SBHS Makes Newsweek Top High Schools List

South Brunswick High School once again ranked in the top 2,000 schools in the country, but was hindered by a narrowed criteria for student enrollment in Advanced Placement courses, according to Newsweek and The Daily Beast.

SBHS was named 644th out of 2,000 schools nationwide and was ranked 51st in New Jersey. Last year, SBHS came in at number 683 on the list, and was the 54th ranked high school in New Jersey. The school was ranked 264 on the Newsweek list in 2011. 

Newsweek rankings use the four-year graduation rate, college acceptance rate, college-level tests like Advanced Placement (AP) taken per student, the average score of those tests, the average SAT or ACT scores and the percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP course.

According to the report, South Brunswick has a 97 percent graduation rate with 90 percent of those students college bound. The average SAT score was 1,680, the average ACT score was 23.6 and the average AP score a 3.9.

Five percent of the ranking system assesses the number of students enrolled in at least one AP class divided by the total enrollment.

On the recent state school performance reports, the benchmark for taking AP exams was set at 35 percent of the junior and senior classes combined, but only 10 different AP tests were considered. At SBHS, a little over 41 percent of junior and senior students took at least one AP course, which exceeded state and peer school averages, according to district figures.

However, with the category limited to participation in the 10 state-identified courses, only 26 percent of the 41 percent of students taking at least one AP course were considered.

On the school performance reports, 92 percent of SBHS students scored a three out of five or higher on Advanced Placement exams for Math, English, Social Studies and Science, a score that earns college credit. SBHS rated higher than 89 percent of schools statewide in that category.

In New Jersey, High Tech High in Lincroft topped the Newsweek list with a ranking of 16th nationally. High Tech High was left off the list last year, because their administration said they never received the survey.

To see the full list, click here.