The Challenge Index

Updated October 25, 2006; based on 2005 data

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Rank School City State Index Equity and Excellence Subsidized Lunches
101 Wyoming Wyoming Ohio 3.171 58.1 1.0
102 Walter Johnson Bethesda Md. 3.16 58.7 5.0
103 East Chapel Hill Chapel Hill N.C. 3.141 70.9 4.5
104 Memorial Houston Texas 3.138 49.3 12.0
105 Westwood** Austin Texas 3.109 54.7 7.4
106 Oakton Vienna Va. 3.105 9.0
107 Westlake Austin Texas 3.082 41.1 3.0
108 John Jay Cross River N.Y. 3.08 Less than 1
109 Buchholz Gainesville Fla. 3.068 41.5 21.0
110 Bellaire** Bellaire Texas 3.06 46.9 27.0
111 Torrey Pines San Diego Calif. 3.056 48.8 4.0
112 School of Creative and Performing Arts San Diego Calif. 3.049 40.6
112 Odyssey Academy** Rochester N.Y. 3.049 12.2
114 Lyndon B. Johnson Austin Texas 3.04 45.1
115 Rye Neck Mamaroneck N.Y. 3.034 7.0
116 Bronxville Bronxville N.Y. 3.02 76.0 Less than 1
117 Booker T. Washington Performing and Visual Arts Dallas Texas 3.019 46.2 27.0
118 Walt Whitman Bethesda Md. 2.991 62.7 2.0
119 Sumner Academy of Arts & Science** Kansas City Kan. 2.987 4.6 45.0
120 Ridge Basking Ridge N.J. 2.981 53.2 Less than 1
121 Serra San Diego Calif. 2.976 n/a
122 Lakewood** Lakewood Colo. 2.973 48.2 18.0
123 Stevenson Lincolnshire Ill. 2.967 61.6 1.0
124 Colleyville Heritage Colleyville Texas 2.962 46.7 8.0
125 James Madison Vienna Va. 2.959 5.0
126 George Washington** Denver Colo. 2.955 n/a
126 Victor Central** Victor N.Y. 2.955 6.1
128 Charter School of Wilmington Wilmington Del. 2.95 68.2 3.4
128 Irvington Irvington N.Y. 2.95 0.0
130 Nova Davie Fla. 2.945 29.0
131 Providence Charlotte N.C. 2.93 6.0
132 Butler Matthews N.C. 2.928 17.5
133 Lake Braddock Burke Va. 2.924 10.0
134 Riverwood** Atlanta Ga. 2.914 37.5 24.0
135 Princeton Princeton N.J. 2.896 6.0
136 DuPont Manual Louisville Ky. 2.893 53.8 11.0
137 Lakeside Atlanta Ga. 2.87 52.1 26.6
138 Kennedy Bellmore N.Y. 2.861 Less than 1
139 W. T. White Dallas Texas 2.856 19.0 65.0
140 Mauldin Greenville S.C. 2.851 16.0
141 Herndon Herndon Va. 2.85 20.0
142 Solon Solon Ohio 2.838 36.6 2.0
143 Bernards** Bernardsville N.J. 2.833 41.5 Less than 1
144 Westfield Chantilly Va. 2.829 10.0
145 La Jolla La Jolla Calif. 2.823 15.3
146 Nease** St. Augustine Fla. 2.799 33.2 2.0
147 Dobbs Ferry** Dobbs Ferry N.Y. 2.796 10.9
148 Seminole** Sanford Fla. 2.794 17.7 26.0
149 Mission San Jose Fremont Calif. 2.791 65.1 3.3
150 Orange Pepper Pike Ohio 2.777 48.6 1.5
151 Syosset Syosset N.Y. 2.775 1.0
152 Half Hollow Hills East Dix Hills N.Y. 2.774 15.0
152 Grapevine Grapevine Texas 2.774 45.5 8.2
154 Monta Vista Cupertino Calif. 2.772 1.3
155 West Morris Mendham** Mendham N.J. 2.769 36.6 Less than 1
155 Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK Plainview N.Y. 2.769 51.8 n/a
157 West Springfield Springfield Va. 2.75 9.0
158 University Irvine Calif. 2.748 60.8 6.0
159 Miller Place Miller Place N.Y. 2.745 10.7 1.5
160 Pikesville Baltimore Md. 2.734 25.0
161 Manchester-Essex Regional Manchester Mass. 2.733 54.9 6.0
161 Springbrook Silver Spring Md. 2.733 23.0
163 Dover-Sherborn Dover Mass. 2.726 Less than 1
164 Chantilly Chantilly Va. 2.718 11.0
165 South Mecklenburg Charlotte N.C. 2.705 21.9
166 San Dieguito Encinitas Calif. 2.703 5.4
167 La Costa Canyon Carlsbad Calif. 2.697 9.7 10.5
168 Vanguard** Ocala Fla. 2.678 35.0
169 James W. Robinson Secondary** Fairfax Va. 2.672 7.0
170 La Cañada La Cañada-Flintridge Calif. 2.649 n/a
171 West** Salt Lake City Utah 2.639 58.0
172 Conestoga Berwyn Pa. 2.633 2.0
173 Cypress Creek** Orlando Fla. 2.627 23.2 40.0
174 Park City Park City Utah 2.625 12.0
175 University City San Diego Calif. 2.616 23.9 25.0
176 Scarsdale Scarsdale N.Y. 2.611 67.7 0.0
177 Sunny Hills** Fullerton Calif. 2.607 12.8 2.4
178 Bartow** Bartow Fla. 2.594 43.0
179 Lake Brantley Altamonte Springs Fla. 2.592 26.1 16.0
180 Wheatley Old Westbury N.Y. 2.591 53.3 Less than 1
180 University** Orlando Fla. 2.591 22.0 35.0
182 Loveless Academic Magnet Montgomery Ala. 2.585 22.2 8.0
182 Millburn Millburn N.J. 2.585 0.0
184 Harrison Harrison N.Y. 2.576 50.0 8.0
185 Diamond Bar** Diamond Bar Calif. 2.575 50.1 4.0
186 Walton Marietta Ga. 2.56 35.5 3.0
187 Duxbury Duxbury Mass. 2.559 48.3 Less than 1
188 Edina Edina Minn. 2.545 8.0
189 Woodrow Wilson Washington D.C. 2.541 43.0
190 Palos Verdes Peninsula Rolling Hills Estates Calif. 2.537 61.4 Less than 1
191 Half Hollow Hills West Dix Hills N.Y. 2.536 52.3 6.7
192 San Marino San Marino Calif. 2.531 1.0
193 Coronado** Coronado Calif. 2.53 24.5 0.0
194 Mamaroneck Mamaroneck N.Y. 2.525 58.4 4.0
195 Sammamish Bellevue Wash. 2.516 15.0 28.0
196 Stratford Houston Texas 2.515 34.5 20.0
197 Roslyn Roslyn Heights N.Y. 2.507 39.2 11.0
198 Westside Houston Texas 2.504 31.7 34.0
199 Broadneck Annapolis Md. 2.501 40.1 3.0
200 Westlake Westlake Village Calif. 2.498 35.7 7.4

The formula for Challenge Index: Divide the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or other college level tests a school gave by the number of seniors who graduated in June. Tests taken by all students, not just seniors, are counted.

Equity and Excellence rate, the percentage of all seniors, including those not in AP, calculated by the College Board to have had at least one score of 3 or above on the 5-point test in high school. This statistic is new, the College Board was not able to provide it to all schools, and some schools count the number of seniors differently than others. An IB or combined AP and IB version of that rating was calculated for some IB schools by school district officials at the Post's request. The average AP Equity and Excellence rate for all U.S. schools is 14.1%.

Ranked high schools in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia have been bolded.
* Schools that offer IB tests
** Schools that offer AP and IB tests



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