Utah’s Best High Schools: 2024 Top 10 List

Five traditional high schools made the list this year, along with five charters.

For the fourth year in a row, the public charter Beehive Science and Technology Academy claimed the top spot as Utah’s No. 1 high school, according to U.S. News and World Report’s annual high school rankings.

The charter’s top spot comes as five traditional high schools made this year’s Top 10, an indication that traditional high schools are still shaking off the years of charter schools dominating Utah’s rankings.

Last year, four traditional high schools made the Top 10 list. Two of the schools placed this year are Granite School District schools.

Here are the 2024 rankings:

1. Beehive Science and Technology Academy (charter); Sandy.

2. Skyline High School (Granite School District); Molen Creek.

3. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy (charter); Lindon.

4. Itineris Early College High School (charter); West Jordan.

5. Park City High School (Park City School District); Park City.

6. Corner Canyon High School (Canyons School District); Draper.

7. Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering and Science (charter); Layton.

8. Academy of Mathematics and Sciences (statute); Murray.

9. Olympus High School (Granite School District); Holidays.

10. Farmington High School (Davis School District); Farmington.

On this year’s list, Skyline High School edged Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy into second place.

Olympus High School also jumped into the Top 10 from spot 13 last year. InTech Collegiate High School, which was ranked No. 6 last year, fell out of the Top 10 list, finishing at No. 25.

But while more traditional high schools were included in this year’s Top 10 list, only two made the top five, compared to three last year.

Overall, Utah ranked 21st in the nation with 163 schools analyzed. Five of these (3.1%) were in the top 5% of schools nationally; 12 schools are in the top 10% of schools nationally; and 41 are in the top 25% of schools nationally.

Across the U.S., 17,660 public high schools were analyzed for this year’s rankings.

The ranking methodology is based on six factors, including willingness to study, proficiency rate and graduation rate, according to U.S. News. and World Report.

Willingness to study is the most weighted factor, accounting for 30% of a school’s overall score. Two elements are included in that score: ‘participation rate’ and ‘quality-adjusted participation rate’.

Participation rate is the number of 12th graders in the 2021-2022 academic year who took at least one Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam divided by the total number of 12th graders in the school. It is weighted 25% toward a school’s college readiness score.

The quality-adjusted participation rate is the number of 12th graders who have completed and achieved a qualifying score on at least one AP or IB exam divided by the total number of 12th graders in the school. That percentage is weighted 75% toward a school’s college readiness score.

Other factors include: the breadth of the university curriculum (10%); state assessment proficiency (20%) and state assessment performance (20%) (or a measure of total assessment scores compared to what is predicted based on a school’s demographic characteristics relative to the state); pass rate (10%); and underperforming student achievement (10%).

Nationally, the Beehive Science and Technology Academy ranked No. 414 this year, up from No. 116 in 2023.

Skyline High School, Utah’s highest-ranked traditional school, is ranked No. 1, 508 nationally.

Last year’s Top 10 list:

1. Beehive Science and Technology Academy (charter); Sandy – (same rank).

2. Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy (charter); Lindon – (now 3rd).

3. Skyline High School (Granite School District); Millcreek – (now 2nd).

4. Park City High School (Park City School District); Park City – (now 5th).

5. Corner Canyon High School (Canyons School District); Draper – (now 6th).

6. InTech Collegiate High School (charter); North Logan – (now 25th).

7. Northern Utah Academy for Math Engineering and Science (charter); Layton – (same rank).

8. Itineris Early College High School (charter); West Jordan – (now 4th).

9. Farmington High School (Davis School District); Farmington – (now 10th).

10. Academy of Mathematics and Sciences (charter); Murray – (now 8th).

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