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
801 Woods Cross Woods Cross Utah 1.402 31.2 6.0
803 Temple City Temple City Calif. 1.401 32.0
803 Reseda Reseda Calif. 1.402 69.4
804 High School for Performing & Visual Arts Houston Texas 1.399 35.6 13.0
805 Grant Valley Green Calif. 1.398 76.8
806 Franklin Reisterstown Md. 1.397 36.0 11.0
807 Druid Hills Atlanta Ga. 1.396 60.0
807 Kennedy Cedar Rapids Iowa 1.396 24.6 19.0
809 Farmington Farmington Mich. 1.396 37.2 6.7
810 Cox Va. Beach Va. 1.395 22.7 12.0
810 Newport Harbor Newport Beach Calif. 1.395 36.5 22.1
810 Las Lomas Walnut Creek Calif. 1.395 37.2 2.2
813 Pinecrest** Southern Pines N.C. 1.394 14.9 n/a
814 Wyomissing Wyomissing Pa. 1.393 90.8 15.3
814 Skaneateles Skaneateles N.Y. 1.393 39.3 5.0
816 Lincoln Los Angeles Calif. 1.392 83.8
816 Harker Heights Harker Heights Texas 1.392 22.0
816 Brandywine Wilmington Del. 1.392 23.0 31.0
816 Voorhees Glen Gardner N.J. 1.392 2.5
820 Canoga Park Canoga Park Calif. 1.39 70.8
820 Dudley Greensboro N.C. 1.39 4.0 57.0
820 Lafayette Wildwood Mo. 1.39 n/a
823 Tustin Tustin Calif. 1.389 33.0
824 Wichita Falls Wichita Falls Texas 1.386 62.0
824 East Lyme East Lyme Conn. 1.386 3.0
826 Homestead Mequon Wisc. 1.385 3.0
827 Highlands Fort Thomas Ky. 1.384 35.1 5.0
828 Okemos Okemos Mich. 1.383 39.1 n/a
829 Glenelg Glenelg Md. 1.383 29.6 2.0
830 Sweet Home Amherst N.Y. 1.38 26.4
831 Unionville Kennett Square Pa. 1.379 41.2 1.8
831 Cape Elizabeth Cape Elizabeth Maine 1.379 30.3 1.0
833 Webster Schroeder Webster N.Y. 1.378 Less than 1
834 John Jay Hopewell Junction N.Y. 1.376 24.7 4.7
835 Lake Norman Mooresville N.C. 1.375 30.1 4.0
835 Jamesville-Dewitt Dewitt N.Y. 1.375 10.0
837 Arlington Heights Fort Worth Texas 1.371 28.7
838 International School of the Americas San Antonio Texas 1.37 48.0
839 Muir San Diego Calif. 1.368 65.0
840 Seneca Valley Germantown Md. 1.367 25.8 18.0
840 Rogers Rogers Ark. 1.367 17.2 36.0
842 Seaford Seaford N.Y. 1.366 32.6 1.0
843 Incline Incline Village Nev. 1.364 35.1 5.4
844 Silva Magnet for Health Professions El Paso Texas 1.363 10.4 54.0
844 Tuxedo Tuxedo Park N.Y. 1.363 25.3 5.0
846 Bexley Bexley Ohio 1.362 Less than 1
847 Harriton** Rosemont Pa. 1.359 7.3
848 Borrego Springs Borrego Springs Calif. 1.351 n/a
849 Tampa Bay Tech Tampa Fla. 1.357 16.6 49.0
849 Carmel Carmel Calif. 1.359 26.7 5.7
849 West Morris Central** Chester N.J. 1.357 Less than 1
851 Temecula Valley Temecula Calif. 1.355 21.0 9.9
852 Keller Keller Texas 1.353 15.1 3.6
853 Manual Arts Los Angeles Calif. 1.352 86.2
855 Mandarin Jacksonville Fla. 1.352 14.7 10.0
855 Pioneer San Jose Calif. 1.351 17.2
857 Old Mill Millersville Md. 1.347 22.4 10.0
857 Bethpage Bethpage N.Y. 1.347 29.5 7.0
859 Richardson Richardson Texas 1.346 28.0
860 Walkersville Walkersville Md. 1.346 35.0 10.0
861 Easton Easton Md. 1.345 18.0
862 Bell Bell Calif. 1.343 95.4
862 Rockwood Summit Fenton Mo. 1.343 13.0
864 Chickasha Chickasha Okla. 1.338 7.9 60.0
864 Central-Westosha Salem Wisc. 1.342 15.9 8.0
864 San Ramon Valley Danville Calif. 1.342 34.0 Less than 1
866 Lowville Academy Lowville N.Y. 1.341 38.0
866 Alta Sandy Utah 1.341 23.9 7.0
868 Lincoln San Jose Calif. 1.34 35.0
868 Niskayuna Schenectady N.Y. 1.34 27.6 3.0
870 Northern Highlands Allendale N.J. 1.338 35.7 2.3
870 Lake Highlands Dallas Texas 1.338 27.3 35.3
870 Sehome Bellingham Wash. 1.338 27.0 17.1
873 Townsend Harris Queens N.Y. 1.338 72.3 37.0
875 West Forsyth Clemmons N.C. 1.336 None
875 Homewood-Flossmoor Flossmoor Ill. 1.336 27.8 10.0
875 Cherry Hill East Cherry Hill N.J. 1.336 71.0
878 Sparks Sparks Nev. 1.336 6.5 45.6
879 Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks Calif. 1.334 20.0 8.5
879 Athens Troy Mich. 1.334 3.3
881 Groves Beverly Hills Mich. 1.333 Less than 1
882 Andover Andover Mass. 1.332 38.7 3.0
883 Ballard Louisville Ky. 1.33 22.0
883 Huntington Beach Huntington Beach Calif. 1.33 n/a
883 Lakeville North Lakeville Minn. 1.33 21.5 2.0
886 Livingston Livingston N.J. 1.33 42.7 Less than 1
887 Asheville Asheville N.C. 1.33 23.2 32.4
888 Annandale Annandale Va. 1.329 39.0
888 Atholton Columbia Md. 1.329 27.6 5.0
890 Los Altos Hacienda Heights Calif. 1.328 6.0 44.0
891 Crestview Crestview Fla. 1.327 n/a
891 Atlee** Mechanicsville Va. 1.327 26.9 n/a
893 Eastern Guilford Gibsonville N.C. 1.326 9.1 n/a
893 Coronado** El Paso Texas 1.326 23.3 33.0
895 West Genesee Camillus N.Y. 1.324 9.0
895 East Brunswick East Brunswick N.J. 1.324 23.6 4.6
897 Carson Carson Calif. 1.322 44.9
897 Monroe Fredricksburg Va. 1.322 30.0
899 West Charlotte Charlotte N.C. 1.32 76.5
900 Huntingtown Huntingtown Md. 1.319 14.6 5.0

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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