Charter schools no longer hold the top five spots, as they did last year, in Utah’s rankings on U.S. News and World Report’s annual list of best high schools.
While charter schools still took the state’s top two places, this year’s list presents a balance between charter and traditional schools.
1. Beehive Science and Technology Academy; charter, Sandy.
2. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy; charter, Lindon.
3. Skyline High School; Granite District, Millcreek.
(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Skyline High School in Salt Lake City, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
4. Park City High School; Park City District, Park City.
5. Corner Canyon High School; Canyons District, Draper.
6. InTech Collegiate High School; charter, North Logan.
7. Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering and Science; charter, Layton.
8. Itineris Early College High School; charter, West Jordan.
9. Farmington High School; Davis School District, Farmington.
10. Academy for Math Engineering and Science; charter, Murray.
Beehive Science and Technology Academy maintained Utah’s top slot for the third year in a row, while Karl G. Maeser Preparatory and InTech Collegiate High swapped places from last year.
Skyline High School moved up from No. 8 last year to No. 3, and Park City High School made it back into the top 10 after being knocked off in 2022.
The U.S. News’ report ranked 17,680 public high schools across the U.S. and 167 in Utah. The ranking methodology is based on six factors.
College readiness is the most heavily weighted factor, making up 30% of a school’s overall score. It is measured by the proportion of a school’s 12th graders who took and earned a qualifying score on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exams, according to U.S. News.
Other factors are: college curriculum breadth (10%); state assessment proficiency (20%); state assessment performance (20%), or a measure of total assessment scores compared to what U.S. News predicted for a school with its demographic characteristics in its state; graduation rate (10%); and underserved student performance (10%).
Underserved student performance measures learning outcomes only among Black, Hispanic and low-income students.
While the six factors used to determine each school’s rank were roughly the same as prior years, proficiency, performance and underserved student measures were calculated differently to account for low participation rates during the 2020-21 school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. That year, the Department of Education allowed states to request a waiver which allowed them to fall below the 95% participation threshold that’s typically required.
Nationally, Beehive Science and Technology Academy ranked no. 116, according to U.S. News data, rising from no. 305 in 2022. Skyline High School, Utah’s highest-ranked traditional school, ranked no. 627 nationwide.
Here are last year’s rankings for comparison:
1. Beehive Science and Technology Academy (same rank)
2. InTech Collegiate High School (now 6th)
3. Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering and Science (now 7th)
4. Academy for Math Engineering and Science (now 10th)
5. Itineris Early College High (now 8th)
6. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy (now 2nd)
7. Corner Canyon High School (now 5th)
8. Skyline High School (now 3rd)
9. Farmington High School (same rank)
10. Timpview High School (now 12th)
