Two Tucson-area schools earned spots on the list of the top 50 schools in the country, according to the annual ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
BASIS Oro Valley and University High School were ranked the 27th and 28th best public schools in the country, respectively.
The rankings were determined by six main factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.
“Everyone on campus is proud of these results, especially as they were earned in the shadow of COVID-19,” Monika Mendoza, the head of BASIS Oro Valley, said of the results. “The hard work, creativity and commitment of my staff and students has been exceptional.”
Both BASIS OV and University High made their way back on the list since last year’s report. In the 2021 report, University High placed as No. 17, while BASIS OV was No. 23.
According to this year’s report, BASIS Oro Valley had a 100% graduation rate with an enrollment of 252 students in grades 9-12. Its college readiness was a score of 100.
University High showed a college readiness score of 98.4 and a graduation rate of 98% with an enrollment of 1,222 students in grades 9-12.
BASIS OV was the second best high school in the Arizona rankings, while University High was the third best. Both scored just under BASIS Chandler, which was the top in the state and 11th best nationwide.
Other Tucson-area schools that earned spots on the Arizona Top 50 list included:
BASIS Tucson North in No. 8 statewide and No. 54 nationwide
Catalina Foothills High School in No. 19 statewide and No. 960 nationwide
Sonoran Science Academy in No. 22 statewide and No. 1,249 nationwide
Presidio School in No. 24 statewide and No. 1,555 nationwide
Tanque Verde High School in No. 31 and No. 1,876 nationwide
Empire High School in No. 35 statewide and No. 2,036 nationwide
Vail Academy and High School in No. 46 statewide and No. 2,836 nationwide
Academy of Tucson High School in No. 50 statewide and No. 3,062 nationwide
