Benjamin Franklin High School was founded in 1957 as a school for the gifted children of New Orleans. The founders had a vision. Opened ahead of the National Defense Education Act that would put new focus on science and mathematics, Ben Franklin was a public school with the best educators teaching the brightest in the city.

We now have a robust and diverse student body of over 1,000 students from every neighborhood in the city. Our academic achievements grow with each graduating class, and our vision has evolved. We are consistently named the No. 1 school in the state, and U.S. News & World Report ranks us as the No. 15 charter school in the nation. Now as at the time of our founding, however, our mission remains the same: We prepare students of high academic achievement to be successful in life.

The Art of Science Workshop Series

Fall 2025 Classes

Team Members