[1] NPA was founded in 2000 as the high school branch of the Northcoast Charter Network, providing a college preparatory program with an emphasis on the arts and sciences.

In 2009, NPA was ranked as the 30th top public high school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine.

[2] In 2010, NPA was ranked as the 23rd top public high school in the United States by Newsweek Magazine.

[3] In 2011, NPA was ranked as the 12th top public high school in the United States by The Washington Post.

The school is planning to transition the rest of the sports to the H-DN league in the upcoming years.