Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland High Schools Take Top National Rankings

Schools in Seattle and on the Eastside are lauded year-in and year-out by news organizations ranking "college-readiness" and other educational outcomes.  Once again in 2013, schools in Bellevue took home the bulk of Washington's top spots, with schools in Seattle, Kirkland, and on the Islands bringing in their own awards.

U.S. News & World Report's latest release puts four Bellevue schools, two Seattle schools, and one Kirkland high school in the spotlight.  Rounding out the top 10 were schools in Bainbridge, Friday Harbor, and Vancouver.

Gold Medal High School Awards:

U.S. News and World Report ranks schools annually, with data from over 20,000 public high schools:

U.S. News joined forces with the American Institutes for Research, a Washington, D.C.-based organization, to evaluate schools on overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. Performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams was then used to determine the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.

Schools were ranked within each state, as well as on a national stage, so families can see how their public high school stacked up against rivals within the community and across the country. In the national rankings, 500 schools earned gold medals, 1,790 were awarded silver and 2,515 took home bronze.

Congratulations to all of the award winners.