This New Orleans high school is ranked No. 1 in Louisiana and among top 100 in U.S.

Benjamin Franklin High School, a selective-enrollment charter school in New Orleans, took the top spot in U.S. News and World Report's ranking of Louisiana's best high schools and made the list of the best schools nationwide.

Ben Franklin was the only Louisiana school to make the report's list of the top 100 schools in the U.S., coming in at 99th place. It also was ranked 24th in a list of the country's top charter schools.

"This is an incredible milestone for the Ben Franklin community and it's also an important milestone for New Orleans and Louisiana," said Benjamin Franklin High School CEO Alex Jarrell. "Our city and state's future hinges on having top schools preparing students and as a driver of economic mobility."

The rankings consider students' scores on state tests, the academic performance of students in underserved demographic groups, students' participation and performance in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, and the school's graduation rate. On a 100-point scale, Ben Franklin High School scored 99.45. 

According to the school's scorecard, 91% of Ben Franklin students took at least one AP exam, 78% passed at least one AP exam and the graduation rate exceeded 95%. Seven students earned perfect scores on the ACT and 31% of students earned a 30 or higher on a 36-point scale.

NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Fateama Fulmore said in a statement that the ranking was a "reflection of the hard work and dedication of its students, educators, staff, and families."

“At its heart, Franklin’s success is about students achieving at their highest level," she said, "and that’s what we want for every child in every school across our district.”

As a selective admissions school, students must pass an academic exam and meet a minimum grade point average to be admitted. About 61% of Ben Franklin students are non-White and 32% come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, compared with about 92% non-White students across all New Orleans public schools and 82% of all students who are economically disadvantaged.