The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings just dropped. This time, it’s high school.
Delaware didn’t make it into the top-100 tier for best public high schools nationwide, according to the outlet’s “2023-2024 Best High Schools” ranking some 18,000 eligible schools.
With 13, Arizona had the most schools in the top 100 of any state, according to U.S. News — despite having only 425 ranked high schools overall. Florida and New York each had 11 schools in the top 100, while California follows closely behind at 10. Most high-ranking schools come close to dense metro areas.
Similarly, neighboring New Jersey led eight schools in the top 100, Pennsylvania just two. Maryland didn’t break into the top-100 highs.
Turning to charter schools, or public high schools released from some of the regulations governing traditional public schools, U.S. News also set new rankings.
Delaware’s Charter School of Wilmington landed at No. 3 across the entire Philadelphia metro area, as well as No. 24 among charter schools in the nation. Newark Charter School also cracked the top-100 charter schools nationally, while No. 10 in the same metro area.
Schools score higher based on various performances, according to U.S. News, including tests and graduation rates. However, U.S. News general methodology has come under fire as of late. At the college level, more than a dozen medical schools and more than 40 law schools ranked in the span of a few months announced this year they would no longer provide information to the outlet, which has ranked such programs since 1983. Debate continues, and results could be taken with a grain of salt.
In these results, high schools were also ranked state by state. So, how did Delaware’s high schools fare within its borders?
Ranking Delaware’s top-20 public high schools
- Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington
- Cab Calloway School of the Arts, Wilmington
- Newark Charter School, Newark
- Sussex Academy, Georgetown
- Conrad Schools of Science, Wilmington
- Mot Charter School, Middletown
- Concord High School, Brandywine Hundred
- Mount Pleasant High School, near Wilmington
- Appoquinimink High School, Middletown
- Sussex Technical High School, Georgetown
- Caesar Rodney High School, Camden
- Brandywine High School, Brandywine Hundred
- Cape Henlopen High School, Lewes
- Middletown High School, Middletown
- Dover High School, Dover
- Newark High School, Newark
- Milford Senior High School, Milford
- Lake Forest High School, Felton
- Smyrna High School, Smyrna
- Indian River High School, Dagsboro
Ranking Delaware’s charter high schools
- Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington
- Newark Charter School, Newark
- Sussex Academy, Georgetown
- MOT Charter School, Middletown
- Delaware Military Academy, near Newport
- Freire Charter School, Wilmington
- Early College High School at Delaware State, Dover
- First State Military Academy, Clayton
U.S. News ranked just eight charter schools in Delaware. It also analyzed 26 private high schools in Delaware, though they were not ranked. Anyone interested can find full lists online.
Have a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for the USA TODAY Network’s Northeast Region and Delaware Online, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on Twitter @kpowers01.
