U.S. News & World Report released its annual high school rankings Tuesday with some Flagler and Volusia county schools exceeding last year’s numbers.
Almost 25,000 public high schools nationwide were reviewed, and of those, 17,655 schools were ranked.
Rankings are based on six categories, each weighted differently: college readiness (30%); college curriculum breadth (10%); state assessment proficiency (20%); state assessment performance (20%); underserved student performance (10%); and graduation rate (10%).
The top school in Florida was Sarasota County’s Pine View School, which was slated 18th nationwide. Only two other Florida schools were included in the nation’s top 50 public high schools: Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy in Broward County, ranked 41, and Westshore Junior/Senior High School in Brevard County, ranked 43.
Flagler County high schools show marked improvement
Flagler County high schools improved on both the state and national levels compared to last year.
Flagler-Palm Coast High School placed 300 in the state ranking compared to 344 last year, and 5,739 in the national ranking, compared to 6,526 last year.
Matanzas High School placed 302 in the state ranking compared to 318 last year, and 5,751 in the national ranking, compared to 6,202 last year.
The county’s iFlagler-Virtual Franchise also ranked this year with 498 statewide and 11,839 nationally.
“The administration, faculty and staff of Flagler Schools continue to prioritize the success of all of our students,” Don Foley, Flagler Schools communications coordinator, wrote in an email. “As we continue to climb higher with each passing academic year, our accomplishments are a true testament to the dedication our district has in moving Flagler Forward.”
Where do Volusia County high schools stand?
All of Volusia County’s high schools appeared in both the state and national rankings.
While Spruce Creek High School dropped slightly compared to last year, it still ranked in the top third of public Florida high schools this year, the only Volusia school to do so.
Deltona High School saw the largest increase in state rankings, moving from 419 last year to 321. Its national ranking went from 8,915 to 6,192.
Mainland High School saw an increase in its state rankings, up 10 points from last year, while its national ranking went from 7,423 to 6,985.
New Smyrna Beach High School ranked the same as last year with 270; its national ranking went from 5,064 to 4,978.
Volusia Virtual Instruction Program improved its national ranking over last year, from 13,261-17,680 to 13,242-17,655.
The rest of the high schools dropped in both state and national rankings compared to last year.
Here’s how Volusia County high schools did this year:
- Spruce Creek High School placed 146 in the state ranking and 2,387 in the national ranking.
- New Smyrna Beach High School placed 270 in the state ranking and 4,978 in the national ranking.
- Seabreeze High School placed 313 in the state ranking and 5,974 in the national ranking.
- DeLand High School placed 317 in the state ranking and 6,094 in the national ranking.
- Deltona High School placed 321 in the state ranking and 6,192 in the national ranking.
- Atlantic High School placed 346 in the state ranking and 6,657 in the national ranking.
- Mainland High School placed 355 in the state ranking and 6,985 in the national ranking.
- T. Dewitt Taylor Middle-High School placed 376 in the state ranking and 7,765 in the national ranking.
- University High School placed 394 in the state ranking and 8,196 in the national ranking.
- Volusia Online Learning-FLVS (Franchise) placed 397 in the state ranking and 8,323 in the national ranking.
- Pine Ridge High School placed 453 in the state ranking and 10,046 in the national ranking.
- Volusia Virtual Instruction Program placed 537-647 in the state ranking and 13,242-17,655 in the national ranking.
“The acknowledgment of Volusia County Schools in the U.S. News and World Report school rankings speaks to the dedication and hard work of our students, educators, staff and community partners,” Kristie Merklin, Volusia County Schools marketing specialist, wrote in an email. “It reflects our ongoing commitment to providing high-quality education and preparing students for success in future achievements. We remain focused on continuous innovation and excellence to ensure every student reaches their full potential.”
Best high schools in Florida in 2024
In a breakdown by state, Florida took fifth place behind Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland.
Florida had 52 schools ranked in the top 5% nationally, 116 schools ranked in the top 10% nationally, and 242 schools ranked in the top 25% nationally.
U.S. News & Reports ranked a total of 647 public high schools in Florida. The News-Journal looked at the top third of those schools to see which counties had the highest number of top-rated public high schools.
Of the top third, or 215 schools, Miami-Dade County, Broward County and Palm Beach County had the most highly rated public high schools this year.
Here are the top 20 high schools in Florida in 2024:
- Pine View School in Osprey.
- Millennium 6-12 Collegiate Academy in Tamarac.
- Westshore Junior/Senior High School in Melbourne.
- Archimedean Upper Conservatory Charter School in Miami.
- Stanton College Predatory School in Jacksonville.
- Edgewood Jr./Sr. High School in Merritt Island.
- Marine Academy of Science and Technology in North Miami.
- Jose Mari Mast 6-12 Academy in Hialeah.
- Design and Architecture Senior High School in Miami.
- Alexander W. Dreyfoos Junior School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.
- Neocity Academy in Kissimmee.
- Suncoast Community High School in Riviera Beach.
- Young Women’s Preparatory Academy in Miami.
- Terra Environmental Research Institute in Miami.
- International Studies Charter High School in Miami.
- Doral Performing Arts and Entertainment Academy in Doral.
- MAST Academy in Key Biscayne.
- iPrep Academy in Miami.
- Paxon School/Advanced Studies in Jacksonville.
- Darnell Cookman Middle/High School in Jacksonville.
See the full list of statewide rankings on the U.S. News & World Report website.
