Two Cobb high schools ranked among best in the country

Three other high schools also cited for excellence

Two schools in Cobb County were ranked among the Top 500 high schools nationally, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

Walton High School came in No. 313 while Lassiter High School garnered the No. 428 spot on the prominent news site's rankings for 2016, which were released on Tuesday.

Criteria used to determine the rankings included how schools fared in comparison to others in its state, academic performance of the school’s black, Hispanic and low-income students, its graduation rate and how students performed on Advanced Placement or the International Baccalaureate program.

The Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology was ranked the top school in Georgia.

The School for the Talented and Gifted, located in Dallas, Texas, was ranked as the nation’s best high school.

Three other Cobb high schools also were mentioned, including Pope, which came in at No. 610 nationally, Harrison at No. 693 and Hillgrove at No. 1,622.