WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — One of Iowa's best public high schools is located in Van Meter, according to a 2023-2024 ranking by U.S. News & World Report.
Van Meter Jr-Sr High School placed third in Iowa, with a 98% graduation rate and a 14.4 college readiness score in tow.
Other central Iowa high schools were close behind: West Des Moines' Valley High School placed seventh in Iowa with a 97% graduation rate and a 35.3 college readiness score.
Pella High School, Gilbert High School and Adel DeSoto Minburn High School also made the Top 10.
The ranking takes multiple factors into account, including college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%) and graduation rate (10%).
According to U.S. News & World Report, the ranking was completed in partnership with North Carolina-based RTI International, a global nonprofit social science research firm. It covered around 350 schools in Iowa and more than 17,000 nationally.
Iowa City West Senior High School took the top spot on the list, coming in at 398th nationally. West boasts a 96% graduation rate and a 58.2 college readiness score.
Here's the top 10 public high schools in Iowa, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
- West Senior High School (Iowa City)
- Decorah High School (Decorah)
- Van Meter Jr-Sr High School (Van Meter)
- Pleasant Valley High School (Bettendorf)
- Williamsburg Jr-Sr High School (Williamsburg)
- Liberty High School (North Liberty)
- Valley High School (West Des Moines)
- Pella High School (Pella)
- Gilbert High School (Gilbert)
- Adel DeSoto Minburn (ADM) High School (Adel)
You can view the full ranked list by clicking this link and making sure Iowa is set as the location.
