John Hersey, Prospect STEM Programs Get Top Ranks by U.S. News & World Reports

Prospect High School and John Hersey High School's STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) programs are among the best in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report's third annual "Best High Schools for STEM."

Prospect High School ranked 190 while John Hersey ranked 212 out of the 500 schools that were ranked nationally for STEM program, according to the rankings. 

There were a handful of suburban schools that were ranked in the top 100 for the school's STEM programs. 

New Trier High School in Winnetka came in at No. 20; Northside College Preparatory in Chicago at No. 37; Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire at No. 46; Highland Park High School in Highland Park came in at No. 48; Lake Forest High School at No. 50; Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook at No. 56; and Vernon Hills High School at No. 94.

Students at the "Best High Schools for STEM" must participate in and pass a robust curriculum of college-level math and science STEM courses, according to U.S. News. 

Additionally, the high school must be listed as a gold medal winner in the 2013 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings as of April 23, 2013. The top 500 ranked high schools were eligible for the STEM rankings using data about their 2011 graduates.

 John Hersey has been ranked 10th in the state and 298th at the national level by U.S. News. 

U.S. News has ranked John Prospect High School 9th overall in the state and 294th in the country.

Angela Sykora contributed to this article.