U.S. News and World Report: Howard County Public Schools Top 7 Percent in Country

Ten of Howard County Public Schools' 12 high schools were ranked in the top 7 percent of high schools nationwide by U.S. News and World Report. 

In its Best High Schools anaylsis, U.S. News and World Report looked at 21,776 public high schools across the country and found that 4,877 high schools—about one out of four—scored high enough to earn an gold, silver or bronze medal ranking.

To determine the rankings, analysts looked at math and reading scores to determine whether students were performing better than statistically expected among peers in their state. 

Analysts also determined whether the same was true of the schools' historically lower-performing students—ethnic minorites and low-income students. 

If schools performed better than the state average in both areas, analysts then looked at Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate scores to determine "college readiness performance." 

River Hill High School in Columbia was the highest ranking Howard County school, coming in at No. 236 nationwide.

Following is a list of Howard County high schools and where they fell in the U.S. News and World Report list both nationally and within Maryland:

Oakland Mills and Reservoir High Schools did not make the ranking. "If your school is not listed as a medal winner, that means that your school didn't score high enough in the methodology ... to receive a medal," according to the frequently asked questions page on U.S. News and World Report. 

For more information about ranking method, and the complete list of school rankings in Maryland and the United States, visit U.S. News and World Report online.

This article has been edited to indcate that about 1 out of 4 high schools analyzed made the U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools list.