The U.S. News & World Report has just released its 2023-2024 Best High Schools rankings. Among them, Cherry Hill High School East has secured the 77th spot in the state and the 1,651st nationally.
The annual rankings by U.S. News aim to assist families in comparing schools at various levels—national, state, and local. These rankings take into account factors such as academic performance, graduation rates, and college readiness. This year, the media outlet assessed a total of 25,000 schools, with 17,680 schools, including 476 from New Jersey, making it to the final list.
On the other hand, Cherry Hill High School West has landed in the 223rd position within the Garden State and 6,521st nationally, according to the U.S. News rankings. While Cherry Hill West may have a lower ranking among the township’s high schools, it still falls within the 63rd percentile among high schools, according to U.S. News.
In general, the highest-ranked schools exhibited strong performance in state assessments for math, reading, and science, as reported by U.S. News. They also excelled in meeting the needs of underserved students, particularly those from Black, Hispanic, or low-income backgrounds.
These top-ranking schools offered diverse curricula, boasted high graduation rates, and saw their students achieve outstanding results in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. You can find the detailed methodology here.
It’s important to note that socioeconomic factors, including the proportion of students from underserved demographics, can significantly influence U.S. News ratings, which give significant weight to testing outcomes.
For instance, in the 2020-21 school year, only 10 percent of Cherry Hill East’s students faced economic disadvantages, while 8 percent were Hispanic, and 6.6 percent were Black, according to U.S. News data. Conversely, Cherry Hill West had considerably higher percentages of students dealing with economic disadvantages (23 percent), Hispanic students (22.1 percent), and Black students (12.2 percent).
The performance of students from underserved demographics accounts for 10 percent of the U.S. News scores, while 80 percent is attributed to testing results that do not factor in socioeconomic conditions.
U.S. News’ school rankings have garnered criticism, with some, like former U.S. News editor James Fallows, deeming them “meaningless” in a 2021 NPR interview. Fallows suggested that the rankings primarily serve as a business strategy for the media outlet.
Nonetheless, U.S. News contends that its extensive data empowers parents to make more informed decisions about their children’s education.
Liana Loewus, Managing Editor of Education at U.S. News, emphasized the importance of having access to a strong high school program. She stated, “Making data on our high schools available helps parents ensure their child is in the educational environment that best sets them up to thrive.”
Each high school in the ranking received an overall percentile score ranging from 0 to 100. Here’s how Cherry Hill’s high schools performed:
Cherry Hill High School East
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National Ranking: 1,651st
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New Jersey Ranking: 77th
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Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Ranking: 41st
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Overall Scorecard: 90.66 out of 100
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Percent of Students Who Took at Least One AP Exam: 51 percent
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Percent of Students Who Passed at Least One AP Exam: 45 percent
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Mathematics Proficiency: 53 percent
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Reading Proficiency: 77 percent
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Science Proficiency: 37 percent
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Graduation Rate: 97 percent
Cherry Hill High School West
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National Ranking: 6,521st
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New Jersey Ranking: 223rd
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Philadelphia Metropolitan Area Ranking: 104th
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Overall Scorecard: 63.12 out of 100
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Percent of Students Who Took at Least One AP Exam: 32 percent
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Percent of Students Who Passed at Least One AP Exam: 25 percent
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Mathematics Proficiency: 21 percent
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Reading Proficiency: 55 percent
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Science Proficiency: 18 percent
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Graduation Rate: 91 percent
