Minnetonka High School No. 6 in State: U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Minnetonka High is the sixth best school in Minnesota, according to the annual ranking by U.S. News & World Report. It was ranked 484th in the U.S.

Last year, the school was seventh in the state and 499th in the nation.

More than 21,000 public high schools throughout the country were reviewed. Criteria include student-teacher ratio, a college readiness index (determined by percentage of students taking and passing Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate exams), and students' proficiency on standardized tests.

A total of 50 percent of Minnetonka High students took one or more Advanced Placement (AP) exams and 89 percent received a passing grade in the 2010-2011 school year, the data used to determine the 2013 rankings.

Mahtomedi Senior High School earned the spot as the state's top-ranking public high school in the survey. The top-ranked school in the nation was School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas.

The methodology used in the rankings is a multi-step process, where information from nearly 22,000 public high schools throughout the country is reviewed to determine national and statewide rankings. The top 500 schools nationwide earn gold medal status.