- U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings and civic journalism, today released the 2018 edition of Best High Schools. The rankings evaluate more than 20,500 public high schools nationwide to identify schools that best serve all of their students – including historically underserved populations – and assess the degree to which students are prepared for college-level coursework.
Key findings from the 2018 Best High Schools rankings:
• Arizona public schools make a strong showing in the national rankings. Six of the top 10 spots this year are held by schools in the Grand Canyon state, with BASIS Scottsdale earning the No. 1 place among high schools nationwidefor the second consecutive year. BASIS Chandler moves up to No. 2, and rounding out the top three is BASIS Oro Valley.
• U.S. News offers individual statewide rankings, as well as rankings for the best magnet, charter and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) schools. Michigan’s International Academy of Macomb is the top magnet school, New Jersey’s High Technology High School is the best STEM school, and BASIS Scottsdale is the best charter school.
• Top-performing high schools receive gold, silver and bronze medal recognition from U.S. News, with gold medals indicating the greatest level of college readiness. Massachusetts, California and Maryland rank one, two and three, respectively, with the highest percentage of eligible schools that received gold and silver medals. A state-by-state breakdown is available here.
• Overall, the rankings emphasize student outcomes, incorporating data on graduation rates and state assessments. Students at the 5,948 schools that receive national recognition from U.S. News graduate at rates that are 12 percentage points higher, on average, than students at other schools throughout the country.
“Top-ranked schools succeed in three main areas: exceeding expectations on state proficiency tests, offering challenging coursework and graduating their students,” said Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News. “We encourage parents to use the Best High Schools rankings and data to research which schools in their state and nationwide are ensuring students are well-equipped for the future.”
The Best High Schools rankings, available exclusively on usnews.com, feature data on a number of factors, including enrollment, graduation rates, diversity, participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs and the results of state assessments, as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate test data.
U.S. News worked with RTI International, a global research firm, to implement the comprehensive rankings methodology.
2018 Best High Schools National Rankings – Top 10
1. BASIS Scottsdale (AZ)
2. BASIS Chandler (AZ)
3. BASIS Oro Valley (AZ)
4. BASIS Tucson North (AZ)
5. BASIS Flagstaff (AZ)
6. Meridian School (TX)
7. International Academy of Macomb (MI)
8. BASIS Peoria (AZ)
9. Baccalaureate School for Global Education (NY)
10. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)
2018 Best STEM High Schools – Top 10
1. High Technology High School (NJ)
2. BASIS Scottsdale (AZ)
3. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)
4. Bergen County Academies (NJ)
5. The Early College at Guilford (NC)
6. Science and Engineering Magnet School (TX)
7. Monta Vista High (CA)
8. Union County Magnet High School (NJ)
9. Saratoga High (CA)
10. DeBakey High School for Health Professions (TX)
