Jefferson City High School has made the list of best high schools in the country, according to a ranking from U.S. News and World Report.
The school ranked No. 64 in Missouri high schools out of 718 ranked and No. 5,155 in the nation out of 18,000 ranked.
The school also ranked No. 1 in the Jefferson City metro area, followed by New Bloomfield High School at No. 2 and Fulton High School at No. 3.
Not all schools in the area were included. For instance, private schools are not included and schools with very small enrollment or no senior class may display as unranked. Data was taken from the 2020-21 school year; Capital City High School did not have a senior class at that time.
"We are laser-focused on building a District of Champions at JC Schools, and this recognition from U.S. News demonstrates that our efforts to increase academic achievement for our high school students are paying off," said Jefferson City School District Superintendent Bryan McGraw in a news release. "We are offering more advanced placement courses than ever before, and our graduation rate has seen steady growth in recent years. Most of all, this is a benefit to our students who are leaving our district better-prepared for their next steps, be it to a higher education institution, tech or trade school, or entering the workforce."
Rankings are based on college readiness (30 percent), college curriculum breadth (10 percent), state assessment proficiency (20 percent), state assessment performance (20 percent), underserved student population (10 percent) and graduation rate (10 percent).
Jefferson City High School's "scorecard" on the U.S. News report shows 12 percent of students took at least one Advanced Placement Exam and nine percent passed; 43 percent showed math proficiency, 63 percent showed reading proficiency; 48 percent showed science proficiency, and the graduation rate was 87 percent.
Its highest ranked category at the national and state level was its state assessment performance rank, which compares aggregate state assessment results with U.S. News' expectations and factors in the proportion of Black, Hispanic and low-income students.
Top-ranked schools must show good outcomes in state assessments and on college-level exams and must have high graduation rates.
"At Jefferson City High School we talk about being 'Jay Great,' and we are brimming with Jay Pride to have received this national recognition," said Deanne Fisher, Jefferson City High School principal, in the release. "We know our students are exemplary, and we will continue to strive for excellence every day in every classroom for every student."