While rankings offer a snapshot of a school’s performance, they do not always capture the full context or the diversity of experiences at school. Niche.com, a platform often used by realtors and families to evaluate schools, employs an inclusive approach to ranking public high schools. Their methods consider a wide variety of factors, including academic grades, culture, and diversity, parent and student surveys on overall experience, teachers’ salary, state assessment performance, clubs and activities, sports, etc. When it comes to college admissions, organizations often refer to rankings provided by the U.S. News & World Report.
According to their 2024 “Best High Schools” ranking, Bernards High School is ranked fifty-ninth in New Jersey.
Several elements contribute to Bernards High School’s ranking, including academic performance, extracurricular opportunities, and community engagement. Our scores reflect strong academic foundations but also highlight areas like science that could seek more improvement. The school boasts a graduation rate of 88%, which is commendable but still “somewhat below the state median” according to Niche.com. This indicates room for growth in ensuring all students graduate on time. At Bernards High School, the focus is not simply on improving our numerical ranking.
Dr. Neigel, principal of BHS, explains, “We are not specifically concerned with our numerical ranking, but rather the quality of every student’s educational experience every day. By focusing on teaching and learning, our school ranking will be as good as it can be given the high quality of students that attend BHS.”
This approach ensures that the emphasis remains on student growth, learning outcomes, and educational quality, which naturally leads to high performance across various metrics. The school also works diligently to align itself with best practices observed in other local schools with similar demographics. When it comes to college admissions, rankings can play a role, but they are not the sole factor considered by universities and colleges. Many admissions officers understand that rankings are often influenced by external factors such as student demographics and financial resources. Colleges tend to focus more on the individual achievements of students, including GPA, standardized test scores, extracurricular involvement, and personal essays. While a strong school ranking can be an indicator of a competitive academic environment, colleges are typically more interested in how well students are prepared for the challenges of higher education, which includes assessing their academic record and personal character rather than simply where they went to high school. Bernards High School’s ranking has fluctuated a bit over the years, largely due to varying criteria in the rankings. However, the school is typically ranked within the top 30 public schools in the state.
Mrs. Hunkele, English and journalism teacher at BHS said, “I think there are a lot of factors that contribute to school rankings that people may be unaware of. While many community member might be concerned with how this effects their property values, there are many actionable items that parents and students can do to increase the school ranking.”
