US News and World Report recognized Newberg High School in the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, released this week. U.S. News looked at more than 29,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine which schools excelled in each state and nationally.

Newberg Senior High School is ranked 25th within Oregon. There are 114 Oregon schools ranked among the 2015 U.S. News Best High Schools, including three with gold medals, 25 with silver medals and 86 with bronze medals. Only  schools awarded a national gold or silver medal are eligible for a state ranking.

In the national rankings, 500 high schools received gold medals, 2,027 schools earned silver and 3,990 took home bronze.

Newberg earned a bronze rating in 2010 and 2008.

To create the 2015 Best High Schools rankings, U.S. News worked with RTI International, a North Carolina-based research firm. High schools were evaluated in three stages.

First, U.S. News looked at overall student performance on state-required tests. Schools had to perform better than average to pass, but because of a slight change to the methodology this year, more schools qualified for the rankings. 

Then, U.S. News factored in how effectively schools educated their least-advantaged students – those of black, Hispanic and low-income backgrounds. Finally, schools were assessed on how well they prepared students for college based on participation in and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. 

In the national rankings, 500 high schools received gold medals, 2,027 schools earned silver and 3,990 took home bronze.