St. Petersburg schools are experiencing rising Unified State Exam (USE) scores due to an influx of high-achieving students, leading to a new ranking of the city’s top educational institutions based on USE results. The analysis, derived from official statistical reports, focuses on the proportion of graduates achieving high scores across three subjects. The ranking highlights the effectiveness of schools in preparing students for the USE but does not reflect the entirety of a school’s value, such as elementary education or overall environment.

Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239 consistently ranks high, securing the top position in both rankings. Notably, Academic Gymnasium No. 56 named after M. B. Pildes made a significant leap, climbing from 22nd to 3rd place in the ranking based on high-scoring graduates. The “medical” Lyceum No. 214 also saw a rise, demonstrating strong performance in chemistry.

Other schools maintaining strong positions include Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 30 and Physics and Technology School named after Zh. I. Alferov. Lyceum No. 369 named after the Hero of Russia Alexander Zhikharev consistently performs well, holding 7th place in both rankings. The ranking also reveals notable changes in positions for several schools, with Gymnasium No. 526 of the Moscow District improving significantly.

The analysis considered two perspectives: the proportion of graduates scoring between 251 and 300 points and the number of graduates achieving the highest scores. While Presidential Physics and Mathematics Lyceum No. 239 leads in both rankings, the list of top performers varies depending on the criteria. The rise of Academic Gymnasium No. 56 named after M. B. Pildes is particularly noteworthy, as it demonstrates significant improvement in academic performance.