US News & World Report ranks top SC high schools for 2021. See where yours ranked

U.S News & World Report has released its list of the best public high schools in South Carolina for 2021.

Topping the list was Academic Magnet High School, followed by Charleston School of the Arts, both of which are in North Charleston. Academic Magnet ranked No. 2 nationwide.

Schools in the Columbia area had 11 schools in the top 50. The highest ranked school in the S.C. Midlands was Chapin High, which came in at No. 5 overall, followed by Dreher High, which ranked No. 9 overall and Blythewood High, which ranked No. 15 overall. None of the Columbia-area schools were in the top 1,000 nationwide schools.

The publication ranked schools based on college readiness, the percentage of seniors who took advanced tests, state test scores, performance of students from under-served groups and graduation rate, according to the report’s methodology page.

After the results were published earlier this week, Richland 1 sent out a press release celebrating Dreher’s ranking.

“We appreciate the recognition of excellence within the Dreher High School community by U.S. News & World Report,” Principal Kevin Hasinger said. “These rankings are a genuine honor and a direct result of the tremendous academic efforts presented daily by our staff and students.”

Here are the top schools in the S.C. Midlands:

• No. 5: Chapin High
• No. 9: Dreher High
• No. 11: Blythewood High
• No. 15: Spring Hill
• No. 16: Lexington High
• No. 19: Dutch Fork
• No. 22: Spring Valley
• No. 28: South Aiken High
• No. 32: Ridge View High
• No. 34: River Bluff High
• No. 50: A.C. Flora
• No. 63: Lugoff-Elgin High
• No. 64: White Knoll High
• No. 73: North Central High
• No. 77: Richland Northeast High
• No. 85: Westwood High
• No. 90: High School for Health Professionals
• No. 91: Branchville High
• No. 93: W.J. Keenan High
• No. 94: Silver Bluff High
• No. 95: Camden High
• No. 99: Andrew Jackson High
• No. 102: Brookland-Cayce High
• No. 104: C.A. Johnson High
• No. 106: Aiken High
• No. 110: Mid-Carolina High
• No. 115: Irmo High
• No. 118: Gray Collegiate Academy
• No. 120: Gilbert High
• No. 122: Blackville-Hilda High
• No. 123: Batesburg-Leesville High
• No. 125: South Carolina Virtual Charter School
• No. 127: Whitmire Community School
• No. 134: Newberrry High
• No. 136: Ridge Spring Monetta High
• No. 137: Airport High
• No. 139: Midland Valley High
• No. 143: Bethune-Bowman Middle/High
• No. 146: SC Connections Academy
• No. 152: Fairfield Central High
• No. 159: Saluda High
• Nos 167-222: Barnwell High, Columbia High, Eau Claire, Edisto High, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High, Lake Marion High School and Technology Center, Lower Richland High, North Middle/High, Odyssey Online Learning, Orangeburg Wilkinson High, Pelion High, SC Whitmore School, Swansea High, Wagener-Salley High, Williston-Elko High,