Person Using Pencil — These schools excel in preparing students for college. (Unsplash)

Congratulations are in order for 66 Alabama public high schools that have been honored with the GreatSchools 2022 College Success Award. Now in its fifth year, this award recognizes over 1000 public high schools across the country that excel at helping students enroll and succeed in college. Read on for more details.

Update 9/26/22: The GreatSchools 2022 College Success Awards are listed in no particular order. All 66 Alabama public high schools received the same award for excellence in college readiness.

About the College Success Award

GreatSchools is a nonprofit that provides high-quality information supporting parents pursuing a great education for their child, schools striving for excellence and communities working to diminish inequities in education.

GreatSchools’ College Success Award honors high schools across the country every year that go above and beyond preparing their students for college. The data-driven award offers a snapshot of whether a high school prepares students to enroll in college, succeed with college-level coursework and continue into their second year.

“For five years, we have had the privilege of recognizing schools for doing exactly what they set out to do: prepare students for success after high school. In doing so, we’ve learned so much about the creative ways these schools are supporting students for lifelong success, especially those from historically-marginalized communities. We applaud all of the winners for their hard work.”
Jon Deane, CEO, GreatSchools

Wondering what makes each of these schools extra special? The College Success Award winners have shared their secrets to success, including what practices and policies take their high schools to the next level.

Which schools were honored?

Alabama was one of 25 states to provide necessary data to determine the winners and help communities understand how local schools are preparing students for college.

Award winners are determined by calculating a school-level score and applying a threshold to delineate which schools receive an award and which do not. This school-level score is comprised of three components:

College Preparation
College Enrollment
College Performance

In total, 66 Alabama public schools earned a College Success Award in 2022. In no particular order, here’s a sneak peek at the schools across the state that were honored: