Lexington High School is the third-best high school in Massachusetts according to US News & World Report’s latest rankings, published Tuesday. In first and second place were Boston Latin School, a public exam school, and Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion in Hadley, a charter school, making LHS the top traditional public school in the state.
Massachusetts has the highest percentage of top-rated public high schools, with 43% of schools in the Commonwealth ranking in the top 25% nationally. Lexington High School is ranked 192 nationally, rising from 226 in 2022.
Out of nearly 25,000 reviewed, US News ranked 17,655 schools based on factors such as college readiness, college curriculum, state assessment performance and proficiency, graduation rate, and performance of Black, Hispanic, and low-income students.
In the college readiness index, which looks at the proportion of 12th graders who took and passed at least one AP or IB exam, Lexington scores 72.4 out of 100 and ranks ninth within the state. The school scores 99.4% for overall performance on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS). 62.7% of disadvantaged Lexington High School students achieved proficiency in math, reading, and science assessments, outperforming the state average of 39.3%. The percentage of non-underserved students who achieved proficiency is 88.3%, according to the report.
The US News & World Report school rankings have been widely criticized for over-emphasizing standardized test scores and oversimplifying the complex question of what makes a school successful.
“The 2024 Best High Schools rankings offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending,” says LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of education at US News in a press release.
“Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future.”