Bigger is not better when it comes to a ranking of South Dakota's best public high schools.

U.S. News & World Report has released its annual list ranking the nation's 17,245 public high schools on things like graduation rates as well as math and reading proficiency scores.

In the Mount Rushmore State, small public high schools dominated the state's ten best list with Hill City High School (153 students) in the Black Hills at number-one.

Hill City has a 97 percent graduation rate, a 96 percent reading score, and a 67 percent reading score.

SOUTH DAKOTA'S TOP TEN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS (U.S. News & World Report)

  1. Hill City High School - Hill City (2,896th nationally)
  2. Arlington High School - Arlington
  3. Castlewood High School  - Castlewood
  4. Frederick High School - Frederick
  5. Sully Buttes High School - Onida
  6. Philip High School - Philip
  7. Warner High School - Warner
  8. Brandon Valley High School - Brandon
  9. Parkston High School - Parkston
  10. Hamlin High School - Hayti

Brandon Valley High School (1,067 students) is the only school in the top ten with an enrollment exceeding 190 students.

As for Sioux Falls' public high schools, the New Technology High School ranked highest at 20th overall in the state with Washington 52nd and Lincoln and Roosevelt tied for 56th.

Academic Magnet High School (658 students) in North Charleston, South Carolina topped the list nationally.


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