U.S. News and World Report: Pattonville H.S. One of the Nation's Best

Pattonville High School is one of the top 20 high schools in Missouri and in the top 10 percent of the entire country, according to ranking in "U.S. News and World Report."

The high school ranked No. 19 in Missouri of "U.S. News and World Report's 2013 Best High Schools Ranking List," which was released Tuesday. The school also ranked in the top 10 percent nationally in high schools, at a ranking of 1,941.

"This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students and our teaching staff as well as further proof that Pattonville High School is an exemplary high school that fosters the social and academic development of each student," Joe Dobrinic, Pattonville High School principal, said in a statement.

More than 21,000 high schools in 49 states and the District of Columbia were evaluated for the rankings, according to the publication’s methodology page. The state of Nebraska was not included in the data.

Ladue's Horton Watkins High School did not garner a ranking. The school district explained why.

There’s also a three-step process to determine the best high schools in the country.

“The first two steps ensured that the schools serve all of their students well, using performance on state proficiency tests as the benchmarks,” the publication said. “For those schools that made it past the first two steps, a third step assessed the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work.”

The high school also received a silver medal, which was given based on state proficiency standards and how well students are prepared for college.