Four Newark High Schools Listed Among Nation's Best

US News & World Report released its list of the nation’s best high schools Tuesday, with four Newark schools being ranked among New Jersey’s and the country’s very top performers.

North Star Academy, Science Park, University and Technology were among 54 New Jersey high schools bestowed with a numerical ranking under the magazine’s methodology.

North Star was ranked 19th in the state and 253rd nationally; Science Park 35 and 604, respectively; University 49 and 1,633; and Technology was ranked 52 on the list of New Jersey's best high schools and 2,069 among public high schools across the country.

Team Academy Charter, American History and Arts were also counted among the nation's "best" schools under the magazine's methodolgy but did not get a specific numeric ranking.

Nearly one-third of Newark’s 14 public high schools received a ranking.

The magazine developed its methodology in concert with the American Institutes for Research and graded the schools based on how well they serve all their students, not just those who are college-bound. More than 29,000 public high schools in 49 states were analyzed, with the exception of Nebraska, which does not compile all the data used in the magazine’s ranking.

The rankings do not simply compare the usual benchmarks, like graduation rates, class size and performance on standardized tests. Instead, the rankings also took account of how well students from certain groups, like those from low-income families, tend to perform on average. Schools were awarded a higher rank if those student groups performed better than average among their peers at other schools. 

The rankings also looked at how well a school prepared students for college, using metrics like the average performance on Advanced Placement tests.

The magazine also compiled lists of the nation’s best charter and magnet schools. North Star Academy is a charter and Technology is a magnet school, meaning it has a competitive admissions process.

Two other high schools within city limits, Newark Tech and North 13th Street Tech, which are part of Essex County's vocational school system, were also listed among the nation's best.

For a complete list, click here .