Six comprehensive high schools in the William S. Hart Union High School District (Canyon, Golden Valley, Hart, Saugus, Valencia and West Ranch) have been ranked in the top 14 percent of public high schools in the country by U.S. News & World Report. Academy of the Canyons and Learning Post Academy also earned distinction.

The publication’s Best High Schools Rankings, released Tuesday, Aug. 29 compared the Hart District’s high schools against nearly 18,000 public high schools in all 50 states and the District of Columbia using six factors: college readiness, math and reading proficiency, math and reading performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rate.

“This year’s U.S. News & World Report has reaffirmed the outstanding national reputation of Hart District Schools,” said Hart Superintendent Michael Kuhlman. “This achievement is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated students, staff, and families, who have united to foster remarkable learning experiences for all individuals involved.”

The rankings of the Hart District schools are:

Canyon High School #1,960 nationally – top 11%

Golden Valley High School #2,474 nationally – top 14%

Hart High School #2,035 nationally – top 12%

Saugus High School #1,187 nationally – top 7%

Valencia High School #1,789 nationally – top 10%

West Ranch High School #715 nationally – top 4%

The rankings noted AP participation rate, graduation rate and college readiness. By virtue of being a middle college high school, Academy of the Canyons does not offer AP classes (which counts against them on the magazine’s ranking system), but instead their students take college classes concurrently with their high school coursework. Every student in the Hart School District has the opportunity to take concurrent classes at College of the Canyons.

This year, Learning Post Academy was also recognized by US News & World Report in the Best High School Rankings. As a newer school, Castaic High School was not ranked.

For more information visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/rankings-overview.