West Liberty High School is the best in Iowa, according to a U.S. News and World Report high school ranking released Wednesday. Linn-Mar High School in Marion was ranked second.
The annual ranking measures high schools based on state-mandated exam scores and their college preparation efforts.
Reached by The Gazette via phone Wednesday, West Liberty High School Principal Brenda Arthur-Miller let out a loud cheer. She then explained she hadn’t known about her school’s first-place ranking until a reporter called.
“Number one!” the first-year principal said. “I need to process a little bit more. We have a great high school — I know we’re a very diverse population, and we have a lot of advanced placement offerings, and those are two criteria it’s based on.”
The magazine analyzed data on more than 28,000 public schools in 50 states and Washington, D.C. In Iowa, 118 schools are in the national ranking. No Iowa schools were awarded gold. Linn-Mar and West Liberty were two of 14 schools ranked silver, and 104 schools were ranked bronze.
All the Iowa high schools ranked silver:
1. West Liberty High School
Location: West Liberty
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness score: 48.3
2. Linn-Mar High School
Location: Marion
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness score: 43. 7
3. Ames High School
Location: Ames
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness score: 42.4
4. Valley High School
Location: West Des Moines
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness score: 40.4
5. Ankeny Centennial High School
Location: Ankeny
Graduation rate: 97 percent
College readiness score: 33.4
6. Decorah High School
Location: Decorah
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness score: 31.8
7. Cedar Falls High School
Location: Cedar Falls
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness score: 27.3
8. ADM Senior High School
Location: Adel
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness score: 26.6
9. Johnston Senior High School
Location: Johnston
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness score: 26.1
10. Waukee Senior High School
Location: Waukee
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness score: 25.2
11. Williamsburg Jr.-Sr. High School
Location: Williamsburg
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness score: 24.7
12. Pleasant Valley High School
Location: Bettendorf
Graduation rate: 97 percent
College readiness score: 24.4
13. Ankeny High School
Location: Ankeny
Graduation rate: 97 percent
College readiness score: 23.7
14. Norwalk Senior High School
Location: Norwalk
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness score: 21.1
l Comments: (319) 398-8330; molly.duffy@thegazette.com