the national mean on the SAT and ACT (WHHS SAT mean 1281; National SAT mean 1024;. WHHS ACT mean 25.2; National mean 19.3.
Extensive Support Systems – Student Success Center, College Information Center, Martha Christopher’44 Writing Center, Social and Emotional Support (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital), Intervention Specialists and 8 School Counselors