U.S. News 2020 High School Rankings: 3 In VA, DC In Top 100

Deb Belt
·6 min read

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Measures taken to stem the spread of the new coronavirus have kept students home from school for weeks and put spring activities in jeopardy, but U.S. News & World Report has kept up its rankings. The publication finds one school in Virginia and two in Washington, D.C., are among the top 100 high schools in the nation. The northern Virginia school was also named as best in the nation.

“The Best High Schools rankings provide the most comprehensive, data-based information on nearly every public high school in the country,” Anita Narayan, managing editor of Education at U.S. News, said in a news release. “Families can use this information to see how their local schools compare on graduation rates and state assessments, as well as academic performance by students who are traditionally underserved — those who are black, Hispanic or from low-income households.”

No. 1 among Virginia schools was Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, which also ranked No. 1 nationally in the 2020 U.S. News Best High Schools rankings. It is one of three schools in Virginia and DC ranked by U.S. News in the top 100. The top-ranked District of Columbia school is School Without Walls High School, which is No. 73 in national rankings.

The news site describes Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology: "Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is ranked first within Virginia. Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement coursework and exams. The AP participation rate at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is 100%. The total minority enrollment is 79%, and 2% of students are economically disadvantaged. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is 1 of 30 high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools."

And here are the top schools in Virginia with the state and national rankings.

  1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Alexandria, No. 1 in Virginia Rankings, No. 1 in National Rankings

  2. Langley High School, McLean, No. 2 in Virginia Rankings, No. 126 in National Rankings

  3. McLean High School, McLean, No. 3 in Virginia Rankings, No. 236 in National Rankings

  4. Marshall High, Falls Church, No. 4 in Virginia Rankings, No. 245 in National Rankings

  5. Madison High, Vienna, No. 5 in Virginia Rankings, No. 265 in National Rankings

  6. W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, No. 6 in Virginia Rankings, No. 280 in National Rankings

  7. West Springfield High School, Springfield, No. 7 in Virginia Rankings, No. 437 in National Rankings

  8. Chantilly High School, Chantilly, No. 8 in Virginia Rankings, No. 458 in National Rankings

  9. Broad Run High School, Ashburn, No. 9 in Virginia Rankings, No. 477 in National Rankings

  10. Open High School, Richmond, No. 10 in Virginia Rankings, No. 493 in National Rankings

  11. Oakton High School, Vienna, No. 11 in Virginia Rankings, No. 503 in National Rankings

  12. Deep Run High School, Glen Allen, No. 12 in Virginia Rankings, No. 543 in National Rankings

  13. Cosby High School, Midlothian, No. 13 in Virginia Rankings, No. 544 in National Ranking

  14. Yorktown High School, Arlington, No. 14 in Virginia Rankings, No. 545 in National Ranking

  15. Centreville High, Clifton, No. 15 in Virginia Rankings, No. 631 in National Rankings

  16. George Mason High School, Falls Church, No. 16 in Virginia Rankings, No. 649 in National Rankings

  17. Briar Woods High School, Ashburn, No. 17 in Virginia Rankings, No. 653 in National Rankings

  18. Robinson Secondary School, Fairfax, No. 18 in Virginia Rankings, No. 697 in National Rankings

  19. Richmond Community High School, Richmond, No. 19 in Virginia Rankings, No. 739 in National Rankings

  20. Grassfield High School, Chesapeake, No. 20 in Virginia Rankings, No. 799 in National Ranking

  21. Battlefield High School, Haymarket, No. 21 in Virginia Rankings, No. 806 in National Ranking

  22. Riverside High, Leesburg, No. 22 in Virginia Rankings, No. 813 in National Rankings

  23. Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn, No. 23 in Virginia Rankings, No. 886 in National Ranking

  24. Hickory High School, Chesapeake, No. 24 in Virginia Rankings, No. 898 in National Ranking

  25. Osbourn Park High School, Manassas, No. 25 in Virginia Rankings, No. 899 in National Rankings

And here are the top schools in the District of Columbia with the state and national rankings.

  1. School Without Walls High School, No. 1 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 73 in National Rankings

  2. Benjamin Banneker Academy High School, No. 2 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 99 in National Rankings

  3. BASIS DC, No. 3 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 227 in National Rankings

  4. McKinley Technology High School, No. 4 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 963 in National Rankings

  5. Ellington School of the Arts, No. 5 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 2,031 in National Rankings

  6. Columbia Heights Educational Campus, No. 6 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 2,651 in National Rankings

  7. Capital City High School Public Charter School, No. 7 in District of Columbia Ranking, No. 3,169 in National Rankings

  8. Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter School, No. 8 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 4,253 in National Rankings

  9. KIPP DC College Preparatory, No. 9 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 4,585 in National Rankings

  10. Wilson High School, No. 10 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 5,173 in National Rankings

  11. E L Haynes Public Charter School Kansas Ave High School, No. 11 in District of Columbia Ranking, No. 6,161 in National Rankings

  12. Paul Public Charter School International High School, No. 12 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 8,149 in National Rankings

  13. Cesar Chavez for Public Policy Parkside Ms Public Charter School, No. 13 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 8,628 in National Rankings

  14. Cesar Chavez for Public Policy Capitol Hill Public Charter School, No. 14 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 9,203 in National Rankings

  15. Seed Public Charter School of Washington DC, No. 15 in District of Columbia Ranking, No. 9,415 in National Rankings

  16. Washington Latin Public Charter School Upper School, No. 16 in District of Columbia Ranking, No. 9,586 in National Rankings

  17. Phelps Architecture Construction and Engineering High School, No. 17 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 10,086 in National Rankings

  18. Friendship PCS Technology Preparatory Academy High, No. 18 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 10,914 in National Rankings

  19. Eastern High School, No. 19 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 11,277 in National Ranking

  20. Washington Math Science Tech Public Charter School, No. 20 in District of Columbia Rankings, No. 11,997 in National Rankings

U.S. News used a number of weighted criteria to come up with the rankings, the most important being college readiness. You can see the full methodology here.

2020 Best High Schools National Rankings:
1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)
2. Academic Magnet High School (SC)
3. Merrol Hyde Magnet School (TN)
4. School for Advanced Studies (FL)
5. Townsend Harris High School (NY)
6. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TX)
7. BASIS Chandler (AZ)
8. Haas Hall Academy Bentonville (AR)
9. Payton College Preparatory High School (IL)
10. Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School (TX)

This article originally appeared on the Old Town Alexandria Patch