Stillwater High​ School Ranked Among State's Best: U.S. News And World Report

TWIN CITIES, MN — Stillwater Area High School is the 11th best high school in Minnesota, according to U.S. News and World Report. Overall, the school ranked as the 609th best high school in the country.

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.

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

About Stillwater High School

Stillwater Area High School was designed to provide a personal education in a beautiful, campus-like setting that celebrates the uniqueness of the St. Croix River Valley. The building is organized around a curved main corridor, a reflected image of the river that unifies architectural design with the educational program.

The first high school was built in Stillwater in 1873. As the first high school accredited by the North Central Association (now known as AdvancED) in 1903, Stillwater Area High School claims a special sense of history.

The community takes pride in this legacy, and that pride was translated into the architectural elements of space and light, texture and color in the new high school which opened in 1993. The cliffs of the river valley inspired the texture and color of the bricks.

The shape of the historic Washington County Courthouse cupola is echoed in the bell tower, the dramatic rotunda inside the main entrance, the fine arts lobby and the cafeteria clerestory. The windows also reflect the architecture of the late 1800s that is prominent in the St. Croix Valley.

The 139 acre site encourages a strong program in the natural sciences. The Environmental Learning Center (ELC) includes fields, ponds, mixed forests and wildlife. The ELC enhances formal classroom instruction by giving students an opportunity to explore the relationship between self and nature and to develop an awareness of the interdependence of natural and human environments.

Stillwater Area High School operates on a six period day with two semesters a year, allowing its 2,200 students ample opportunity to participate in a variety of courses.

The rigorous academic program prepares college-bound students for the world of work. Stillwater Area High School offers Advanced Placement courses in the areas of English, French, Spanish, Art History, U.S. History, American Government, Psychology, Biology, Calculus, Statistics and Chemistry.

The school has emphasized both reading and writing initiatives across all curricular areas in order to maintain and continually improve student learning. Students also have opportunities to participate in off-site learning as well, including post-secondary education at local technical colleges and four-year universities.

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