U.S.News & World Report has issued its 2012 lists for Best High Schools nationally and in each state, with Goshen High School earning the highest rank of Elkhart County high schools.

Goshen High School earned 12th place on the state list, 1,268th in the nation. Concord High School placed 18th on the list, Fairfield placed 21st and Northridge placed 27th. There are 379 high schools in Indiana, according to the list, though private schools were not included.

According to U.S.News & World Report, the list is created through several steps. First, researchers looked at high schools’ reading and math test data, determining which were statistically above what’s expected for the average student in the state, also factoring in the percentage of economically disadvantaged students.

Schools who passed the first step were then separated by if the least-advantaged students (black, Hispanic and low-income) were performing better than average for similar students in the state. Schools that made it past both steps were then eligible to be compared nationally on college readiness according to Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate test data, depending on which program is largest at the school.

To qualify to be included in the list for best high schools in Indiana, schools needed to receive a gold or silver medal through that process. Schools with gold medals were the top 500 in the nation. Silver medals went to schools ranked 500 to 2,008 nationally, including Goshen, Concord, Fairfield and Northridge. Bronze medals went to high schools who passed the first two steps in the process, but that do not offer Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate programs or if the school’s college readiness index was below the median. NorthWood High School received a bronze. Elkhart Central, Elkhart Memorial and Jimtown high schools did not receive medals in the competition.

For more information about U.S. News’ ratings and to see complete lists and U.S. New’s information on the schools, visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.

According to its website, U.S. News has been ranking U.S. high schools since 2007. The 2012 list was posted online Tuesday. .