The City of Falls Church’s George Mason High School was named the top traditional public high school in Virginia by US News and World Report in their annual rankings of the country’s top schools.

Mason was ranked second among all Virginia high schools (including magnet schools like Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, which ranked first), was fourth among schools in Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. and was 76th in the nation.

In a press release, Mason principal Ty Byrd said “The entire George Mason community is committed to excellence in mind, body, and character. We expect to achieve at high levels throughout our student body, and while the results are nice to hear, we are not surprised.”

Schools were ranked based on a three-step process: 1) whether students were performing better than expected for the average students in the state, 2) whether the school’s least-advantaged students were performing better than average for similar students in the state, and 3) college-readiness performance based on Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data. George Mason scored 81.4 (out of 100) on the College Readiness Index and reached 98% proficiency in Reading and 90% in Math.

“We are confident that each Mason student is provided with a rigorous academic challenge and consistent support as they strive to reach individual and group goals. Thanks to our students, our teachers, counselors, administrators, assistant superintendent, superintendent and our school board. We are truly an exceptional community,” Byrd said. 

The school was also cited for its International Baccalaureate program and electives such as Mandarin Chinese and personal finance.