Schools

Maple Grove, Orono Ranked High On List Of State's Best Schools

Orono Senior High​ is the second best high school in Minnesota in 2017, according to U.S. News and World Report.

TWIN CITIES, MN — Orono Senior High is the second best high school in Minnesota, according to U.S. News and World Report. Overall, the school ranked as the 249th best high school in the country. Maple Grove Senior High ranked 27th in the state and 1378th in the national rankings.

U.S. News and World Report has crunched the numbers for 2017, releasing its annual list of best high schools in the country, ranking the schools on a national and a state level. In Minnesota, the Math and Science Academy in Woodbury earned the title of the best high school in the state. Orono Senior High ranked as the second best in the state, followed by Mahtomedi Senior High.

Seven Minnesota high schools were given gold medals by U.S. News, 48 received silver medals and the remaining 15 schools received bronze medals. Compared to other states, Minnesota came in 27th overall.

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Overall state rankings: Best High Schools In Minnesota 2017: U.S. News And World Report

About Orono High School

Orono High School is a four-year, public high school in the western suburbs of the Twin Cities, "with a strong tradition of excellence, rooted in community and relationships."

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Faculty

  • Percentage of Faculty with Master’s Degree: 87 percent
  • Students Enrollment 9-12: 948
  • Senior Class 2015: 210 – College Matriculation: 95 percent

Achievement

Over the past five years, Orono has implemented academic initiatives that have resulted in rising ACT scores and an increase of 350 percent in AP Scholars, according to the school.

Academic Program

Orono offers 18 AP courses, 11 honors and enriched courses and five College in the Schools courses. In 2014, a record number of AP exams were given (625) with a record number of students testing (334) and achieving the highest pass rate to date (90 percent). A rigorous course of study may also include courses at local colleges and universities through the Post-Secondary Enrollment Option.

Extracurricular Activities

Orono High School offers a variety of activities, organizations and academic/athletic interscholastic competitions. More than 85 percent of students participate in at least one activity or sport.

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