U.S. News Best High Schools: Where Did Durham Rank?

DURHAM, CT — Coginchaug Regional High School ranks No. 69 in the state and No. 3,297 nationally, according to the 2023-2024 Best High Schools rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

Families can use the annual rankings to compare schools at the national, state and local levels on factors such as academic performance, graduation rates and college readiness, according to a news release. U.S. News reviewed 25,000 schools and ranked 17,680 of them, including 206 in Connecticut.

No Connecticut school cracked U.S. News' Top 100, but Darien High School made it to No. 191 nationally. Local rivals in Ridgefield, Westport, New Canaan and Greenwich also placed in the top 10 statewide rankings.

Families can use the annual rankings to compare schools at the national, state and local levels on factors such as academic performance, graduation rates and college readiness, according to a news release.

In general, the highest-ranked schools had students who performed well on state assessment for math, reading and science, U.S. News said. They also performed strongly in meeting the needs of underserved students, including those who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households. The schools had a breadth of curriculum offerings and high graduation rates, and their students performed well on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

U.S. News said eleven of the top 20 ranked schools were charter or magnet schools.

In national rankings, the top five schools are, respectively: The Early College at Guilford, Greensboro, North Carolina; Signature School at Evansville, Indiana; The School for Advanced Studies in Miami; The Davidson Academy of Nevada at Reno; and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology at Alexandria, Virginia.

See related: U.S. News Best High Schools: Where Did Connecticut Schools Rank?