These MN High Schools Are Among 2022’s Best: U.S. News

MINNESOTA — Woodbury’s Math and Science Academy is the top school in Minnesota, according to a new national ranking by U.S. News and World Report.

This year’s list of best high schools evaluated more than 17,800 schools nationwide, including dozens in Minnesota.

The 2022 ranking of best high schools is intended to show how well the nation’s public schools serve all students, regardless of achievement level, by teaching them basic skills and preparing them for college-level work, according to a news release from U.S. News.

Families can also use the rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state and local levels on factors such as graduation rates and college readiness.

While thousands of schools were evaluated, these Minnesota schools were ranked among the top 1000, according to U.S. News:

Cecelia Dodge, interim executive director of the Math and Science Academy, said the school is "so proud" of its students and staff after being named the best high school in Minnesota.

The No. 1 ranking is an "absolute blessing" because it will show students, families and prospective employees that the Math and Science Academy is a great place to learn and work, Dodge said.

"Being recognized as the best helps assure that when people are choosing a school for their child, or choosing a place to work, MSA is on their list," she told Patch.

The ranking also "helps make all the hard work worth it" for teachers and staff at the school, she said.

The Math and Science Academy's "amazing students and their families" are what sets it apart from other schools, Dodge said, calling it a "special kind of place where people really care."

Dodge said students and staff "show it with Dragon FIRE" — focus, integrity, respect and excellence.

"I hope that students recognize that it is their dedication to being scholars and their FIRE that really has earned this recognition for MSA," Dodge told Patch.

This year, the top 15 schools nationally are in 14 different states.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was ranked No. 1 in the nation, as well as among magnet schools.

Here are the top 10 schools in this year’s national Best High Schools ranking:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - Alexandria, Virginia
2. Academic Magnet High School - North Charleston, South Carolina
3. Signature School - Evansville, Indiana
4. School for Advanced Studies - Miami, Florida
5. Payton College Preparatory High School - Chicago, Illinois
6. The Davidson Academy of Nevada - Reno, Nevada
7. Central Magnet School - Murfreesboro, Tennessee
8. The School for the Talented and Gifted - Dallas, Texas
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology - Lawrenceville, Georgia
10. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This year’s schools were ranked on six measures: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment performance, state assessment proficiency, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates.

The data used in this year’s ranking is from the 2019-20 academic school year. U.S. News adjusted its calculation of these measures to account for the impact COVID-19 had on schools in the 2019-20 school year.

Since most states closed schools for in-person instruction starting in March 2020 — typically just before most states conduct assessments — the U.S. Department of Education granted waivers allowing all states to forgo state testing for the 2019-20 school year.

To account for this, U.S. News relied on past assessment data from the
three prior ranking years. Researchers also incorporated state science assessment data from the 2018-19 school year.

Read more about the Best High Schools methodology.

In addition to the national rankings, U.S. News also published rankings at the state, metro area and school district levels. Only metro areas and school districts with three or more high schools were included in these subrankings.

Signature School in Indiana is at the top of the list for charter schools, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia is the No. 1 magnet school. The Davidson Academy of Nevada is the top STEM school.