Schools in three states tend to do the best job of preparing graduates in science, technology, engineering and math education, according to the 2013 Best High Schools for STEM Rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
California, New York and New Jersey together boast almost half of the high schools on the STEM rankings this year. U.S. News started with 500 public schools that earned gold medals in the 2013 Best High Schools rankings. Then it evaluated the results of students' Advanced Placement science and math tests in 2011.
As a result, 250 ended up being ranked on the STEM list, and nearly 45 of them are charter or magnet schools.
Of the top 10 schools, three hail from California and two come from New Jersey.
1. High Technology High School
Lincroft, N.J.
District: Monmouth County Vocational School District
2. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Alexandria, Va.
District: Fairfax County Public Schools
3. Troy High School
Fullerton, Calif.
District: Fullerton Joint Union High
4. Academy of Allied Health and Science
Neptune, N.J.
District: Monmouth County Vocational School District
5. Lynbrook High School
San Jose, Calif.
District: Fremont Union High
6. Monta Vista High School
Cupertino, Calif.
District: Fremont Union High
7. Poolesville High School
Poolesville, Md.
District: Montgomery County Public Schools
8. Okemos High School
Okemos, Mich.
District: Okemos Public Schools
9. Stuyvesant High School
New York, N.Y.
District: New York City Public Schools
10. Acton-Boxborough Regional High School
Acton, Mass.
District: Acton-Boxborough
Image from Shutterstock.