Four high schools in Hamilton County Schools are in the top 35 best high schools in Tennessee in the latest Niche ratings of the 2020 Best Schools in America. The Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences Upper (CSAS) and the Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA) are both ranked in the top 20 public high schools in the state. Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences came in at #14 in the Niche review. Right behind CSAS was the Center for Creative Arts at #16, STEM School Chattanooga #27 and Signal Mountain Middle/High School #31 in the latest listing of the best schools. The high school rankings compare the 349 public high schools in Tennessee.
"It's always exciting to receive recognition from Niche because the people determine the rankings," said Jim Boles, principal of CSAS Upper. "It's education's version of the "People's Award." Parents, students, and alumni are the determining factors when it comes to Niche."
Niche is a website that ranks schools, companies and neighborhoods across the United States. You can search the Niche website for the top picks by state or county to get more specific results. Niche gives letter grades based on academics, food, administration, college prep offerings, health and safety, clubs and activities and more. Niche calculates the grades by gathering data and reviews, analysis and considering user insights.
Three of the high schools ranked in the top 35, CSAS, CCA, and STEM School Chattanooga, all received A grades from Niche. Signal Mountain Middle/High School received a grade of A-. Some of the other top public schools in Hamilton County ranked in the top 100 in Tennessee included Collegiate High at Chattanooga State ranked #61 and receiving a B+ grade. East Hamilton Middle/High came in at #72 with a grade of B+ and Soddy Daisy High at #99 with a B grade.
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences was also rated #6 out of the Magnet Schools in the state and was joined in the top ten by Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts at #8 and STEM School Chattanooga at #10.
The list of Tennessee's best college prep schools also included CSAS, CCA, STEM School Chattanooga and Signal Mountain in the top 40 high schools in the state.
"We knew before the Corona Virus isolation that our diverse school community was the backbone of what makes our school great, but to watch it come together as it has over the past three-plus weeks has been extraordinary," added Principal Boles. I wouldn't want to go through it with another group of people. I love our CSAS community."