What DC-area school is ranked as one of the best in the nation

U.S. News & World Report released its latest rankings of the nation’s best high schools and one well-known school from the D.C. region remains part of the list.

Following controversial changes to its admissions policy in 2021 to boost diversity, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Virginia remains the top ranked school in the D.C. region and 14th in the nation, slipping from the top 10. It’s also the 5th ranked STEM school in the nation.

“The top five in this area are — Thomas Jefferson is number one…The School Without Walls, they’re number two. They’re in the District….number two in the metro D.C. area.” LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at U.S. News & World Report, said. “Another in D.C. is number three (in the metro area), Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.”

When asked how it complied its list of the best schools of the D.C. region list, Jones said schools that emphasized graduation rates received higher consideration. He added that the top schools in the D.C. region also represent some of the best students from underrepresented demographic groups based on race and income.

“They are pretty much firing on all of those cylinders,” Jones said.

The publication’s national rankings evaluate about 18,000 public high schools across the country. It uses multiple metrics that show students with “outstanding outcomes” in state assessments in multiple subjects that will prepare them for college, Jones said.

“Also, students earning qualifying scores on Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, those college level exams and also schools where their students graduated at higher proportions,” He said. “That’s also very important.”

The rankings offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or a school that their student is already attending.

“This is one tool they can use — as long-term highly respected tool — to look at as a resource to see where they may want to relocate or where they want to live for a really high education for their child,” Jones said.

The District’s top high schools are:

1. School Without Walls High School
2. Benjamin Banneker Academic High School
3. Basis DC
4. District of Columbia International School
5. McKinley Technology High School

Maryland’s top high schools are:

1. Eastern Technical High School, Baltimore County
2. Walt Whitman High School
3. Poolesville High School
4. Thomas Wootton High School
5. Winston Churchill High School

Virginia’s top high schools are:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
2. Langley High School
3. Open High School, Richmond
4. Oakton High School
5. McLean High School

You can see the schools ranked by state as well as Metropolitan districts at https://www.usnews.com/education/.

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