The release of this year’s U.S. News & World Report high school rankings has sparked controversy and confusion across New York State following significant changes in the methodology. Several prominent public and specialized schools experienced dramatic shifts in their national standings, drawing criticism from educators, parents, and school officials.
Jericho Senior High School in Long Island, traditionally recognized as one of New York’s top-performing schools, saw its ranking plummet from a high national position to No. 3,959. Similarly, Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, previously ranked No. 33, fell to No. 2,561. Cold Spring Harbor Central School District’s high school dropped from No. 250 to No. 5,698 nationally. These declines have been attributed primarily to the absence of Advanced Placement (A.P.) course and test score data in this year’s evaluation.
The omission reflects a dispute between the New York State Education Department and the College Board, the organization that administers A.P. exams. The state opted not to share A.P. scores with U.S. News, citing concerns over student privacy and data security. The department’s contract with the College Board expired in the spring, and it has withheld the scores since. Education Department officials have defended the decision as a necessary measure to protect student information, despite significant pushback from school districts and educational organizations.
Superintendents such as Joseph Monastero of Cold Spring Harbor criticized the decision, highlighting that a large majority of their students participate in A.P. courses and that the removal of this data distorts the schools’ true performance. Monastero and others expressed frustration that districts were not warned in advance about the exclusion, leaving them unprepared for the rankings’ impact on public perception and recruitment efforts. Parents, like David Yaron of Long Island, reported confusion in their search for high-performing schools amidst the reshuffled rankings.
The New York State Education Department’s spokesman reiterated that student privacy takes precedence over the commercial interests of ranking publications. Meanwhile, U.S. News disputed claims that it sought individual student data, stating it requested aggregated, school-level information solely for its ranking methodology.
Despite the disruption for many schools, some institutions benefited from the revised formula, which shifted greater emphasis to International Baccalaureate (I.B.) exam scores—a measure not affected by the data withholding. The Baccalaureate School for Global Education in Queens jumped 85 spots nationally, and Brooklyn Latin School, the state's new top-ranked high school, rose six places. Yonkers High School also saw a notable increase, which its superintendent attributed to student achievement and dedication.
The Success Academy charter network, which faced a substantial drop for its High School of the Liberal Arts—from No. 9 to No. 63 in New York City and nearly 8,000 nationally—filed a lawsuit against Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa. The network alleges that the withholding of A.P. data violates the First Amendment and harms students by suppressing academic recognition. Eva Moskowitz, the network’s founder, criticized the state for not advocating for educational excellence, calling the move “disheartening.”
Experts acknowledge that while no ranking system can capture every aspect of a school’s quality, U.S. News’ list remains highly influential in shaping public perception and real estate markets. Critics warn, however, that reliance on such rankings should be tempered with awareness of their limitations and methodology changes.
The controversy highlights broader tensions between state oversight, data privacy, and the demand for transparent school evaluations, with stakeholders continuing the conversation about the best way to measure and communicate educational success.