The Washington Post Challenge Index measures a public high school's effort to challenge its students. The formula is simple: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or Cambridge tests a school gave by the number of seniors who graduated in June. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted. Magnet or charter schools with SAT combined verbal and math averages higher than 1300, or ACT average scores above 27, are not included, since they do not have enough average students who need a challenge.
The rating is not a measurement of the overall quality of the school but illuminates one factor that many educators consider important.
When compared with schools across the country, Washington-area schools are overall the most encouraging of college-level testing. In the list below, any school with a rating of 1.000 or above is in the top 5 percent of all U.S. high schools in encouraging students to take AP, IB or Cambridge tests. Also listed is the name of the school district and the percentage of a school’s students whose family incomes are low enough to qualify for federally subsidized lunches and who also apply for that program. The portion of subsidized-lunch applicants is a rough indicator of a school’s poverty level. High poverty schools are at a disadvantage in persuading students to take college-level courses, but some on this list have succeeded in doing so anyway.
The Equity and Excellence rate is the percentage of all seniors who have had at least one score on an AP, IB or Cambridge test that would qualify them for college credit. The average AP Equity and Excellence rate for all U.S. schools is about 15 percent.
*Includes IB tests.
**Includes Cambridge, community college or other types of college-level final exams.
«Previous 100 Schools Next 100 Schools »
| Rank | School | City | State | Index | Equity and Excellence % | Subsidized Lunches % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Talented and Gifted | Dallas | Texas | 14.043 | 100.00 | 33.00 |
| 2 | Science/Engineering Magnet | Dallas | Texas | 10.743 | 78.00 | 46.30 |
| 3 | Stanton College Prep** | Jacksonville | Fla. | 9.204 | 98.10 | 11.00 |
| 4 | Jefferson County IBS** | Irondale | Ala. | 9.040 | 100.00 | 15.00 |
| 5 | Suncoast Community** | Riviera Beach | Fla. | 8.395 | 77.00 | 17.00 |
| 6 | BASIS Charter | Tucson | Ariz. | 8.154 | 92.00 | n/a |
| 7 | International Academy** | Bloomfield Hills | Mich. | 8.046 | 100.00 | 0.00 |
| 8 | City Honors** | Buffalo | N.Y. | 7.692 | 64.50 | 26.00 |
| 9 | Preuss UCSD | La Jolla | Calif. | 7.635 | 100.00 | 100.00 |
| 10 | Academic Magnet | North Charleston | S.C. | 7.287 | 100.00 | 9.00 |
| 11 | International School | Bellevue | Wash. | 6.300 | 100.00 | 5.00 |
| 12 | H-B Woodlawn** | Arlington | Va. | 5.948 | 69.00 | 13.00 |
| 13 | North Hills School** | Irving | Texas | 5.731 | 79.60 | 9.00 |
| 14 | Highland Park | Dallas | Texas | 5.727 | 72.60 | 0.00 |
| 15 | Paxon School for Advanced Studies** | Jacksonville | Fla. | 5.500 | 58.10 | 8.60 |
| 16 | Eastside** | Gainesville | Fla. | 5.481 | 22.90 | 47.00 |
| 17 | Dreyfoos School of the Arts | West Palm Beach | Fla. | 5.362 | 42.00 | 7.00 |
| 18 | Raleigh Charter | Raleigh | N.C. | 5.324 | 97.20 | 0.00 |
| 19 | Eastern Sierra Academy | Bridgeport | Calif. | 5.200 | 60.00 | 23.00 |
| 20 | Coral Reef** | Miami | Fla. | 5.162 | 63.70 | 31.70 |
| 21 | South Texas High School for Health Professions | Mercedes | Texas | 5.088 | 27.10 | 56.70 |
| 22 | Center for Advanced Technologies | St. Petersburg | Fla. | 5.053 | 27.90 | 19.00 |
| 23 | Martin Luther King | Nashville | Tenn. | 5.036 | 72.80 | 8.00 |
| 24 | Little Rock Central | Little Rock | Ark. | 4.960 | 34.50 | 32.83 |
| 24 | Richard Montgomery** | Rockville | Md. | 4.960 | 59.40 | 16.00 |
| 26 | Hillsborough | Tampa | Fla. | 4.911 | 39.00 | 54.00 |
| 27 | McNair Academic | Jersey City | N.J. | 4.822 | 78.30 | 36.60 |
| 28 | Troy** | Fullerton | Calif. | 4.766 | 70.00 | 5.50 |
| 29 | Myers Park** | Charlotte | N.C. | 4.759 | 73.00 | 22.00 |
| 30 | Clarke County** | Berryville | Va. | 4.730 | 74.00 | 13.20 |
| 31 | Washington-Lee** | Arlington | Va. | 4.723 | 52.20 | 37.00 |
| 32 | Bellevue | Bellevue | Wash. | 4.703 | 63.80 | 10.00 |
| 33 | Jericho Senior | Jericho | N.Y. | 4.670 | 66.20 | 0.00 |
| 34 | Walnut Hills | Cincinnati | Ohio | 4.626 | 48.00 | 12.00 |
| 35 | Mills University Studies | Little Rock | Ark. | 4.597 | 29.90 | 45.00 |
| 36 | Pensacola** | Pensacola | Fla. | 4.571 | 32.80 | 60.30 |
| 37 | Atlantic Community** | Delray Beach | Fla. | 4.544 | 53.00 | 31.00 |
| 38 | YES College Prep Southeast | Houston | Texas | 4.532 | 71.40 | 78.00 |
| 39 | C. Leon King Magnet** | Tampa | Fla. | 4.511 | 90.00 | 43.10 |
| 40 | Great Neck South | Great Neck | N.Y. | 4.465 | 77.00 | 9.00 |
| 41 | Edgemont | Scarsdale | N.Y. | 4.462 | 77.40 | 0.00 |
| 42 | South Side** | Rockville Centre | N.Y. | 4.433 | 70.00 | 12.00 |
| 43 | Lincoln Park Academy** | Fort Pierce | Fla. | 4.345 | 32.00 | 30.00 |
| 44 | Bethesda Chevy Chase** | Bethesda | Md. | 4.322 | 64.20 | 8.00 |
| 45 | Lincoln Park** | Chicago | Ill. | 4.294 | 71.00 | 46.00 |
| 46 | Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies | Los Angeles | Calif. | 4.249 | 60.10 | 59.60 |
| 47 | Horace Greeley | Chappaqua | N.Y. | 4.197 | 83.80 | 1.00 |
| 47 | John Miller-Great Neck North | Great Neck | N.Y. | 4.197 | 65.00 | 8.40 |
| 49 | Newport | Bellevue | Wash. | 4.196 | 69.60 | 8.00 |
| 50 | Cold Spring Harbor | Cold Spring Harbor | N.Y. | 4.184 | 59.80 | 0.00 |
| 51 | San Diego High School of International Studies | San Diego | Calif. | 4.183 | 75.60 | 51.00 |
| 52 | Science Academy of South Texas | Mercedes | Texas | 4.161 | 70.00 | 42.00 |
| 53 | William G Enloe** | Raleigh | N.C. | 4.137 | 57.30 | 38.00 |
| 54 | Spruce Creek** | Port Orange | Fla. | 4.131 | 100.00 | 13.40 |
| 55 | Hume-Fogg Academic | Nashville | Tenn. | 4.128 | 85.70 | 8.40 |
| 56 | Yorktown** | Arlington | Va. | 4.127 | 62.30 | 17.00 |
| 57 | Lowell | San Francisco | Calif. | 4.107 | 76.90 | 34.00 |
| 58 | Harding University* | Charlotte | N.C. | 4.076 | 23.30 | 49.50 |
| 59 | Interlake** | Bellevue | Wash. | 4.063 | 45.30 | 34.00 |
| 60 | George Mason** | Falls Church | Va. | 4.060 | 71.00 | 7.00 |
| 61 | T.S. Wootton** | Rockville | Md. | 4.020 | 69.50 | 5.00 |
| 62 | W. T. Woodson** | Fairfax | Va. | 3.941 | 57.60 | 6.00 |
| 63 | Classen School of Advanced Studies** | Oklahoma City | Okla. | 3.930 | 47.00 | 33.00 |
| 64 | H.B. Plant | Tampa | Fla. | 3.845 | 48.90 | 25.00 |
| 65 | Cocoa Beach** | Cocoa Beach | Fla. | 3.833 | 34.00 | 15.00 |
| 66 | St. Petersburg** | St. Petersburg | Fla. | 3.812 | 100.00 | 26.00 |
| 67 | Fort Myers** | Fort Myers | Fla. | 3.810 | 35.00 | 22.00 |
| 68 | MAST Academy | Miami | Fla. | 3.800 | 59.00 | 30.00 |
| 69 | Langley** | McLean | Va. | 3.716 | 72.00 | 1.00 |
| 70 | Walt Whitman** | Bethesda | Md. | 3.687 | 70.20 | 2.00 |
| 71 | Warwick** | Newport News | Va. | 3.666 | 19.50 | 45.00 |
| 72 | Charter School of Wilmington | Wilmington | Del. | 3.617 | 66.00 | 3.00 |
| 73 | McLean** | McLean | Va. | 3.605 | 67.00 | 6.00 |
| 74 | Southside** | Greenville | S.C. | 3.603 | 21.90 | 52.00 |
| 75 | Booker T. Washington** | Tulsa | Okla. | 3.601 | 43.30 | 38.00 |
| 76 | Boston Latin | Boston | Mass. | 3.588 | 65.00 | 31.00 |
| 77 | Harrison | Harrison | N.Y. | 3.578 | 68.00 | 8.10 |
| 78 | Nease** | St. Augustine | Fla. | 3.563 | 58.00 | 2.00 |
| 79 | Miami Palmetto | Miami | Fla. | 3.561 | 45.00 | 17.00 |
| 80 | Western Guilford | Greensboro | N.C. | 3.560 | 65.00 | 21.00 |
| 81 | Indian Hill | Cincinnati | Ohio | 3.559 | 54.20 | 6.00 |
| 82 | Rye | Rye | N.Y. | 3.536 | 70.80 | 2.50 |
| 83 | Brighton | Rochester | N.Y. | 3.535 | 70.20 | 6.80 |
| 84 | Grimsley** | Greensboro | N.C. | 3.533 | 49.20 | 28.70 |
| 85 | Monta Vista | Cupertino | Calif. | 3.518 | 68.70 | 1.80 |
| 86 | Cypress Creek** | Orlando | Fla. | 3.498 | 28.00 | 40.00 |
| 87 | Banneker** | Washington | D.C. | 3.494 | 64.00 | 39.00 |
| 88 | Westwood** | Austin | Texas | 3.488 | 58.00 | 9.00 |
| 89 | Edina | Edina | Minn. | 3.440 | 51.10 | 8.50 |
| 90 | Pittsford Mendon | Pittsford | N.Y. | 3.438 | 66.50 | 2.40 |
| 91 | Blind Brook | Rye Brook | N.Y. | 3.429 | 68.30 | 0.00 |
| 92 | Bellaire** | Bellaire | Texas | 3.427 | 46.60 | 32.00 |
| 93 | Westlake | Austin | Texas | 3.425 | 57.30 | n/a |
| 94 | Buchholz | Gainesville | Fla. | 3.422 | 47.00 | 21.00 |
| 95 | Colleyville Heritage | Colleyville | Texas | 3.412 | 50.40 | 10.00 |
| 96 | Lake Braddock** | Burke | Va. | 3.397 | 53.60 | 10.00 |
| 97 | Winston Churchill** | Potomac | Md. | 3.382 | 70.40 | 3.00 |
| 98 | Ridge | Basking Ridge | N.J. | 3.375 | 46.60 | 0.70 |
| 99 | Oakton** | Vienna | Va. | 3.328 | 54.20 | 9.00 |
| 100 | Communications Arts | San Antonio | Texas | 3.327 | 56.00 | 15.00 |
*Includes IB tests.
**Includes Cambridge, community college or other types of college-level final exams.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, with a rating of 7.486 and an Equity and Excellence rate of 100 percent, was not ranked because it is a magnet school with a selective admissions policy and an average SAT reading and math score, 1456, higher than the highest average for any regular enrollment school in the country. The index is designed to show which schools are challenging average students and does not work well with schools like Jefferson that have few or no average students.
Briar Woods and Freedom in Loudoun County, Battlefield and Freedom in Prince William County, Skyline in Warren County, Clarksburg and Northwood in Montgomery County, Dr. Henry A. Wise Jr. in Prince George’s County, Marriotts Ridge in Howard County and North Point in Charles County were not included because they are new schools and did not have full senior classes graduating this year.
