Technology plays a crucial role in everyone’s lives, and high school students are no exception. Although teenagers spend most of their screen time on social media and games, their phones and computers can also be excellent tools for studying.
Educational apps tailored to high school learners provide personalized learning, engaging activities, wide access to information, and many other advantages. Many even help high schoolers manage their busy schedules efficiently with time management tools. Plus, many are engaging enough to captivate teens’ attention and add value to screen time.
Best Educational Apps for High School Students of 2024
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Language Learning |
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Math and Sciences |
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Writing and Language |
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Financial Literacy |
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Coding and Computer Science |
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Study and Homework Help |
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Preparation |
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SAT Prep |
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Free |
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Note Taking |
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Time Management |
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Wellness |
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Best Educational Apps for High School Students of 2024
Best Overall: Wyzant
The lessons can take place either from the platform’s outstanding digital classroom or in person. Plus, Wyzant’s pricing is transparent, as each tutor determines their hourly rates according to their expertise and displays this information on their profile. There’s a 9% service fee added to the session cost, but no up-front payments are required to browse the platform.
There are also free resources like lessons in various subjects. You can even ask an expert tutor a question before you make a payment. Moreover, a customer satisfaction guarantee ensures you get a full refund of your first learning session with a new tutor if it doesn’t fit your needs. Read our Wyzant review.
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Best for Language Learning: Rosetta Stone
The platform is so captivating that students barely notice they’re studying, making it an excellent choice for high schoolers, as teenagers need highly engaging platforms to capture their attention. While courses are on-demand, Rosetta Stone does provide 6-week personalized study plans that consider students’ goals.
In addition to the usual classes and exercises, there are also live sessions with native speakers and expert tutors, interactive stories, an audio companion, and much more. There’s a 30-day money-back guarantee, giving learners the chance to try out Rosetta Stone, and Best Reviews readers can get over 50% off Rosetta Stone’s lifetime subscription. Read our Rosetta Stone review.
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Best for Math and Sciences: Wolfram Alpha
Learners can input specific mathematical and scientific equations to receive detailed and often interactive results. The platform also provides answers in several formats, including tables, graphs, and text explanations.
Although learners can do a lot with a free account, upgrading to a paid plan gives them step-by-step solutions, increased computation time, and more.
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Best for Writing and Language: Grammarly
It’s perfect for high schoolers, as it’s like having a watchful English teacher checking spelling or grammar mistakes and explaining why they’re incorrect. Although its free version provides proofreading and basic suggestions, only with a paid subscription can users enjoy vocabulary enhancements, plagiarism checkers, and other useful features. Moreover, subscribing to its Premium version with annual payments leads to a 61% monthly saving. Read our Grammarly review.
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Best for Financial Literacy: World of Money
In addition to the basics of saving and spending money, the app teaches high schoolers how to bank and invest. Plus, it’s possible to learn about budgeting, taxes, the history of money, and more. The best part is that World of Money is free to use.
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Best for Coding and Computer Science: Codecademy
Plus, all courses are high-quality and designed by the platform itself, not third-party instructors. Even though Codecademy is filled with free courses, only with a paid plan can users enjoy the platform in its entirety. Amazingly, annual subscriptions are 50% cheaper than monthly plans. Still, keep in mind there aren’t any refund policies, so it’s best to take advantage of the 7-day free trial to thoroughly test the platform before subscribing. Read our Codecademy review
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Best for Study and Homework Help: Socratic
With this app, users can take a photo of a math problem or type in a history question and the app will provide the answer within seconds. Alongside the answers, there are thorough videos and step-by-step explanations of the concepts and processes behind the solutions. This helps learners better understand the problem, enabling long-term learning and academic success.
Plus, real-world examples are also provided, making it easier for high schoolers to grasp the relation between the concepts they’re studying and practical examples. To top it all off, Socratic is available entirely for free.
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Best for Exam Preparation: Quizlet
The app features many AI tools that save students’ time, such as Magic Notes, which turns notes into flashcards, outlines, and more. The cherry on top is the Learn and Test mode, which is spot on to help students prepare for exams. The tool automatically turns flashcards into practice tests, helping high schoolers memorize concepts.
There’s also built-in adaptive learning that keeps track of right and wrong answers. Quizlet is easy to use and has a free version with limited features.
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Best for SAT Prep: IXL
The platform is excellent for SAT Prep because it provides a thorough skill plan aligned with subjects related to the SAT test. In addition, it offers the same type of comprehensive plan and preparation for other tests like PSAT, ACT, GED, and others. All the activities are high quality and engaging, with lots of incentives like collectible rewards and certificates that keep students motivated.
Although there isn’t a free version, opting for annual billing results in a 33% price drop when compared to monthly plans. There’s also a 30-day money-back guarantee that allows you to thoroughly test the platform for a month. Read our IXL review
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Best for Free: Khan Academy
Additionally, the platform provides instructional videos, exercises, quizzes, and challenges with instant feedback. Its content is available in over 40 languages, and learners can study using a desktop or mobile device.
What’s more, all courses are created by experts on the subjects, and the platform is intuitive and easy to use. The icing on the cake is that Khan Academy doesn’t cost a dime and is ad-free.
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Best for Note Taking: Evernote
Students can create a notebook structure to keep similar notes together, such as class lectures, labs, and group projects. Plus, it’s possible to create separate notebooks for each class.
One of the greatest advantages of using Evernote is that students can use their phones to take pictures of whiteboards and handouts and save them on the app. Then, the app runs images through a character-recognition process, making handwritten words searchable.
Regarding pricing, the free version is too limited, and the paid plans are expensive. Still, choosing annual billing results in significant discounts.
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Best for Time Management: Clockify
Essentially, Clockify gives students a visual overview of their studying hours so they’re able to have a clearer understanding of how much time they dedicate to each course or each task within the course. Plus, the app provides a calendar view, making it easier for students to keep track of deadlines.
Clockify has a free version that is probably enough for a student’s needs. Still, those who want to try everything can use the 7-day free trial. Paid subscriptions with annual billing cycles offer 20% off the service. Read our Clockify review.
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Best for Wellness: Calm
The platform offers customized programming suggestions for premium users, and the content is designed for different meditative goals and practice levels. Harry Styles’ fans will be glad to know they can fall asleep listening to the artist’s voice.
There’s a free version, but it’s quite limited, so it’s worth taking advantage of the 7-day free trial to see what a paid subscription includes.
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5 Effective Study Techniques for High School Students
In addition to educational apps, effective study techniques can enhance high school students’ learning outcomes. Some strategies you can use are:
- Engaging actively with the learning process: Take notes, ask questions, and outline key points instead of just passively reading or listening.
- Creating a study schedule: Plan study sessions in advance, as consistent schedules help you stay organized and manage time effectively.
- Constantly reviewing the subject: Consistently review the subjects you’ve studied, practicing retrieving information from memory with flashcards, quizzes, and self-tests.
- Teaching others: Passing on the information in a way that makes others understand the concept is an excellent way to reinforce your understanding and identify gaps in your knowledge.
- Taking regular breaks: Long study sessions without breaks can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. Take short but frequent breaks to remain focused.
Using ChatGPT in High School: Yes or No?
ChatGPT is a powerful tool that can help high school students quickly find evergreen information and develop essay ideas. With the right prompt, you can get a list of synonyms or ways to rephrase sentences within seconds.
ChatGPT is also excellent for helping students with questions related to writing, such as grammar rules, ways to start an essay, rules for writing an introduction, and the list goes on.
However, students need to be extremely careful when using the tool, especially concerning the reliability of the information provided. ChatGPT occasionally gives inaccurate or incomplete information and lacks contextual understanding.
So, students need to be cautious and critical when evaluating the responses given by the tool. It’s essential to double-check the information about complex topics, cross-referencing it with reliable sources.
What’s more, copying and pasting text from ChatGPT is obviously the biggest no-no. Copying the text provided by AI tools counts as plagiarism, so the information and ideas should only serve as inspiration.
App-ly Yourself: High School Learning in the Digital Age
Educational apps offer personalized learning experiences, broad access to information, and interactive tools that cater to diverse learning styles, fostering engagement and comprehension.
They help students apply various study techniques, such as active learning, spaced reviews, and study schedules, which are essential for solidifying understanding and retaining knowledge.
So, high school students should explore educational apps to their maximum, as they’re valuable resources to supplement traditional study methods. By using educational apps and applying study techniques, high school students can optimize their learning experience, achieve academic success, and develop lifelong learning skills.