PULASKI COUNTY, Ark. -- Pulaski County Special School District schools have a new ranking within the U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 Best High Schools rankings this year.
Among Arkansas high schools, Joe T. Robinson High School ranked #73, Sylvan Hills High School ranked #105, Maumelle High School ranked #150, and Wilbur D. Mills University Studies High School ranked #210.
Additionally, the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranking of elementary schools lists Baker Elementary School as the number one elementary school in Arkansas.
The 2025-2026 Best High Schools national rankings identify top public schools based on six key performance indicators.
The greatest percentage of the ranking (30%) was determined through a college readiness score. Sylvan Hills led that category for Pulaski County Special School District (PCSSD) and ranked #22 in Arkansas.
State assessment performance was responsible for 20% of the ranking. Mills University Studies High School led that category for PCSSD and ranked #109 in Arkansas.
State assessment proficiency was responsible for 20% of the ranking. Joe T. Robinson led that category for PCSSD and ranked #117 in Arkansas.
Three rankings were responsible for the remaining 30% of the overall ranking: graduation rate (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%), and underserved student performance (10%). Maumelle High School had the highest graduation rate of PCSSD, with 92%.
College readiness is specifically measured through student participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. U.S. News collaborated with RTI International, a global research firm, to develop and implement the comprehensive ranking methodology. The group evaluates nearly 24,000 eligible public high schools at national, state and local levels, with almost 18,000 ranked, using the most current data from the 2022-2023 school year.
Parents, educators and students can see how PCSSD schools compare to other institutions and how the rankings are calculated on
.