COLUMBIA (WACH) - Three Midlands schools have been named among the best high schools in the nation, according to a report by U.S. News and World Report.
Chapin High School, Dutch Fork High School, and Lexington High School are three of the best schools in the nation based on state proficiency standards, how well they prepare students for college, and other factors, according to the report.
The schools are respectively ranked the fourth, fifth, and sixth best schools in South Carolina. Only 16 schools in the state made the list.
A three-step process ultimately judges schools on a national level by computing a "college readiness index" using Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data, according to the study's methodology, which was implemented by American Institutes for Research (AIR).
Out of the 2,008 ranked schools, Chapin High School ranked No. 738, Dutch Fork High School ranked No. 868, and Lexington High School ranked No. 1,019.
All three schools achieved more than 30 percent above the South Carolina average for college-readiness based on the system used by AIR. They all received silver awards for being high-performing schools with lower college readiness. Only the top 500 schools in the country receive a gold award.
Academic Magnet High School in North Charleston is the highest ranked high school in South Carolina and ranked No. 27 in the nation.
A total of 21,776 public high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia were analyzed.
Click here to see the rankings for other South Carolina high schools.
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