Local Schools Show Mixed Results in U.S. News Best High Schools List

(KNSI) — U.S. News & World Report has named its 2024 Best High Schools list, and one central Minnesota school is among the top 25 schools in the state.

The rankings include data on nearly 25,000 schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our state is 36th in the U.S., with 12 schools in the top 5% of the 425 ranked schools.

Sartell High School is ranked 25th in the state, 1,566 nationally and first in the St. Cloud metro area. With 1,349 students enrolled, the student-to-teacher ratio is 20:1. The students’ percentile score on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments was 92.2%, which is well above expectations. The school’s graduation rate was 96%, which is well above the state median. Its college readiness index was 38.2 out of a possible 100.

Sauk Rapids Rice ranked 75th in the state, 4,365 in national rankings and number two in the St. Cloud metro area. With 1,394 students enrolled, it has a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1. The students’ percentile score on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments was 66.5%, which is somewhat above expectations. The school’s graduation rate is 85%, slightly below the state median. Its college readiness index was 27.4 out of a possible 100.

St. Cloud Apollo ranked 152nd in the state, 8,516 in national rankings, and fourth in the St. Cloud metro area. With 1,225 students enrolled, the student-to-teacher ratio was 16:1. The students’ percentile score on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments was 25.5%, which is somewhat above expectations. The school’s graduation rate is 73%, which is well below the state median. Its college readiness index was 23.2 out of a possible 100.

St. Cloud Tech ranked 223rd in the state, 11,146 nationally, and seventh in the St. Cloud metro area. With 1,515 students enrolled, the student-to-teacher ratio is 18:1. The students’ percentile score on Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments was 13.2%, which is somewhat below expectations. The school’s graduation rate was 73%, which was well below the state median. Its college readiness index was 24.1 out of a possible 100.

Schools were chosen based on “whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions.”

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