Canfield High School ranks high among state and nation
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CANFIELD -- Canfield High School and school district administrators got some great news when they received the "U.S. News and World Report" high school rankings for the 2026-27 school year that places Canfield high both locally and at the state level.
The report on Friday said Canfield is the top high school in Mahoning County, the 38th best high school in Ohio -- putting it in the top 5%-- and 900th in the United States out of nearly 18,000 high schools.
Superintendent Joe Knoll said the rankings are based on certain criteria such as how many students take AP (Advanced Placement) tests and how the students scored.
"That's a big part of the rankings," Knoll said. "The rankings also take into account how well our students do on state tests and our graduation rate. With the AP tests, that is what makes up the main criteria for the rankings."
He said the Canfield Local School District will continue the AP classes and the CCP (College Credit Plus) classes for the coming school year. The CCP classes are taught in high school with students earning college credit. Both classes help Canfield students stay in the top percentage of achievement as recognized by the recent rankings.
"This recognition is a reflection of the tremendous work taking place every day at Canfield High School," Knoll said. "Our students continue to set high expectations for themselves, and our teachers and staff work tirelessly to provide the opportunities, support, and instruction that help our students succeed. We are proud of this recognition, but even more proud of the people and culture that make Canfield such a special place to learn."
Canfield High School's recognition builds on a strong record of academic achievement. The school also earned a spot on the 2025 AP School Honor Roll for its commitment to expanding access to AP coursework and supporting students on the path to college success, and consistently scoring high marks on the state report card.
"Rankings are one way to recognize achievement, but our greatest measure of success is seeing our students grow, challenge themselves and prepare for their futures," Canfield High School Principal Salvatore Maiorana said. "We congratulate our students and staff on this accomplishment and thank our families and community for their continued support of Canfield Local Schools."
The news spread fast on Friday, with Knoll giving the report at the weekly Rotary meeting, and in his weekly report to the school board. He said this week he plans to let the community know about the rankings. The report made board member Nader Atway very happy.
"As a board, we are committed to supporting our students, teachers, staff and administration to ensure they are set up for success," Atway said. "This ranking is a true reflection of their hard work and effort on a daily basis and we appreciate the collective efforts of the entire team of individuals that contributed to this success. We know that the goal will be to continue to challenge each other to build on this ranking going forward in the future."