Downingtown STEM 2nd Best High School In PA, Says U.S. News

West Chester PA

27 April, 2021

11:56 AM

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CHESTER COUNTY, PA — Downingtown STEM Academy was recently ranked the second-best high school in Pennsylvania, and it is one of only two PA high schools to make the national list, ranked 34th in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. Downingtown STEM Academy was founded 10 years ago and is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school. On Manor Avenue in Downingtown, the school's curriculum prepares students for careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. It is one of three high schools in the Downingtown Area School District. Downingtown's other two district high schools — Downingtown East and Downingtown West, each made the list of Pennsylvania's top 100 high schools. Downingtown High School East Campus was ranke 44th in PA, and Downingtown High School West Campus was 67th in the state. Numerous Pennsylvania high schools have been named the best in the United States, according to a new ranking by U.S. News and World Report. This year's list ranks more than 17,800 public high schools throughout the country, and the top 600 included 15 schools from across Pennsylvania. Two cracked the top 50. The top-ranked Pennsylvania school was Philadelphia's Julia Masterman Academy, coming in at 18th nationally. It was followed by Downingtown STEM at 34th nationally but second in the state; these were the only PA schools that cracked the top 200 nationwide. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was ranked top in the nation. Here are the top 100 ranked Pennsylvania schools in the analysis, which was released Tuesday morning: Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, PhiladelphiaDowningtown STEM Academy, DowningtownCentral High School, PhiladelphiaRadnor High School, RadnorConestoga High School, BerwynUnionville High School, Kennett SquareHampton High School, Allison ParkPittsburgh CAPA 6-12, PittsburghNorthwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, ErieLower Merion High School, ArdmorePeters Township High School, McMurrayWissahickon High School, AmblerHarriton High School, Bryn MawrGreat Valley High School, MalvernNew Hope-Solebury High School, New HopeStrath Haven High School, WallingfordCentral Bucks High School-East, Buckingham TownshipMt Lebanon High School, PittsburghUpper Saint Clair High School, PittsburghRenaissance Academy Charter School, PhoenixvilleHaverford High School, HaverfordHershey High School, HersheyLower Moreland High School, Huntingdon ValleyAcademy at Palumbo, PhiladelphiaPine-Richland High School, Gibsonia,Fox Chapel Area High School, PittsburghPittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, PittsburghQuaker Valley High School, LeetsdaleNorth Allegheny High School, WexfordCentral Bucks High School-West, DoylestownSpring-Ford Senior High School, RoyersfordWyomissing Area Junior/Senior High School, WyomissingCouncil Rock High School North, NewtownYork Suburban Senior High School, YorkCarver High School, PhiladelphiaWest Chester East High School, West ChesterFranklin Regional Senior High School, MurrysvilleUpper Dublin High School, Fort WashingtonSouth Fayette Township High School, McDonaldCentral Bucks High School-South, WarringtonPenncrest High School, MediaDanville Area High School, DanvillePhoenixville Area High School, PhoenixvilleDowningtown High School East Campus, DowningtownFairview High School, FairviewPlymouth-Whitemarsh High School, Plymouth MeetingPerkiomen Valley High School, CollegevilleCentral Columbia Senior High School, BloomsburgGirard Academic Music Program, PhiladelphiaWest Chester Bayard Rustin High School, West ChesterWilson High School, ReadingAbington Heights High School, Clarks SummitSpringfield High School, SpringfieldKennett High School, KennettAbington High School, AbingtonMethacton High School, EaglevilleState College Area High School, State CollegeHill Freedman World Academy, PhiladelphiaWest Chester Henderson High School, West ChesterManheim Twp High School, LancasterMars Area High School, MarsLoyalsock Twp Senior High School, WilliamsportNorth Penn High School, LansdaleDelaware Valley High School, MilfordAvon Grove High School, West GroveUpper Merion High School, King of PrussiaDowningtown High School West Campus, DowningtownSouderton Area High School, SoudertonLewisburg High School, LewisburgIndiana Area Senior High School, IndianaPenn Manor High School, MillersvilleSusquehannock High School, Glen RockCamp Hill Senior High School, Camp HillPalmyra Area Senior High School, PalmyraGarnet Valley High School, Glen MillsObama Academy (Pittsburgh Obama 6-12), PittsburghSouthern Lehigh Senior High School, Center ValleyThomas Jefferson High School, Jefferson HillsCouncil Rock High School South, HollandSullivan County Junior/Senior High School, LaporteNeshannock Junior/Senior High School, New CastleSpringfield Twp High School, OrelandMast Community Charter School, PhiladelphiaNazareth Area High School, NazarethLehigh Valley Charter High School for The Arts, BethlehemLampeter-Strasburg High School, LancasterSaucon Valley Senior High School, HellertownFreeport Area Senior High School, SarverFranklin Towne Charter High School, PhiladelphiaMontoursville Area Senior High School, MontoursvilleParkway-Center City, PhiladelphiaLehigh Valley Academy Regional Charter School, BethlehemMoon High School, CoraopolisBoyertown Area Senior High School, BoyertownGarden Spot Senior High School, New HollandSeneca Valley High School, GermantownGirls High School, PhiladelphiaRiverview High School, OakmontPalisades High School, KintnersvilleNorth Hills High School, Pittsburgh The purpose of the rankings is to provide insight into academic performance among underserved groups, showing how well schools are supporting these students, Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release. Families can also use the rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state, and local level on factors such as graduation rates and college readiness, Narayan said.Here are the top 10 schools in this year's national Best High Schools ranking: Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - Alexandria, VirginiaAcademic Magnet High School - North Charleston, South CarolinaThe Davidson Academy of Nevada - Reno, NevadaPayton College Preparatory High School - Chicago, IllinoisSchool for Advanced Studies - Miami, FloridaSumner Academy of Arts and Science - Kansas City, KansasMerrol Hyde Magnet School - Hendersonville, TennesseeBASIS Chandler - Chandler, ArizonaGwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology - Lawrenceville, GeorgiaSignature School - Evansville, Indiana The methodology used for this year's ranking focused on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates. The data used in this edition is from the 2018-19 academic school year and, therefore, was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more about the Best High Schools methodology. In addition to the national rankings, U.S. News also published rankings at the state, metro area and school district levels. Only metro areas and school districts with three or more high schools were included in these subrankings. BASIS Chandler in Arizona is at the top of the list for charter schools, and High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, is the No. 1 STEM school. Justin Heinze contributed to this report.