Behind the Numbers: A Closer Look into Masterman's Number 4 Ranking

Masterman has gone through a rollercoaster of changes over the past few years regarding its admissions system, yet it still exemplifies the core values of academic excellence. This excellence was honored by U.S. News with the distinction of the number four ranked public high school in the nation. This is the highest ranking in Masterman history—the school website lists a #10 ranking from 2020—and highlights the continued efforts to improve the quality of academics. But while the honor is seemingly prestigious, there are still a lot of questions surrounding the rationale behind the ranking, and its meaning to the school.

A common question brought up by students and parents alike is “Do rankings even matter?” The short answer is, according to Masterman’s High School Dean, Mr. Gilken, is yes. “It’s part of the identity of who we are as a school,” explains Mr. Gilken. Maintaining a standard of excellence is how Masterman is defined and plays into how we perceive our own community. But while its impact cannot be denied, Mr. Gilken is also cautionary. “It can be misleading, [and] it can prevent people from seeing that this building is one primarily made up of 10-18 year olds,” Mr. Gilken adds. It's clear that an extremely high expectation of Masterman has been set, one that we may not always meet. The ranking seems to blind the personality of the school, as it solely takes statistics and not its nuanced personality into account. The school as a community also goes deeper than a number, with school goals sometimes misaligning with the pursuit of a higher rank. 

Despite ample conversation, what actually goes into the rankings is often misunderstood. U.S. News directly outlines what goes into the rankings. The system considers six factors: college readiness (30%), which assesses AP/IB exam participation and scores; college curriculum breadth (10%), which evaluates diversity in AP/IB courses and scores; state assessment proficiency (20%), which measures performance in reading, science, and math; state assessment performance (20%), which compares actual to predicted performance, especially among underserved groups; underserved student performance (10%), which evaluates performance relative to statewide averages; and graduation rate (10%), which reflects the percentage of the cohort graduating. The data for the high school’s current rankings was gathered from the Class of 2022, who would have now just finished their sophomore year of college. The factors considered could explain why Masterman ranks in the top five schools, as its admissions select a small class of academically-driven students and it is essentially required to take at least one AP by senior year, with most students taking many more. This is combined with Masterman's particularly excellent performance relative to the state of Pennsylvania, as it has held the number one public high school spot for years. 

With Masterman's greatest success yet in these factors, students and parents are keen to see the benefits. Some students believe that the ranking could help their college admission chances. There is a sentiment that a high-ranked school may appear more prestigious or rigorous, therefore positively impacting applications. “I think some admissions officers are going to be more aware of the school name and more impressed by it,” says Owen Erdman ‘25. Definitive information on whether it actually matters or not is mixed.