Tough School: Clinton Township's International Academy One Of Michigan's Best

MICHIGAN — Many students can get by in high school with good grades when they choose less-challenging courses. But, more challenging courses, such as Advanced Placement classes, are what really help teens grow and learn and even earn college credits. With that in mind, the Washington Post recently released its 2017 list of the Most Challenging High Schools in the U.S.

A total of 31 Michigan schools made this year’s list. Utica’s Academy for International Studies was rated as the most challenging high school in the state and ranked 38th nationally. Taylor Prep (66th), the International Academy of Macomb in Clinton Township (113th), City High Middle in Grand Rapids (130th) and Crestwood High in Dearborn Heights rounded out Michigan’s top five.

The Washington Post ranks schools through an index formula that’s a simple ratio: the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year, according to the Washington Post. A ratio of 1.000 means the school had as many tests as graduates.

According to the Washington Post, five of the top six most challenging high schools are located in Texas. Basis High in Phoenix was rated as the toughest in America, followed by Texas schools from Houston, Brownsville, Mission, San Juan and San Benito.

Here’s a look at the No. 6-10 most challenging high schools in Michigan. Their national rank is in parenthesis:

• Wellspring Prep, Grand Rapids (482)
• Troy High, Troy (503)
• Grosse Pointe South, Grosse Pointe (647)
• West Catholic, Grand Rapids (710)
• Lowell Senior High (900)

Photo by ccarlstead via Flickr Commons. Scott Anderson (Staff Patch) contributed to this report.