According to a U.S. News Article, Blacksburg High School was ranked as the 20th best public high school in Virginia.. Over 24,000 public high schools were evaluated, and more than 18,000 were ranked. Blacksburg High School was ranked #1,071 nationally, putting it in the top tier of schools across the country.
The reasoning behind these rankings is based on graduation rates, AP and SOL test scores, engineering and math-focused classes, as well as athletic success. The article states, “Virginia public schools must also ensure that students develop competencies in the 'five c’s' – critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship.”
Some insight from Blacksburg High School students in Mrs. Catley's Bear Necessities class, which is the student-run bruin apparel store, gave some of their own insight relating to these rankings.
More than a third of the students in her class knew that BHS had achieved this mention. When asked if the school deserved this achievement, some agreed that BHS should be in the top 10 and referred to the PGA National Golf Championship Blacksburg won last golf season in 2025, as well as the high exam pass rate, which is 80%.
Patrick Walsh, one of Mrs. Catley’s Students, states, “We have a pretty nice school, with a good community. We have a lot of CTE (career and technical education) classes…A lot. So many students who are taking the AP classes do it because they have to compete with their peers.”
Jack Herbert and Sam Szefc agree that we have a super cool town that attracts a lot of people, and we have a lot of trophies at Blacksburg High School to show our success.
These are just some of the 1,281 students at Blacksburg High School and they all agree that BHS has lived up to this standard of success. Blacksburg High School is a diverse and appealing school that anyone who walks in will embrace.