Spring in New England isn’t the only roller coaster: Check out the latest high school rankings

The latest high school rankings have been released, and it’s been a roller coaster ride for Wellesley High School in New England. According to the 2024 Best High Schools list by U.S. News & World Report, Wellesley High School has dropped to 28th place among Massachusetts public high schools, a significant decrease from its previous ranking of 15th in 2023.

Not only did Wellesley High School drop in state rankings, but it also fell in national rankings, going from 539th to 703rd place. This news comes just six months after Boston Magazine named Wellesley High as the 11th best public high school in the Boston area.

Despite the drop in rankings, there is some good news for Wellesley High School. The school secured the 60th spot in the U.S. News STEM Rankings, which evaluates schools based on their curriculum of college-level math and science courses.

Superintendent David Lussier emphasized that rankings should not be the sole benchmark of a school’s progress. He highlighted that Wellesley High School has consistently performed well on state assessment tests and has been recognized as a School of Recognition by the state.

In the broader context of Massachusetts high schools, the state continues to excel with 154 high schools in the top 25 percent of the U.S. News rankings. Nearby schools such as Lexington, Dover-Sherborn, and Wayland also maintained strong rankings in the state.

The rankings are determined based on various factors, including student performance on state assessments, AP exam participation and success, graduation rates, and the performance of underserved student populations. Despite the fluctuations in rankings, Lussier emphasized that Wellesley High School offers a wide range of academic, athletic, and extracurricular opportunities for its students.

As the debate over the significance of rankings continues, one thing is clear – the journey to the top is not always a straight line.