Penn High School named among 2022 nation’s Best High Schools by U.S. News & World Report

Penn High School has once again been ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s best high schools. Penn ranks 1st in the South Bend area, 20th in Indiana, and #1,486 in the national rankings (out of nearly 18,000 high schools nationwide). This puts Penn in the top 8% of the nation’s best high schools for 2022!

Penn’s other points of distinction noted by the prestigious national magazine ranking, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exam. At least 41% of Penn students enrolled in AP took at least one test, and 31% of those passed at least one AP exam.

The rankings are based on data collected for the 2020-2021, 2019-2020 and 2018-2019 academic years, detailed school-specific information on enrollment, graduation rates, student body demographics, location, school type, and results of state assessments as well as Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests. Click here to read more about the methodology.

Indiana high school students typically follow the Core 40 curriculum, which includes required classes in English Language Arts, math, Social Studies and Science, among others. Students who fulfill additional requirements can earn a diploma with academic or technical honors. Penn has a 97% graduation rate with approximately 78% of students in 2019 enrolled in AP, Dual Credit, and Industry certification classes.

For the 2021-2022 school year, Penn maintained the 97% graduation rate and about 76% of students in 2019 enrolled in AP, Dual Credit, and Industry certification classes. 

Class of 2023 included these points of distinction.

The Academies at Penn High School provide the framework for student success. Through their work in each academy, students find relevant and meaningful coursework taught in a supportive environment where each student is known well by his teachers and peers. Through these “smaller learning communities,” students build relationships while engaged in relevant learning experiences.

In 2022, Penn’s Early College Academy was re-endorsed as an “Early College High School” by The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis. The Academy was first endorsed in 2019; it is regarded as an exemplar for other high schools across Indiana implementing an Early College program. The 8 EC Core Principles (as outlined by CELL) are: 

1. Targeted Student Population
2. Curriculum & Plan of Study
3. College-Going Culture
4. Rigorous Instruction
5. Supports for Student Success
6. Collaboration & Partnerships
7. Leadership & Staffing
8. Data Collection, Analysis, and Use

Penn is a Four Star School earning the Project Lead the Way Distinguished High School distinction for 2021-22 school year, and in 2016 the STEM Academy was certified as a Full STEM Certified Program by the Indiana Department of Education. 

Click to see the full list of Indiana High Schools as ranked by US News & World Report in 2021.