Renaissance High School in Meridian is Idaho’s top-ranked high school, according to U.S. News and World Report rankings released Thursday.
Overall, eight Idaho high schools received national gold or silver medals from the magazine, while two other schools picked up bronze medals.
Renaissance is a “school of choice” operated by the West Ada School District. Its 840 seats are filled through an application and lottery process. By 11th grade, Renaissance students must decide whether to pursue an International Baccalaureate diploma or concurrent credits through Idaho State University.
U.S. News and World Report graded 21,100 public high schools on three criteria. First, the schools had to score above average on state-required tests. Then, the magazine looked at academic performance of black, Hispanic and low-income students. Then, schools were graded on IB and Advanced Placement participation test scores.
Idaho’s top eight:
- Renaissance
- Timberline High School, Boise
- McCall-Donnelly High School, McCall
- Century High School, Pocatello
- Wood River High School, Hailey
- Capital Senior High School, Boise
- Sandpoint High School, Sandpoint
- Vallivue High School, Caldwell
Aberdeen High School and Carey High School received bronze medals.
For an overview of the U.S. News and World Report rankings, click here. And click here to see how the states compare (spoiler alert: Idaho ranked No. 40 nationally).
