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The Best Public High Schools in the U.S. by SAT & ACT Scores

The Best Public High Schools in the U.S. by SAT & ACT Scores - Brainly Insights

We’ve combed through thousands of records to find the top high schools in the country by test scores in a massive study. The results are in.

The two best high schools in America by test scores only are Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, which was the top-scoring high school for the SATs, and Davidson Academy in Reno, Nevada, which was the top-scoring high school for the ACTs. The two high schools in America that should still work on their test scores are the Second Start School in Concord, New Hampshire, which had the country’s lowest average SAT score, and the Variety School in Las Vegas, Nevada, which had the country’s lowest average ACT score.

The Best (and Worst) Public High Schools in the U.S. by SAT & ACT Scores - BRAINLY

How We Gathered the Data

While there is no federal test that examines all public high schools in the United States, with most education systems being overseen by their home state and federal tests only focusing on urban areas, two independently run, popular tests — the College Board’s SAT and the nonprofit ACT — are often required for college-bound juniors. We took a look at the data on both tests state by state.

With the exception of a few states (Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Oregon, Washington, and West Virginia), most state governments record either ACT or SAT scores for all of their schools and districts that quizzed more than 10 test-takers. Gathering a list of the top 10 best and worst high schools for each state by test score, we were able to determine high school rankings by state and then rank all schools based on average composite scores.

Unfortunately, data availability varied a great deal on a state-by-state basis, including results from 2012 to 2018. SAT scores that used the older scoring method (out of 2400 points rather than 1600) were converted to a 1600-point scale. What we ended up with was a list of more than 1,500 schools with either exemplary or unusually low SAT or ACT scores. While it is a shame that there is no unifying, public, government-run scorecard for high schools nationally, we hope our study can showcase some of the top public schools in the country as well as schools and areas that may need more assistance.

Top 10 High Schools With the Highest SAT Scores

The SAT is a traditional American test out of 1600 points, measuring reading, writing, math, and grammar skills in a multiple-choice test. These are the schools with the highest average SAT scores. By high schools with the best SAT scores, we mean the average composite score for the most recent available year.

Rank School Location Average SAT Score
1 Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology Alexandria, Virginia 1515 (originally 2198/2400)
2 Middlesex County Academy for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Technologies Edison, New Jersey 1502
3 High Technology High School Lincroft, New Jersey 1500
4 Felicity-Franklin High School Felicity, Ohio 1480 (originally 2120/2400)
5 Biotechnology High School Freehold Township, New Jersey 1477
6 Bergen County Academies Hackensack, New Jersey 1470
7 Stuyvesant High School New York City, New York 1466 (originally 2096/2400)
8 Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science Denton, Texas 1465
9 Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science Worcester, Massachusetts 1457
10 Jasper High School Plano, Texas 1446

 

Out of the 50 United States, only 23 of them collect SAT scores for their public schools, which is why the SATs alone are insufficient to come up with a full list of U.S. public school rankings. The SATs are especially popular on the East Coast, where many local colleges require them for admissions. Looking at the top SAT scores by high school, we see scores well above the normal range. These schools, like Stuyvesant High in New York City, are often famously competitive, and the top 10 list can change from year to year.

For Reference, What Is the Average SAT Score in America?

The U.S. average SAT score for 2018 was 1068. The average high school SAT score can change depending on your state, your type of school, and your situation, but typically, average scores hover between 1000 and 1100. Remember that a perfect score is 1600.

How Did SAT Scores Change?

Between 2005 and 2016, the SAT scores were out of 2400 points, not out of 1600. The average score back in those days was 1480, a score that would have impressed your friends had it been out of 1600 but a fundamentally average score for those taking the test during that decade. It’s a bit confusing, and ultimately, the SAT scoring system switched back to the old scale. Because some states’ more recent data came from before 2016, some of our scores had to be converted to remain on the same scale.

Top 10 High Schools With the Highest ACT Scores?

Does your school have the highest ACT score? High school rankings here are based on average composite scores for the ACTs, an exam that has a highest possible score of 36 and tests English, math, reading, and science abilities. It’s considered to be a little bit more forgiving than the SAT, but not by much. Here are some of the best public schools in the USA with the highest average ACT score. High schools throughout the south and west of the country often use this test.

Rank School Location Average SAT Score
1 Davidson Academy Reno, Nevada 33.9
2 Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science Denton, Texas 32.7
3 Latexo High School Latexo, Texas 32
4 Early College at Guilford Greensboro, North Carolina 31.9
5 Lynbrook High San Jose, California 31.5
6 Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science Bowling Green, Kentucky 31.5
7 Mission San Jose High Fremont, California 31.3
8 Jasper High School Plano, Texas 31
9 School for the Talented and Gifted Dallas, Texas 30.9
10 Monta Vista High San Jose, California 30.5

 

While Nevada’s Davidson Academy takes the cake, Texas, as we’ll see in the next section, is home to some of the worst and best ACT scores. By high schools’ standards, these public schools are exemplary, especially considering that the national average ACT score is only 21. Out of the 50 states, 31 of them have collected ACT data, making it slightly more pervasive than the SAT.

Top 10 High Schools that still need to work on their SAT Scores

There are no official United States school rankings based on test scores in this country, but if there were, some of these schools would have things to worry about. On the other hand, many of these schools are alternative schools for students already struggling within the current public school system, so they should not necessarily be demonized for their poor performance.

Rank School Location Average SAT Score
1 Second Start Concord, New Hampshire 610
2 Frank M. Tejeda Academy San Antonio, Texas 669
3 Rittman Exempted Village Rittman, Ohio 680 (originally 870/2400)
4 Making Community Connections Charter School Keene, New Hampshire 685
5 Southwest Academy Allen, Texas 688
6 Lew Wallace (Sci-Tech-Eng-Math) Gary, Indiana 694
7 Multicultural High School Brooklyn, New York 697 (originally 887/2400)
8 Bethel-Tate Local Bethel, Ohio 700 (originally 900/2400)
9 Del Valle Opportunity Center Del Valle, Texas 712
10 Robert B. Jolicoeur School Manchester, New Hampshire 716

 

Top 10 High Schools that still need to work on their ACT Scores

Compare high schools with the highest and lowest ACT scores: These high school rankings show us many different alternative schools that are less focused on college preparation and more focused on practical skill-building.

Rank School Location Average SAT Score
1 Variety School Las Vegas, Nevada 9.5
2 Tejas School of Choice El Paso, Texas 10.6
3 Healy High School Healy, Kansas 11
4 Ramsey Street High School Fayetteville, North Carolina 11.4
5 Utah International Charter School Salt Lake City, Utah 11.6
6 Minnesota Internship Center Minneapolis, Minnesota 11.7
7 Citrus High (Continuation) Fontana, California 11.8
8 John Leslie Patton Jr. Academic Center Dallas, Texas 11.8
9 Miley Achievement Center Las Vegas, Nevada 11.9
10 Greg Mathis Charter High North Charleston, South Carolina 12.1

The Best Schools in the Country by State

See our map to find details on public school rankings by state. List out the top schools in your state, or find the top high schools in the U.S. across the map. Our school ranking looks at both ACT and SAT data, so you can find the worst and best high schools in the U.S. for test scores of either kind.

The Best High Schools in each state by SAT & ACT Scores - BRAINLY

Other Factors

It’s especially important to note that the SAT and ACT are designed for and helpful to college-bound high school students. In some states, non-college-bound students may have the option to opt out. In other states, tests are required for all students. The SATs, for instance, are only a requirement in a handful of states.

Also, it’s important to note that the SAT and ACT, while technically nonprofit, are separate entities from the government and are made more for colleges than for students. Recently, admissions consultants and test proctors were caught accepting bribes in exchange for better scores. This harmful scam befitting students from wealthy backgrounds continued to a ridiculous extent, exploiting the availability of accommodations for disabled students.

Americans’ faith in the SATs and ACTs has been shaken. Perhaps now is the time for a federal, nationwide, transparent test with results that would be available everywhere. Certainly, while these scores alone should not be taken into consideration when trying to manage funding or make educational decisions, they can be illuminating for college-bound students and educators, for now.

 

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