Peninsula High Schools Rank High in U.S.

The Washington Post has released its annual list of the top high schools in the country - and both public and private schools in San Mateo County, as well as Palo Alto's two public high schools, made the cut.

Six of the 12 schools are in the San Mateo Union High School District.

Menlo had the highest ranking of San Mateo County high schools on the list, which is based on a formula devised by Washington Post education reporter Jay Mathews. Menlo was ranked 125 on the list of 1,900 schools in 2013.

Mathews, who determines the school's rankings based on an original formula, says the index is designed "to identify schools that challenge average students."

The index score is the number of college-level tests given at a school in 2012 divided by the number of graduates that year. Also noted are the percentage of students who come from families that qualify for lunch subsidies (Subs. lunch) and the percentage of graduates who passed at least one college-level test during their high school career, called equity and excellence (E&E).  

Below is a list of the Peninsula high schools [located in San Mateo County & down to Palo Alto] that made the list, in order of ranking:

Menlo in Atherton (private) #125 

Summit Prep in Redwood City (charter) #165 

Crystal Springs Uplands in Hillsborough (private)  #232

Gunn High (Palo Alto) #258

San Mateo High School #366

Burlingame High School #477

Carlmont High (Belmont) #501

Palo Alto High #546

Aragon High School (San Mateo) #788

Mills High in Millbrae #857 

Hillsdale High (San Mateo)  #961

Capuchino High School (San Bruno) #1145