Manual ranks No. 1 in state, No. 45 nationally

Molly Gregory

On April 21, U.S. News & World Report released their annual ranking of the best high schools nationwide. Among the top 50 high schools was Manual, standing at number 45.

Statewide, Manual still holds its number-one ranking, while Highlands High School ranks second and Beechwood High School comes in third. Manual also achieved eighteenth place in magnet high schools nationwide. Opposing the district average of 13.0, Manual scored an 83.0 on the College Readiness Index.

Manual’s 2020 rankings

Ranked No. 30 nationally in 2019, the magnet school maintains high rankings and test scores.  Unlike many Kentucky schools, Manual’s admissions process is selective, which can boost test scores, causing Manual to be a district outlier.

Manual’s graduation rate, however, fell from 99% to 97% according to this report, lowering Manual to 47th in the state for the highest four-year graduation rate.

Other JCPS schools that made the national ranking list were J. Graham Brown School at No. 348, Atherton High School at rank 435, Louisville Male High School at 688, and Ballard High School at 928.