By Michelle Williams, MassLive
Each year, U.S. News and World Report releases rankings of the top high schools nationwide.
Some of the oldest schools in the nation and newer institutions in education vie for the top spots on the list. In the past, some readers were left wondering what were the best schools that were closest to them.
U.S. News and World Report listened to readers and school officials and, for the first time, it released the best schools by metro area.
The metro rankings use the same methodology as the national rankings. For example, the highest nationally ranked school located in Boston is also the top school in the Boston metro rankings.
The rankings are determined by schools whose attendees demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math and reading state assessments, passed a diverse array of college-level exams and graduated in high proportions.
Overall, schools in Massachusetts fared well in the nationwide rankings.
"Nearly 49% of the Bay State's eligible schools were in the top 25% of the Best High School rankings, followed by Maryland at almost 44%, California at 40% and Connecticut at slightly below 40%."
Take a look below at how schools in the Worcester area did.
Note: The Worcester metro area ranking includes schools from Massachusetts as well as Connecticut that are near Worcester.
50. Killingly High School
Killingly High is ranked 155th within Connecticut.
Location: Dayville, Conn.
Graduation rate: 85 percent
College readiness rating: 16.5 / 100
Enrollment: 823 students
49. Murdock High School
Murdock High is ranked 280th within Massachusetts.
Location: Winchendon
Graduation rate: 80 percent
College readiness rating: 22 / 100
Enrollment: 289 students
48. Burncoat Senior High
Murdock High is ranked 279th within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 85 percent
College readiness rating: 22.7 / 100
Enrollment: 1,009 students
47. Plainfield High School
Plainfield High is ranked 144th within Connecticut.
Location: Central Village, Conn.
Graduation rate: 86 percent
College readiness rating: 22.9 / 100
Enrollment: 669 students
46. Windham High School
Windham High is ranked 142nd within Connecticut.
Location: Willimantic, Conn.
Graduation rate: 84 percent
College readiness rating: 7.8 / 100
Enrollment: 581 students
45. Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical
Montachusett Regional is ranked 261st within Massachusetts.
Location: Fitchburg
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 13.7 / 100
Enrollment: 1,429 students
44. Bartlett Jr Sr High School
Bartlett is ranked 260th within Massachusetts.
Location: Webster
Graduation rate: 73 percent
College readiness rating: 36.9 / 100
Enrollment: 438 students
43. Bay Path Regional Vocational Technical High School
Bay Path Regional is ranked 257th within Massachusetts.
Location: Charlton
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness rating: 14.6 / 100
Enrollment: 1,114 students
42. Oxford High
Oxford High is ranked 251st within Massachusetts.
Location: Oxford
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 26.7 / 100
Enrollment: 381 students
41. Uxbridge High
Uxbridge High is ranked 248th within Massachusetts.
Location: Uxbridge
Graduation rate: 91 percent
College readiness rating: 29.8 / 100
Enrollment: 478 students
40. Putnam High
Putnam High is ranked 131st within Connecticut.
Location: Putnam, Conn.
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness rating: 21.3 / 100
Enrollment: 280 students
39. South High
South High is ranked 237th within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 75 percent
College readiness rating: 29 / 100
Enrollment: 1,396 students
38. North Brookfield High
North Brookfield High is ranked 234th within Massachusetts.
Location: North Brookfield
Graduation rate: 91 percent
College readiness rating: 27.3 / 100
Enrollment: 146 students
37. Fitchburg High
Fitchburg High is ranked 230th within Massachusetts.
Location: Fitchburg
Graduation rate: 87 percent
College readiness rating: 23.3 / 100
Enrollment: 1,156 students
36. David Prouty High
David Prouty High is ranked 228th within Massachusetts.
Location: Spencer
Graduation rate: 85 percent
College readiness rating: 26 / 100
Enrollment: 336 students
35. Oakmont Regional High
Oakmont Regional High is ranked 226th within Massachusetts.
Location: Ashburnham
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 22.8 / 100
Enrollment: 693 students
34. Clinton Senior High
Clinton High is ranked 220th within Massachusetts.
Location: Clinton
Graduation rate: 97 percent
College readiness rating: 16.2 / 100
Enrollment: 437 students
33. Millbury Junior/Senior High
Millbury is ranked 219th within Massachusetts.
Location: Millbury
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 26.7 / 100
Enrollment: 444 students
32. Leicester High
Leicester is ranked 218th within Massachusetts.
Location: Leicester
Graduation rate: 91 percent
College readiness rating: 29.2 / 100
Enrollment: 455 students
31. Blackston-Millville Regional
Blackston-Millville Regional is ranked 208th within Massachusetts.
Location: Blackstone
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness rating: 35.7 / 100
Enrollment: 445 students
30. Douglas High
Douglas High is ranked 204th within Massachusetts.
Location: Douglas
Graduation rate: 91 percent
College readiness rating: 38 / 100
Enrollment: 393 students
29. Leominster High
Leominster High is ranked 189th within Massachusetts.
Location: Leominster
Graduation rate: 90 percent
College readiness rating: 30.8 / 100
Enrollment: 1,086 students
28. Quabbin Regional
Quabbin Regional is ranked 186th within Massachusetts.
Location: Barre
Graduation rate: 85 percent
College readiness rating: 30.5 / 100
Enrollment: 676 students
27. Milford Regional
Milford Regional is ranked 182th within Massachusetts.
Location: Barre
Graduation rate: 88 percent
College readiness rating: 35.4 / 100
Enrollment: 1,124 students
26. Northbridge High
Northbridge High is ranked 177th within Massachusetts.
Location: Whitinsville
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness rating: 37 / 100
Enrollment: 584 students
25. Narragansett Regional
Narragansett Regional is ranked 161st within Massachusetts.
Location: Baldwinville
Graduation rate: 85 percent
College readiness rating: 33.7 / 100
Enrollment: 371 students
24. Doherty Memorial High
Doherty Memorial High is ranked 160th within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 88 percent
College readiness rating: 32.5 / 100
Enrollment: 1,542 students
23. Shepherd Hill Regional
Shepherd Hill Regional is ranked 150th within Massachusetts.
Location: Dudley
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 39.3/ 100
Enrollment: 1,165 students
22. Worcester Technical High
Worcester Technical High is ranked 148th within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness rating: 18.1/ 100
Enrollment: 1,389 students
21. Gardner High
Gardner High is ranked 145th within Massachusetts.
Location: Gardner
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness rating: 28.3/ 100
Enrollment: 530 students
20. Parish Hill High
Parish Hill High is ranked 62nd within Connecticut.
Location: Chaplin, Conn.
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 29.8/ 100
Enrollment: 149 students
19. Auburn Senior High
Auburn Senior High is ranked 120th within Massachusetts.
Location: Auburn
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 45.1/ 100
Enrollment: 703 students
18. Sutton High
Sutton High is ranked 117th within Massachusetts.
Location: Sutton
Graduation rate: 94 percent
College readiness rating: 47.3/ 100
Enrollment: 426 students
17. Lunenburg High
Lunenburg High is ranked 113th within Massachusetts.
Location: Lunenburg
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness rating: 42.8 / 100
Enrollment: 433 students
16. Grafton High
Grafton High is ranked 111st within Massachusetts.
Location: Grafton
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness rating: 38.7 / 100
Enrollment: 822 students
15. Hopedale Jr Sr High
Hopedale is ranked 109th within Massachusetts.
Location: Hopedale
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness rating: 38.8 / 100
Enrollment: 333 students
14. Wachusett Regional
Wachusett Regional is ranked 103rd within Massachusetts.
Location: Holden
Graduation rate: 96 percent
College readiness rating: 34.9 / 100
Enrollment: 2,126 students
13. Quaboag Regional
Quaboag Regional is ranked 100th within Massachusetts.
Location: Warren
Graduation rate: 88 percent
College readiness rating: 35.9 / 100
Enrollment: 365 students
12. West Boylston Junior/Senior High
West Boylston Junior/Senior High is ranked 89th within Massachusetts.
Location: West Boylston
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness rating: 36.5 / 100
Enrollment: 252 students
11. University Park Campus School
University Park Campus School is ranked 85th within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 41.1 / 100
Enrollment: 163 students
10. Abby Kelley Foster Charter
Abby Kelley Foster Charter is ranked 71st within Massachusetts.
Location: Worcester
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 41.7 / 100
Enrollment: 356 students
9. Nipmuc Regional
Nipmuc Regional is ranked 65th within Massachusetts.
Location: Upton
Graduation rate: 93 percent
College readiness rating: 56.4 / 100
Enrollment: 583 students
8. Blackstone Valley
Blackstone Valley is ranked 61st within Massachusetts.
Location: Upton
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness rating: 38.4 / 100
Enrollment: 1,206 students
7. Tantasqua Regional
Tantasqua Regional is ranked 54th within Massachusetts.
Location: Fiskdale
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness rating: 54.2 / 100
Enrollment: 754 students
6. Shrewsbury Sr High
Shrewsbury Sr High is ranked 47th within Massachusetts.
Location: Shrewsbury
Graduation rate: 97 percent
College readiness rating: 51.1 / 100
Enrollment: 1,792 students
5. Algonquin Regional
Algonquin Regional is ranked 42nd within Massachusetts.
Location: Northborough (includes the towns of Northborough and Southborough)
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 57.9 / 100
Enrollment: 1,434 students
4. Tahanto Regional
Tahanto Regional is ranked 39th within Massachusetts.
Location: Bolyston (includes the towns of Boylston and Berlin)
Graduation rate: 98 percent
College readiness rating: 46 / 100
Enrollment: 316 students
3. Nashoba Regional
Nashoba Regional is ranked 17th within Massachusetts.
Location: Bolton (includes towns of Lancaster, Bolton and Stow)
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness rating: 67 / 100
Enrollment: 998 students
2. Westborough High
Westborough High is ranked 15th within Massachusetts.
Location: Westborough
Graduation rate: 99 percent
College readiness rating: 57.6 / 100
Enrollment: 1,049 students
1. The Bromfield School
The Bromfield School is ranked eighth within Massachusetts.
Location: Harvard
Graduation rate: 95 percent
College readiness rating: 71.7 / 100
Enrollment: 411 students
Read more Massachusetts education data reporting
- The top public high schools across Massachusetts, according to 2019 U.S. News & World Report
- The highest paying Massachusetts communities for teachers
- Massachusetts school districts that scored highest on 2018 'next-generation' MCAS