Castle High School Named Top Public High School In Southern Indiana

U.S. News and World Report Releases 2026-2027 School Rankings

As a proud graduate of Castle High School in Newburgh, Indiana, I'm slightly biased when it comes to picking the best schools. It seems like there is a new study coming out every day with different reasons why this school is better than that one, and the battle never ends. This is why I get really excited when legitimate studies like U.S. News and World Report decide my alma mater is the best public school in Southern Indiana. This specific group has a methodology behind their process, using the information most parents actually care about to gauge their results. In fact, the group's motto is literally, "We help you make the best decisions," or at least that's what will greet you when you log on to their homepage. They use public and private statistics to gather lists of the best of everything each year. Categories include but are not limited to news, health, education, insurance, auto, finance, careers, and real estate. For 2026-2027, they have named Castle High School the top public high school in Southern Indiana.

Castle High School Named Top Public High School in Southern Indiana

I tend to be a data nerd, meaning I enjoy reading statistics about things that mean absolutely nothing to my everyday life. However, these statistics are about the high school that raised me into the almost-adult I am today, so let's break down how they got to be the best public education in the tri-state. If you're wondering how your school fared in the results, all of the local school statistics are available. Of all the public high schools in Indiana, Castle landed 27th in the state and 1,509th in the National rankings. Overall in the tri-state, Castle was 2nd to the private charter school, Signature School. Primary consideration factors included performance on state-required tests, graduation, and college prep. Results also included a 49% participation rate of students in Advanced Placement courses (AP Classes), while 25% of the student body are economically challenged. Here's what Castle graduate and Assistant Principal, Courtney Browder, said about the recent accolade:

"We are extremely proud of our students and faculty, so it is nice to be recognized for their hard work and dedication. In addition to this academic achievement, we had a banner year for our AP students. Castle High School produced 198 AP Scholars and boasted one of the highest AP pass rates around. We are very proud of all our Knights!"

-Courtney Browder, Assistant Principal