Mississippi High Schools Ranked in Latest U.S. News Report

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Families across Mississippi have new insight into the state’s leading high schools following the release of U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 rankings. The publication analyzed education data from about 24,000 public high schools nationwide, ranking 17,901 of them based on key academic and performance indicators.

In Mississippi, 230 public high schools were evaluated. The Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science (MSMS) in Columbus emerged as the highest-ranked school in the state, earning the No. 1 spot locally and placing No. 544 nationally. It was also the only school in Mississippi to make the U.S. News list of the best STEM high schools, where it ranked No. 53 out of 500 institutions.

MSMS serves approximately 241 students in grades 11–12, with a student–teacher ratio of about 11:1. The school reported a 99% graduation rate and led the state in both the College Readiness Index and State Assessment Proficiency measures.

Ocean Springs High School followed as the second-highest ranked institution in Mississippi, securing the No. 2 position statewide and No. 763 nationally. With an enrollment of roughly 1,916 students in grades 9–12, the school reported a 93% graduation rate and a college readiness score of 35.3. Its student–teacher ratio is around 15:1, and it ranked first in the state for the College Curriculum Breadth Index.

U.S. News determined rankings using five main indicators:

1. College Readiness Index – Evaluates the proportion of 12th graders taking and passing Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, with passing weighted three times more than participation.
   
2. College Curriculum Breadth Index – Considers the range of AP and IB subjects taken and passed.
   
3. State Assessment Proficiency – Based on statewide test scores in reading, math, and science.
   
4. State Assessment Performance – Measures how those scores align with expectations, considering the proportion of students from minority and low-income backgrounds.
   
5. Graduation Rate Rank – Tracks the percentage of students who graduate within four years of entering ninth grade.
   

These rankings provide families with a clearer understanding of which schools excel academically and how different institutions perform across key benchmarks. For those prioritizing college readiness, both MSMS and Ocean Springs High School demonstrate strong results, offering pathways to higher education success.