Best On Netflix

The 17 Teen Dramas on Netflix with the Highest Rotten Tomatoes Scores

By Kayla Cobb @kaylcobb

Published May 14, 2019, 8:30 a.m. ET

photo collage of Riverdale, On My Block, Gossip Girl — These teens put your high school antics to shame.Photos: NETFLIX ; Illustration: Dillen Phelps

***Elite***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 100%
That's right, the best rated teen drama on Netflix is a Spanish-languae deep dive into private school, and you better believe it delivers. The series follows three working class kids who are given scholarships to attend the prestigious Las Encinas. It quickly becomes apparent that studying is the least of their concerns.
[Stream Elite on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Stranger Things***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 96%
Few shows in this subgenre are bigger than the Duffer brothers' sci-fi event. Set in the '80s this nostalgia-filled romp follows a group of kids who have to save their missing friend while facing all sorts of paranormal creepiness. This one is going to leave you wanting waffles.
[Stream Stranger Things on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***On My Block***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 95%
This Netflix series follows a quartet of streetwise teens as they navigate their way through the hell that is high school. If you're craving a grittier take on the genre, Monse, Ruby, Jamal and Cesar have your back.
[Stream On My Block on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Gilmore Girls***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 92%
Technically Rory Gilmore was only a teenager through part of this beloved mother-daughter drama, but she was so aggressively teen it counts. Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel star in this series about single parenthood and the stressors of pursuing your academic dreams.
[Stream Gilmore Girls on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

All American — Spencer James is the protagonist of the show, a star high school football player trying his best to fit in at Beverly Hills High. Although Spencer's used to being the star at his old high school, he's now forced to be more of an outsider. He's charismatic and stubborn, but both drive his passion for the game. Spencer's character is based on the life of Spencer Paysinger, a professional linebacker. Along with acting for television shows like Prey and The Missing, Daniel Ezra has also performed in live theatre. In National Theatre Live's modern twist on The Twelfth Night, Ezra played Sebastian.Photo: Everett Collection

***Sex Education***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 91%
Starring Gillian Anderson and Asa Butterfield, this UK dramedy follows a socially awkward high school student who's being coached through sex - by his mom. It's as funny and charming as it is sincere..
[Stream Sex Education on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Chilling Adventures of Sabrina***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 91%
What pairs better than steamy teen drama and supernatural horror? Netflix's moodier reboot of the iconic character stars Kiernan Shipka as a witch who has to choose between being a normal teenage girl and giving up everything for magic. It's a hard choice, and naturally the devil makes several appearances while she's making up her mind.
[Stream Chilling Adventures of Sabrina on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***The Fosters***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 89%
Though it has five seasons, *The Fosters* is still somewhat of an underrated gem. The ABC drama follows an interracial lesbian couple as they parent their family of multiethnic children.
[Stream The Fosters on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Glee***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 88%
There was a period of time when impromptu singing and slushies defined adolescence on television. Created by Ryan Murphy, this musical series about underdogs was always a bit silly. But its love and passion were always apparent.
[Stream Glee on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Riverdale***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 88%
You can't talk about teen drama without bringing up Archie and the gang. Part *The OC*, part *Twin Peaks*, this CW series is a lot of crazy dark themes thrown together at once. Will it always make sense? Absolutely not. But will it leave you entertained for hours on end> Hard yes.
[Stream Riverdale on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Skins***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 83%
This UK show set the bar for a grittier brand of teenage dramas. This series takes an unflinching look at a group of teens in Bristol, England as they deal with substance abuse, sexuality, teen pregnancy, and eating disorders.
[Stream Skins on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Legacies***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 80%
Here are the two words that will sell you on this CW show: vampire football. A spin-off of *The Vampire Diaries* and *The Originals*, this series follows Klaus Mikaelson's daughter Hope, the world's only vampire-witch-werewolf hybrid, as she navigates through life at her new magical school
[Stream Legacies on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***Baby***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 80%
This Italian-language series follows the lives of two best friends, Chiara and Ludovica. By day they're normal students, but their nights are defined by the dark and complicated world of prostitution.
[Stream Baby on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Gossip Girl***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 79%
Truly this is the pinnacle of teen dramas: beautiful people, obscene wealth, and bonkers twists galore. Set in the Upper East Side, the CW series follows a group of scandalous and uber-rich pseudo celebrities. It's all sex, lies, and betrayal, and it's magnificent.
[Stream Gossip Girl on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

***13 Reasons Why***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 79%
Its second season recieved next to no critical love, but Season 1 of this mental health drama was pretty well praised. After newcomer (Katherine Langford) ends her life, she leaves 13 tapes for all the people "responsible" for her death. It's a deeply emotional drama that revolves around hiding one of the heaviest secrets on television.
[Stream 13 Reasons Why on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***The Society***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 71%
Starring Kathryn Newton, this YA drama follows a group of teens who mysteriously find themselves in a world without parents. It quickly becomes apparent that all of their attempts to rebuild order are not going to go well in this *Lord of the Flies* inspired drama.
[Stream The Society on Netflix]Photo: Netflix

***Pretty Little Liars***
**Rotten Tomatoes Score:** 69%
No teens know murder better than these five. A year after their best friend Alison goes missing, Spencer, Aria, Hanna, and Emily start to grow apart. But their growing secrets and crimes will eventually bring them back together.
[Stream Pretty Little Liars on Netflix]Photo: Everett Collection

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A good teen drama is the perfect solution to a specific type of pop culture craving. Most of the time these types of shows are juuuust dramatic and crazy enough to leave you eagerly pressing “Next Episode” but they’re rarely so serious that they require your full attention. They’re a perfect pulpy binge watch, and Netflix has a ton of them.

Above are some of the all-around best teen-starring dramas Netflix has to offer. All of these shows have been ranked by Decider based on their Rotten Tomatoes scores. And if we may be so bold there’s something on this list for everyone. Say you’re a fan of classic high school angst. The CW’s football-centric All American is a great bet as is Netflix’s own highly emotional and highly popular hit 13 Reasons Why. Want some magic with your angsty teens? Chilling Adventures of Sabrina is here for anyone who craves more magic than drama, and Legacies is also around for anyone who wants more drama than magic. There’s even an option for viewers who want to laugh about the awkwardness of teen hormones. It’s called Sex Education, and it’s great.

No matter what moody teen adventure you’re in the mood for, you’re covered. However, that’s not all we have to offer. If the final season of Game of Thrones has been leaving you feeling disappointed, first of all we get it. And secondly we’ve rounded up the best fantasy series on Netflix. More in the mood for an indie kind of night? No problem. Here are the best independent movies you can watch right now. Do you just want to watch something new and unapologetically good? We’ve got that too with Decider’s roundup of the best new shows on Netflix.

No matter what your streaming questions are, we have answers. Start watching and be happy your high school wasn’t this bonkers.