Barrington High School made a triumphant return to the US News and World Report “Best High Schools” rankings this year. 

Barrington High School, which dropped in last year’s least because of an error by the Rhode Island Department of Education, rose to number 217 nationally this year. The ranking was out of nearly 18,000 schools nationwide, and earned BHS the right to display the US News Best High School Award Badge.

“This is Barrington High School’s highest position on the Best High Schools list since 2019 and places BHS in the top 2 percent of all high schools in the country,” Barrington Superintendent of Schools Michael Messore wrote in a press release. “Barrington High School also received a ranking of 2 out of 61 ranked high schools in Rhode Island.”

In addition, Barrington High School tied for the number one ranked school in the country for its state assessment proficiency ranking. That factor is determined by aggregated scores on math, reading and science state assessments that students may be required to pass for graduation. 

U.S. News and World Report uses data from the U.S. Department of Education, College Board, and International Baccalaureate to build its rankings for Best High Schools. There are six factors that figure into the rankings, including college readiness, college curriculum breadth, and state assessment proficiency.

“Outstanding teaching and learning happen inside our high school, and inside every school in Barrington Public Schools, each day,” Messore wrote. “Our dedicated faculty and staff members throughout Barrington Public Schools provide exceptional instruction and a wide array of learning opportunities that foster our students’ growth and development. Our students have made a strong commitment to their learning and work diligently to achieve their academic goals. National recognition like this is the shared result of our staff members at Barrington High School, and throughout Barrington Public Schools, who empower our students to excel. It also reflects the abiding support of our Barrington community, who provide the resources and support that help our district provide our students with such a high-quality education.

“I would like to congratulate our students, staff, and community for, once again, contributing to Barrington High School’s recognition as one of the best high schools in the country.”

The stellar rankings for Barrington High School correct a one-year aberration in the US News and World Reports annual list of Best High Schools. Last year, Barrington High School, which boasted an average nationally ranking of 320, dropped to 5,140. School officials scrambled to determine what had happened. Eventually, an official with the Rhode Island Department of Education confirmed that the state failed to submit key information to US News and World Report. RIDE Communications Director Victor Morente wrote that the state was in the process of conducting a review of statewide AP data when “the deadline for US News and World Report lapsed for this year’s rankings.”

This year’s ranking included, among other information, Advanced Placement exam data for Barrington High School. According to the press release, nearly 70 percent of Barrington High School seniors take at least one Advanced Placement exam during their time at Barrington High School, which is substantially higher than the national average.   

Overall, Barrington High School scored a 98.77 on its scorecard. 

• Students who took at least one AP exam: 66 percent

• Students who passed at least one AP exam: 57 percent

• Math proficiency: 68 percent

• Reading proficiency: 84 percent

• Science proficiency: 62 percent

• Graduation rate: 96 percent

Barrington High School also cracked the top-500 in the US News and World Report Best STEM High Schools. Barrington was ranked 496. 

Top-10 in Rhode Island

1. Classical (202 nationally)

2. Barrington (217 nationally)

3. East Greenwich (548 nationally)

4. Portsmouth (785 nationally)

5. North Kingstown (1,200 nationally)

6. South Kingstown (1,422 nationally)

7. Blackstone Valleye Prep (2,204 nationally)

8. Narragansett (2,231 nationally)

9. Lincoln (2,353 nationally)

10. Chariho (2,355 nationally)