Here’s how Columbus area high schools rank across state, nation according to U.S. News

Columbus High School is the third-best public high school in the state, according to a national ranking released Tuesday.

The U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 Best High Schools list ranks Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology first in Georgia and Davidson Magnet School of Richmond County second.

Columbus High, a liberal arts magnet school, was ranked second in the state last year.

The magazine assessed 17,792 public high schools in the nation, including 418 in Georgia and 359 in Alabama. Then it ranked 13,344 of them, including 323 in Georgia and 250 in Alabama. So the schools below those thresholds didn’t receive an individual ranking.

Here are the rankings for schools in the Chattahoochee Valley, listed by their state ranking and with their national ranking noted:

Georgia

• 3. Columbus, 101^st in U.S.
• 106. Northside, 4,805^th in U.S.
• 131. Early College (merged with Jordan after last school year), 6,102^nd in U.S.
• 144. Harris County, 6,557^th in U.S.
• 177. Shaw, 7,853^rd in U.S.
• 195. Hardaway, 8,626^th in U.S.
• 228. Marion County, 9,904^th in U.S.
• 295. Carver, 12,550^th in U.S.
• 315. Chattahoochee County, 13,083^rd in U.S.
• 324-418. Jordan, Kendrick and Spencer, 13,345^th-17,792^nd in U.S.
• Rainey-McCullers, which didn’t have a 12^th grade last school year, isn’t in these rankings.

Alabama

• 136. Smiths Station, 8,961^st in U.S.
• 144. Central, 9,361^st in U.S.
• 239. Russell County, 13,004^th in U.S.

Methodology

The rankings, according to U.S. News, are based on measurements of:

• College readiness (30%), defined by participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.
• Reading and math proficiency (20%), defined by results from the state’s standardized tests.
• Reading and math performance (20%), defined by results from the state’s standardized tests and compared to predicted results from the school’s demographics.
• Underserved student performance (10%), defined by how well blacks, Hispanics and students from low-income families performed on state tests and compared to those who aren’t considered underserved.
• Curriculum breadth (10%).
• Graduation rate (10%).

Mark Rice

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

706-576-6272

Mark Rice is the Ledger-Enquirer’s editor. He has been covering Columbus and the Chattahoochee Valley for more than 30 years. He welcomes your local news tips, feature story ideas, investigation suggestions and compelling questions.