3 Arizona High Schools
Make U.S. News TOP 100

Three Arizona public high schools were named among the top 100 in the country by U.S. News and World Report last week. University High School (Tucson) was ranked 13th, Basis Tucson was 16th, and Northland Preparatory Academy (Flagstaff) was 56th on the list of “Gold Medal Schools.” An additional 21 were designated silver or bronze medal schools.

U.S. News analyzed 18,790 public high schools in 40 states using data from 2005-2006. First, it looked at whether schools were performing better than statistically expected based on their student populations. Second, it reviewed whether the schools’ least advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state. And, third, it considered students’ college readiness, using AP data as a benchmark for success.

Silver medal high schools named by the magazine were Catalina Foothills (Tucson), Desert Vista (Phoenix), Mountain View (Mesa), Sunnyslope (Phoenix), Thunderbird (Phoenix).

Schools given the bronze medal designation were Colorado City K-12 Public School, Cortez (Phoenix), Dobson (Mesa), Glendale, Mayer Junior/Senior High School, Mesa, Moon Valley (Phoenix),  Patagonia, Ray (Kearny), Red Mountain (Mesa), Skyline (Mesa), Sonoran Science Academy (Tucson), St. Johns, Vision Charter School  (Tucson), Washington (Phoenix) and Wickenburg.