Three Waukesha Schools Rank Among America’s Most Challenging High Schools

Editor's note: There's been an update about the disparity of graduation rates. 

Waukesha North, South and West have made the Washington Post’s list of America’s Most Challenging High School.

In the national rankings of 1,900 public and private schools, Waukesha North was ranked 1,647, Waukesha South ranked 1,399 and Waukesha West 1,368.

The Washington Post’s formula, the Challenge Index, takes the total number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests given at a school each year and is divided by the number of seniors who graduated in May or June.

According to the Washington Post:

Waukesha North has a four-year graduation rate of 94 percent, an average ACT score of 21.6, and 59 percent of students attend 4-year colleges.

Waukesha South has a four-year graduation rate of 99 percent and 65 percent students attend 4-year colleges. The average ACT score was not available. 

Waukesha West has a four-year graduation rate of 99 percent and 70 percent of students attend 4-year college. The average ACT score was also not available. 

Even though the Washington Post reported these numbers, the state Department of Public Instruction has different graduation rates. Waukesha West had 96.48 percent; Waukesha South had 82.11 percent; and Waukesha North had 85.52 percent.

Out of 27 Wisconsin schools on the list, Waukesha West ranked 17th, Waukesha South ranked 18th, and Waukesha North ranked 23rd.