Penn named #13 on U.S. News 2019 Best High Schools list

Posted on May 3, 2019

Penn High School was ranked 13th in Indiana—the only Top #20 high school in the Michiana area—in US News & World Report’s 2019 U.S. News Best High Schools listing

Penn’s other points of distinction noted by the prestigious national magazine ranking, students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP participation rate at Penn High School is 47 percent.

With the release of the Spring 2018 ISTEP+ results, overall Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation ranks in the state’s Top 5% of public school districts for grade 10 ISTEP+ scores. And Penn High School ranks in the Top 5% of all Indiana public high schools. Click to read more about Penn’s Performance Report from the Indiana Department of Education.

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. At Penn High School, more than 85% of students graduate with High Honors, Academic Honors or Technical Honors. Learn more about the Core 40 Curriculum on the Indiana Department of Education website.

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.

Penn’s Early College Academy has received an endorsement as an Early College High School by The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning. As an endorsed Early College High School by the CELL, Penn’s Early College Academy is regarded as an exemplar for other high schools across Indiana implementing an Early College program.

Penn is a Four Star School earning the Project Lead the Way Distinguished School distinction in 2017-18 (for the 2016-17 school year), and the STEM Academy has been certified as a Full STEM Certified Program by the Indiana Department of Education. 

Click to see the full list and find out more how US News & World Report ranks the Best High Schools. 

Click to watch Class of 2018 student profiles from each of Penn’s seven academies (video profiles about the Class of 2019 graduates will soon be added. Commencement will be held June 7 at Notre Dame’s Purcell Pavilion).

Last Modified January 12, 2022