US News WY High School Rankings – Jackson Hole #1, Powell #11, Cody #22
Written by Andrew-Rossi on April 29, 2022
Jackson Hole takes the top spot in the best high schools in Wyoming, while Park County and the Bighorn Basin barely crack into the top ten.
U.S. News has created a method to rank U.S. high schools nationwide and statewide. 92 Wyoming high schools were ranked based on several criteria as part of this effort.
The percentage of that high school’s students that:
- Took at Least One AP® Exam
- Passed at Least One AP® Exam
- Mathematics Proficiency
- Reading Proficiency
- Science Proficiency
- Graduation Rate
Courtesy Unsplash & Kimberly Farmer
Based on these criteria, the best high school in Wyoming is Jackson Hole High School, with an overall score of 93.78%.
Math, reading, and science proficiencies are all above 45% at Jackson Hole High School, and the school has a 96% graduation rate.
The top ten Wyoming high schools are:
- Jackson Hole High School
- Sheridan High School
- Laramie High School
- Lander Valley High School
- Central High School
- Cokeville High School
- Riverside Middle/High School in Basin
- Pinedale High School
- Burns Jr and Sr High School in Burns
- Powell High School
Powell was the only high school in Park County on the top ten list. According to U.S. News, Powell High School has a 95% graduation rate and an overall score of 70.02%
The disparity between #1 and #10 – Jackson and Powell – boils down to the students taking and passing advanced courses.
Powell High School has comparable proficiencies to Jackson – it even surpasses its reading proficiency. However, Advanced Placement Courses make the difference.
At Powell, 32% of its students have taken an A.P. exam, of which 9% of students passed one A.P. exam. Meanwhile, 72% of Jackson students have taken at least one A.P. exam, of which 51% passed one A.P. exam.
A.P. exams are the primary difference between most schools on the U.S. News list.
Worland High School just missed the top ten, coming in at #11.
Cody High School lands on the higher half of the Wyoming list, coming in at #22 with an overall score of 47.95%. Cody High School has a graduation rate of 89%, and science, math, and reading proficiencies are at 40% or lower.
Meanwhile, 37% of Cody students have taken at least one A.P. exam. Of that number, 17% have passed one A.P. exam.
The #1 high school in the nation is the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. Every criterion – A.P. exams taken and passed, all proficiencies, and graduation rate – are at 100%, a perfect score.
