The rankings were created from a three-step process. First, they determined whether each school’s students were performing better than statistically expected for the average student in the state by looking at reading and math results for all students on each state’s high school test.

Second, they looked at whether the school’s least-advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state.

This third step measured which schools produced the best college-level achievement for the highest percentages of their students by computing a “college readiness index” based on the school’s AP or IB participation rate and how well the students did on those tests.

Check out the 17 best Gold Medal public high schools:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, VA
100.0 College Readiness Index
3.95 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index (a measure of the distance from statistically-expected performance using a relationship between poverty and a state performance index)
16.3 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap (difference between the school’s disadvantaged students’ proficiency rate and the state average for similarly disadvantaged students)

2. International Academy
Bloomfield Hills, MI
100.0 College Readiness Index
2.52 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

3. Whitney High School
Cerritos, CA
100.0 College Readiness Index
2.40 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
49.3 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

4. Oxford Academy
Cypress, CA
100.0 College Readiness Index
2.56 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
49.3 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

5. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG Magnet)
Dallas, TX
100.0 College Readiness Index
2.88 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
27.8 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

6. Newcomers High School
Long Island City, NY
100.0 College Readiness Index
1.60 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
22.0 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

7. Pacific Collegiate School
Santa Cruz, CA
100.0 College Readiness Index
1.61 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

8. The School of Science and Engineering Magnet (SEM)
Dallas, TX
100.0 College Readiness Index
3.64 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
31.9 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

9. BASIS Tucson
Tucson, AZ
100.0 College Readiness Index
1.95 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

10. International School
Bellevue, WA
100.0 College Readiness Index
2.11 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

11. High Technology High School
Lincroft, NJ
98.9 College Readiness Index
1.00 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

12. Academic Magnet High School
North Charleston, SC
98.2 College Readiness Index
2.80 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
46.9 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

13. IDEA Academy & College Preparatory
Donna, TX
97.7 College Readiness Index
2.97 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
24.5 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

14. Pine View School
Osprey, FL
96.8 College Readiness Index
3.06 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
Not Available Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

15. Design and Architecture Senior High School
Miami, FL
96.7 College Readiness Index
2.56 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
47.3 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

16. KIPP Houston High School
Houston, TX
95.7 College Readiness Index
3.81 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
30.3 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

17. Stanton College Preparatory School
Jacksonville, FL
95.6 College Readiness Index
2.51 Poverty-Adjusted Performance Index
48.1 Disadvantaged Students Performance Gap

High school students don’t generally have a say in where they go to high school, but it’s still interesting to see the rankings. You DO, however, have a choice of where you can go to college. Find your match on Cappex!