New High School Rankings : According to U.S. News, charters and magnets make up about 16 percent of all medal winners — but nearly 41 percent of gold medal schools.

NPR reports:

U.S. News and World Report released its rankings of the best high schools in the country on Wednesday. These numbers are based on student test scores — U.S. News compared those test scores to state averages as a way of calculating how well a school serves its student body. The rankings also factor in graduation rates and AP and IB exams.

U.S. News awards top schools a medal. According to their analysis, gold-medal schools are "most commonly found in the suburban areas of large cities." But all medal winners — gold, silver, and bronze — are spread across communities, including rural areas, where 37 percent are located.

Black and hispanic students make up less than half of the student population at 78 percent of medal-winning schools. At 61 percent of medal-winning schools, less than half of students receive free or reduced lunch.

BASIS charter schools, a network of schools primarily in Arizona, dominated the top of the lists of both public schools and charters. According to U.S. News, charters and magnets make up about 16 percent of all medal winners — but nearly 41 percent of gold medal schools.

Imagine that.