HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FL — Dozens of public high schools in Florida are among the best in the country, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.
In the list, Florida ranks fifth among U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Among the 647 ranked schools in the Sunshine State, 52 are in the top 5 percent nationally and 242 were in the top 25 percent.
In Hillsborough County Public Schools, 66 high schools were included in the newly released report.
The rankings include data on nearly 25,000 high schools, looking at six key factors: college readiness, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate.
Here are the top 10 Hillsborough County high schools to make the list:
- Plant High School, Tampa, ranked No. 1 in Hillsborough County and No. 36 in Florida.
- Newsome High School, Lithia, ranked No. 2 in Hillsborough County and No. 43 in Florida.
- Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High School, Tampa, ranked No. 3 in Hillsborough County and No. 49 in Florida.
- Steinbrenner High School, Lutz, ranked No. 4 in Hillsborough County and No. 52 in Florida.
- Robinson High School, Tampa, ranked No. 5 in Hillsborough County and No. 68 in Florida.
- Sickles High School, Tampa, ranked No. 6 in Hillsborough County and No. 85 in Florida.
- Bell Creek Academy High School, Riverview, ranked No. 7 in Hillsborough County and No. 101 in Florida.
- Strawberry Crest High School, Dover, ranked No. 8 in Hillsborough County and No. 108 in Florida.
- Tampa Bay Tech High School, Tampa, ranked No. 9 in Hillsborough County and No. 141 in Florida.
- Bloomingdale High School, Valrico, ranked No. 10 in Hillsborough County and No. 150 in Florida.
“We are thrilled to see Hillsborough County Schools recognized in the 2024 U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools list,” Van Ayres, HCPS superintendent, said in a statement provided by the district. “This honor is a testament to the hard work of our students, the dedication of our teachers, and the unwavering support of our community. It underscores our commitment to providing high-quality education and highlights the success of our initiatives aimed at enhancing student achievement and educational opportunities across all our campuses.”