U.S. News Best High Schools 2019: How Virginia Schools Rank

VIRGINIA—A Northern Virginia school is once again among the best high schools in America, U.S. News & World Report said Tuesday in its most comprehensive ranking yet of the nation’s high schools. More than 17,000 schools are ranked, an increase from 2,700 last year.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology ranked fourth nationally and first among Virginia schools in the 2019 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings. TJHSST is a high school with selective admission emphasizing science, math and technology. The school has been among the top schools in the nation in recent U.S. News rankings. Admissions are open to Fairfax County students, as well as other school districts including Arlington, Loudoun, and Prince William counties, and the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church.

Other area schools ranked among the top in the nation are:

• 123: Langley High School
• 127: McLean High School
• 173: Oakton High School
• 251: Marshall High School
• 261: Madison High School
• 335: West Springfield High School
• 365: W.T. Woodson High School
• 503: Chantilly High School
• 515: George Mason High School
• 544: Yorktown High School
• 551: Lake Braddock Secondary School
• 592: Stonebridge High School
• 611: Briar Woods High School
• 673: Robinson Secondary School
• 696: Centreville High School
• 741: Broad Run High School
• 745: Washington-Lee High School
• 957: Osbourn Park High School
• 966: Battlefield High School
• 1,014: Westfield High School
• 1,049: South County High School
• 1,061: Freedom High School
• 1,122: Riverside High School
• 1,159: Fairfax High School
• 1,259: Patriot High School
• 1,319: Rock Ridge High School
• 1,340: South Lakes High School
• 1,392: Colonial Forge High School
• 1,602: Edison High School
• 1,746: Dominion High School
• 1,789: John Champe High School
• 1,860: Stuart High School
• 1,915: Loudoun Valley High School
• 2,004: Woodgrove High School
• 2,014: Riverbend High School
• 2,384: Annandale High School
• 2,420: Falls Church High School
• 2,429: Loudoun County High School
• 2,450: Hylton High School
• 2,454: Mountain View High School
• 2,568: Wakefield High School
• 2,571: Hayfield Secondary School

Overall, Virginia’s schools graduate 95.2 percent of students.

U.S. News & World Report is the gold standard for education rankings and is widely considered the global authority. Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said the aim of the rankings is to give families more information about the schools in their district.

“By evaluating more schools than ever before, the new edition expands that focus so all communities can see which schools in their area are successfully serving their students — including historically underserved populations,” Narayan said in a news release.

The factors considered in compiling the list include college readiness; reading and math proficiency; reading and math performance; underserved student performance; college curriculum breadth; and graduation rates. College readiness measures participation and performance on advanced placement and international baccalaureate exams.

The data also take into account school enrollment, student diversity, participation in free and reduced-price meal programs, graduation rates and the results of state assessment tests. U.S. News worked with the global research firm RTI International to rank the schools.

“We enhanced the methodology to provide an even more comprehensive ranking that is easier to understand and, therefore, more useful to parents and educators,” Robert Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News, said in a news release. “Now, each school’s score correlates to its national percentile — a school with a score of 70 is in the 70th percentile and ranks higher than 70 percent of schools. Going forward, this methodology will allow for intuitive comparisons of a school’s performance year after year."

The top 10 schools are in 10 different states, demonstrating that a high-quality education can be found across the country, the report said. Those schools are:

1. Academic Magnet High School, South Carolina
2. Maine School of Science and Mathematics
3. BASIS Scottsdale, Arizona
4. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Virginia
5. Central Magnet School, Tennessee
6. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Georgia
7. Haas Hall Academy, Arkansas
8. International Academy of Macomb, Michigan
9. Payton College Preparatory High School, Illinois
10. Signature School, Indiana

The full list is available exclusively on usnews.com.