The Best College Prep Public High Schools Methodology
The Best College Prep Public High Schools is based on rigorous analysis of data from the U.S. Department of Education along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. Learn where our data comes from.
Factors Considered
| Factor | Description | Source | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top Colleges Score | Average score of colleges that students are most interested in or go on to attend, based on Niche Best Colleges ranking. | Self-reported by Niche users | 28.5% |
| Composite SAT/ACT Score | Average SAT/ACT composite score (normalized to the same scale), as reported by Niche users from this school. | Self-reported by Niche users | 22.5 |
| AP Test Pass Rate | Percentage of AP students who pass at least one AP exam. | Civil Rights Data Collection* | 11.4% |
| Culture & Diversity Grade | Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents. | Multiple Sources | 11.4% |
| Parent/Student Surveys on College Prep | Niche survey responses scored on a 1-5 scale regarding the college readiness provided by the school. | Self-reported by Niche users | 11.4% |
| AP Enrollment | Percentage of students enrolled in at least one AP course. | Civil Rights Data Collection | 5.7% |
| College Enrollment | Percentage of seniors who go on to four-year colleges. | National Center for Education Statistics* | 5.7% |
| Graduation Rate | Percentage of 12th grade students who graduate. | U.S. Department of Education* | 5.7% |
* Since private schools are not required to report to the Department of Education, most data sourced from the Department of Education can also be updated directly by private schools via their Niche Partner Portal. If you work for a private school and would like to update your data, please claim your school.
Statistics obtained from the U.S. Department of Education represent the most recent data available, as self-reported by the schools.
For more details about how we calculate our rankings, click here.