U.S. News Best MA High Schools: Where Worcester Schools Rank

WORCESTER, MA — Two Worcester high schools have been ranked among the best in the state, according to a new ranking released Tuesday by U.S. News and World Report.

This year's list ranks more than 17,800 public high schools throughout the country. Worcester's University Park Campus School and the Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School were ranked No. 51 and 59, respectively, beating schools in wealthier towns like Sudbury, Holliston and Natick.

University Park ranked highly because of the share of students enrolled in advanced placement classes (80 percent) and its 100 percent graduation rate.

Here's how the rest of Worcester Public Schools high schools ranked out of the state's 348 high schools: Doherty Memorial High School (168), Worcester Technical High School (194), South High Community School (205), Burncoat High School (253), North High School (281), and Claremont Academy (293).

The purpose of the rankings is to provide insight into academic performance among underserved groups, showing how well schools are supporting these students, Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release.

Families can also use the rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state and local level on factors such as graduation rates and college readiness, Narayan said.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was ranked No. 1 in the nation, as well as among magnet schools. Boston Latin and the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion charter school in Hadley were ranked No. 36 and No. 40 nationwide, respectively.