South Side High School in Rockville Centre ranks as the top high school on Long Island in new state rankings.
South Side High School in Rockville Centre was named the top high school on Long Island in the latest 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The school ranked 8th best in New York State, following a methodology that evaluates 27,000 public high schools based on state test performance, graduation rates, and college readiness. While Long Island saw several high-performing schools, some experienced significant drops in ranking due to a lack of Advanced Placement data from the New York Department of Education. This data accounts for 40% of the overall methodology. In contrast, other states like Massachusetts and New Jersey showed high concentrations of top-performing schools. LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, stated that the rankings provide families with the transparency needed to make informed educational choices. The rankings also highlighted the Connecticut International Baccalaureate Academy in East Hartford as the top school in Connecticut, ranking 153rd nationally.