U.S. News Ranks Minnesota’s Top 100 High Schools

MINNESOTA — U.S. News and World Report has ranked the 100 best public high schools in Minnesota. 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.

This year’s list ranks more than 17,800 public high schools throughout the country.

Here are the top 100 public high schools in Minnesota, according to U.S. News and World Report:

1. Math and Science Academy
2. Nova Classical Academy Upper School
3. Eagle Ridge Academy Charter School
4. Parnassus Prep School-Rhetoric
5. Orono Senior High
6. Wayzata High
7. Eastview Senior High
8. Eagan Senior High
9. Edina Senior High
10. Minnetonka Senior High
11. Mounds View Senior High
12. Mahtomedi Senior High
13. Woodbury Senior High
14. East Ridge High School
15. St. Anthony Village Senior High
16. St. Michael-Albertville Senior High
17. Mound-Westonka High School
18. Sartell Senior High
19. Lakeville South High
20. St. Charles Secondary
21. Central Senior High
22. Andover High School
23. Irondale Senior High
24. Eden Prairie Senior High
25. Rosemount Senior High
26. Highland Park Senior High
27. Harbor City International Charter
28. Red Rock Central Secondary
29. Rogers Senior High
30. Mankato West Senior High
31. Chaska High School
32. Detroit Lakes Senior High
33. Henry Senior High
34. Hastings High School
35. Stillwater Area High School
36. Chanhassen High School
37. Hopkins Senior High
38. Maple Grove Senior High
39. Jefferson Senior High
40. Hiawatha Collegiate High School
41. Cannon Falls Sec.
42. Delano Senior High
43. Blaine High School
44. Centennial High School
45. Houston Secondary
46. St Paul Conservatory Performing Art
47. Great River School
48. Elk River Senior High
49. Northfield Senior High
50. Brainerd Senior High
51. Forest Lake Senior High
52. Champlin Park High School
53. Lakeville North High
54. Marshall High School
55. Monticello Senior High
56. Prior Lake High School
57. Tartan Senior High
58. Bold Senior High
59. Washburn Senior High
60. Treknorth High School
61. Apple Valley Senior High
62. South St. Paul Secondary
63. Mankato East Senior High
64. North Senior High
65. St. Louis Park Senior High
66. Sauk Rapids-Rice Senior High
67. St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper
68. Virginia Secondary
69. White Bear South Campus Senior
70. Spectrum High School
71. Barnesville Secondary
72. Rockford Secondary
73. Simley Senior High
74. Becker Senior High
75. Mayo Senior High
76. Henry Sibley High School
77. Lake Park Audubon Secondary
78. St. Francis High
79. Minnewaska Secondary
80. Chisago Lakes Senior High
81. Waconia High School
82. Robbinsdale Armstrong Senior High
83. Southwest Senior High
84. Kennedy Secondary School
85. New Prague Senior High
86. Century Senior High
87. Minneota Secondary
88. Open World Learning Secondary
89. High Ground Secondary Academy
90. Bemidji Senior High
91. Shakopee Senior High
92. Spring Grove Secondary
93. Hutchinson Senior High
94. Zimmerman High School
95. Grand Rapids Senior High
96. East High School
97. Osseo Senior High
98. Princeton Senior High
99. Fairmont Jr./Sr. High School
100. Cook County Senior High

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.

Here are the top 10 schools in this year’s national Best High Schools ranking:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - Alexandria, Virginia
2. Academic Magnet High School - North Charleston, South Carolina
3. The Davidson Academy of Nevada - Reno, Nevada
4. Payton College Preparatory High School - Chicago, Illinois
5. School for Advanced Studies - Miami, Florida
6. Sumner Academy of Arts and Science - Kansas City, Kansas
7. Merrol Hyde Magnet School - Hendersonville, Tennessee
8. BASIS Chandler - Chandler, Arizona
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology - Lawrenceville, Georgia
10. Signature School - Evansville, Indiana

The methodology used for this year’s ranking focused on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

The data used in this edition is from the 2018-2019 academic school year and, therefore, was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about the Best High Schools methodology.

In addition to the national rankings, U.S. News also published rankings at the state, metro area and school district levels. Only metro areas and school districts with three or more high schools were included in these subrankings.

BASIS Chandler in Arizona is at the top of the list for charter schools, and High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, is the No. 1 STEM school.