The list below features a collection of some of the best math apps for high school students. Criteria used in the selection of these apps include: my 12-years experience of reviewing EdTech tools and apps, popularity of the apps among teachers and students, app ratings in the App Store, usefulness and ease of use, among others.
That being said, no app is created for a specific grade level. In fact, the learning experiences offered by these apps can apply to students from various grades and with different learning skills.
The apps I compiled in this post are graphing calculators and homework solver apps which will help high school students with their math problems whether in class or at home. Math topics covered by these apps include: algebra, geometry, calculus, trigonometry, statistics, graphing and calculation.
Desmos Graphing Calculator
Desmos is a powerful graphic calculator for high school students. It supports a wide variety of graphic expressions including parametric, cartesian, plot polar and many more. Students can plot as many graph expressions as they want. They can also build intuition and animate any parameter and view its effect on the graph.
Desmos offers a scientific calculator ideal for solving any type of equations and can also ‘handle square roots, logs, absolute value, and more.’ The app provides access to accessibility features such as a screen reader and a refreshable Braille display that allows students with vision problems to easily read and edit math equations.
Mathway
Mathway is a problem solver app that can help high school students with their math problems. The app covers various math topics including algebra (e.g., linear equations, quadratic equations, absolute equations, logarithms graphing, etc), pre-calculus, calculus (e.g., limits, derivatives, integrals, etc), and statistics (probability, permutations, combinations, etc), and trigonometry (e.g., trigonometric functions, identities, vectors matrices, etc).
‘Mathway provides answers to your problems completely free of charge. For step-by-step solutions, an optional monthly or annual subscription is available. In addition, Mathway offers an optional live tutoring subscription upgrade that provides access to a live tutor anytime you need additional help.’ To learn more about this app, check out Mathway full review for teachers and students.
IXL
IXL is another great math app for high school students. IXL offers personalized learning in math, language arts, science, social studies, and Spanish. Its preK-12 math curriculum offers students the required resource to hone in their math skills ‘fom skip-counting with pictures to graphing quadratic functions, students interact with dynamic problem types that bring each concept to life. And with unlimited questions to explore, students can practice as much as they need to master each skill, and never see the same problem twice.’
As students engage with the different math problems and exercises, IXL internal system recognizes their learning levels and skills and provides them with individual recommendations and diagnostics to help them identify areas they need help with. IXL also embeds a wide variety of interactive features that enhance students engagement and keep them focused.
‘With handwriting recognition, students can easily write in math answers with their fingertips. On iPad, students can work through each problem by writing on their screen—no scrap paper needed! Plus, colorful awards highlight students’ accomplishments and make learning fun!’
Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha is a math app that high school students will find very helpful. Wolfram provides students with guided answers to a wide variety of math and chemistry problems. The premium subscription of the app offers more features including ‘enhanced step-by-step solutions and image as input’. Besides math, Wolfram also offers homework help with topics related to several other content areas including finance, weather, fitness, nutrition, and many more.
Mathspace
High school students can use Mathspace app to find solutions to their math problems. The app’s library includes over 70.000 interactive questions spanning various math areas: algebra, geometry, graphing, probability, statistics, and more. Mathspace also supports writing recognition allowing students to handwrite their answers right on the app screen.
Symbolab
Symbolab is a math solver app that does just that: it helps students solve their math problems. The app makes use of numerous calculators including: integral calculator, derivative calculator, limit calculator, equation calculator, inequality calculator, trigonometry calculator, functions calculator, series calculator, matrix calculator, and many more.
Symbobal offers step-by-step solutions to problems spanning the following areas: Pre- Algebra, Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Calculus, Trigonometry, Functions, Matrix, Vectors, Geometry and Statistics. To learn more about this app check out Symbolab full review for teachers and students.
Math Ref
Math Ref is another great math solver app for high school students and anyone else interested in developing their math skills. Students can simply type in their math problems and browse through the collection of resources to explore different solutions.
There are over 1400 formulas, figures, and examples to help students as they work with their math problems. Math areas covered include: algebra, geometry, trigonometry, derivatives, integration, calculus, discrete, probability, statistics, table of integrals, sequences, and many more.
Photomath
Photomath offers help with math assignments and homework. The way it works is simple: students type in or snap a photo of their math problem and Photomath does the rest. It provides step by step explanations for each solution and sometimes offers numerous solving methods per problem. Math topics covered include basic math, geometry, trigonometry, calculus, statistics, and more.
The premium version of Photomath offers the following features: ‘high-quality teacher-approved explanations for every problem in select textbooks including word and geometry problems! Learn or repeat math concepts at your own pace.’; detailed animations for each math problem, embedded glossary to help students learn how and why math problems are solved, and more.
MathStudio
MathStudio is a powerful symbolic graphing calculator for high school students. It provides several sophisticated calculating features including an intuitive interface with hundreds of mathematical functions that cover different math topics such as pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics, and many more.
‘From unit conversions to compound unit arithmetic, MathStudio includes complete support for units with intuitive syntax. Plot lists of data with powerful regression analysis functions, invert and multiply matrices, calculate determinants, solve derivatives, integrals, limits, differential equations and more.’
Khan Academy
Khan Academy is a great app for students in various grade levels. The app offers a plethora of educational resources such as interactive video tutorials, animations, activities, exercises, quizzes, and in-depth articles that enable students to develop their learning skills in areas such as math, chemistry, science, social studies, literature, language learning, among others. Math topics covered by Khan Academy include arithmetic, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, calculus, differential equations, linear algebra, and more.
