Darien High School Ranked Among Top 5 In CT: U.S. News & World Report

DARIEN, CT — Darien High School was ranked No. 4 in Connecticut on U.S. News & World Report's list of best high schools for 2026-2027, the same ranking as the 2025-2026 list.

The publication evaluated thousands of public high schools nationwide on measures including college readiness, graduation rates and student achievement.

DHS, which was ranked 246th in the nation, received an overall score of 98.63/100.

Six ranking indicators were used to evaluate the high schools:

• College Readiness (30 percent)
• College Curriculum Breadth (10 percent)
• State Assessment Proficiency (20 percent)
• State Assessment Performance (20 percent)
• Underserved Student Performance (10 percent)
• Graduation Rate (10 percent)

Schools are evaluated on how effectively they serve all students, including underserved populations, with college readiness specifically measured through student participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

The rankings use data from the 2023-2024 school year and were produced with research firm RTI International.

Connecticut IB Academy in East Hartford claimed the top spot, with Greenwich High School at No. 2 and Weston High School ranked No. 3. After DHS, Staples High School in Westport rounded out the top five.

View the full rankings from U.S. News & World Report here.

For more on the Connecticut rankings, click here.

— Hayleigh Evans, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.