A Woodbury charter is Minnesota’s top high school, according to the 2017 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, released Tuesday.
The Math and Science Academy also ranked 203rd nationally, followed by Orono Senior High at 249th and Mahtomedi Senior High at 286th. High schools in the Mounds View, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, Stillwater and Lakeville districts also made the magazine’s list.
John Gawarecki, director of the Math and Science Academy, said the top ranking was a validation the school was on the right path.
“We have great students who put in a ton of work,” Gawarecki said. “I don’t think there is any silver bullet other than the hard work of our students, staff and parents. It really is a community effort.”
U.S. News & World Report says its rankings are based on student achievement including graduation rates and scores on state proficiency tests. The magazine examines data for more than 22,000 high schools and ranks more than 6,000 schools.
Nationwide, Arizona had five of the 10 best schools on the magazine’s list and Texas had three, with California and Virginia taking the other two slots.
No Minnesota school made the magazine’s top 100 this year after two schools, Nova Classical Academy in St. Paul and Treknorth in Bemidji, made it in 2016. Neither of those schools made the national or state lists this year.
Here are Minnesota’s top 10 high schools for 2017 according to U.S. News & World Report:
- Math and Science Academy, Woodbury
- Orono Senior High, Long Lake
- Mahtomedi Senior High, Mahtomedi
- Edina Senior High, Edina
- Mankato West Senior High, Mankato
- Mounds View Senior High, Arden Hills
- Minnetonka Senior High, Minnetonka
- Eastview Senior High, Apple Valley
- Irondale Senior High, New Brighton
- Eagan Senior High, Eagan
