Research · High schools - Georgia · October 2026
Georgia high schools with the highest Milestones proficiency, 2024-25
As of October 2026: Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology leads Georgia, with 98.0% of students proficient or better on the core Milestones tests. Elite Scholars Academy in Jonesboro is next, at 92.3%.
The table holds thirty Georgia high schools. They are the ones where the most students scored proficient or better on the core end-of-course tests.
Analysis: Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach, highschoolreach.com), October 2026. Figures and the table may be quoted with attribution to Test Prep Gurus.
The findings, in plain English
Three schools clear 88%. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology is at 98.0%. Elite Scholars Academy is at 92.3%. Alliance Academy for Innovation is at 88.0%. After that the list steps down slowly, from 85.5% at Innovation Academy to 67.5% at Denmark High School. All three leaders are schools students apply to.
Algebra is the hardest of the four tests. Most schools here score well in English and biology and give back ground in algebra. Atlanta Classical Academy shows 92% in U.S. history and 61% in algebra. Savannah Arts Academy shows 89% in biology and 64% in algebra. Pope High School shows 84% in biology and 64% in algebra.
Metro Atlanta holds most of the list. The Gwinnett, Forsyth, Fulton and Cobb county schools run deep here: Walton High School at 82.5%, Lassiter High School at 79.8%, Lambert High School at 79.5%, Northview High School at 75.0% and Johns Creek High School at 74.0%. Columbus High School, at 84.2%, is the strongest school on this list outside metro Atlanta.
The thirty highest Milestones results in Georgia
Share of students scoring Proficient Learner or Distinguished Learner on each core end-of-course test.
| High school | City | Avg proficient | Algebra | English | Biology | U.S. History |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gwinnett School of Mathematics- Science and Technology | Lawrenceville | 98.0% | — | 99% | 100% | 95% |
| Elite Scholars Academy School | Jonesboro | 92.3% | 95% | 90% | 92% | — |
| Alliance Academy for Innovation | Cumming | 88.0% | 85% | 94% | 92% | 81% |
| Innovation Academy | Alpharetta | 85.5% | 79% | 90% | 90% | 83% |
| Columbus High School | Columbus | 84.2% | 92% | 94% | 88% | 63% |
| Davidson Fine Arts Magnet | Augusta | 84.0% | 93% | 86% | 89% | 68% |
| Walton High School | Marietta | 82.5% | 71% | 86% | 85% | 88% |
| Dekalb Early College Academy | Stone Mountain | 82.5% | 86% | 72% | 77% | 95% |
| DeKalb School of the Arts | Avondale Estates | 81.2% | 81% | 86% | 73% | 85% |
| Savannah Arts Academy | Savannah | 80.5% | 64% | 87% | 89% | 82% |
| Lassiter High School | Marietta | 79.8% | 71% | 81% | 79% | 88% |
| Lambert High School | Suwanee | 79.5% | 74% | 84% | 87% | 73% |
| Atlanta Classical Academy | Atlanta | 78.8% | 61% | 81% | 81% | 92% |
| Pope High School | Marietta | 77.5% | 64% | 82% | 84% | 80% |
| Starrs Mill High School | Fayetteville | 76.2% | 64% | 77% | 82% | 82% |
| Academy for Classical Education | Macon | 76.0% | 75% | 80% | 70% | 79% |
| North Oconee High School | Bogart | 75.5% | 89% | 71% | 76% | 66% |
| South Forsyth High School | Cumming | 75.2% | 66% | 81% | 88% | 66% |
| Northview High School | Duluth | 75.0% | 68% | 81% | 83% | 68% |
| McIntosh High School | Peachtree City | 74.8% | 78% | 73% | 78% | 70% |
| Chattahoochee High School | Alpharetta | 74.8% | 70% | 76% | 80% | 73% |
| Johns Creek High School | Johns Creek | 74.0% | 73% | 74% | 79% | 70% |
| Oconee County High School | Watkinsville | 72.5% | 79% | 70% | 71% | 70% |
| Bremen High School | Bremen | 70.8% | 73% | 64% | 79% | 67% |
| Rainey McCullers School of the Arts | Columbus | 70.0% | 58% | 83% | 62% | 77% |
| Harrison High School | Kennesaw | 69.8% | 70% | 70% | 76% | 63% |
| Savannah Classical Academy Charter High School | Savannah | 69.5% | 76% | 44% | 83% | 75% |
| Buford High School | Buford | 69.0% | 70% | 66% | 77% | 63% |
| Glynn Academy | Brunswick | 67.8% | 64% | 70% | 72% | 65% |
| Denmark High School | Alpharetta | 67.5% | 66% | 74% | 77% | 53% |
The Governor's Office of Student Achievement publishes Georgia Milestones results. These are end-of-course tests for the 2024-25 school year, and each number is the share of students who scored Proficient Learner or Distinguished Learner, which is Georgia's college-ready bar. The first column averages the core courses a school reported, so a school reporting three courses is averaged over three; a blank cell means the school reported no result for that course. These rows carry no graduation rate. The list shows the leaders: a school's absence means it is not in the top thirty.
What proficient means in Georgia
Georgia sorts every Milestones result into four levels. They are Beginning, Developing, Proficient and Distinguished. The state treats Proficient as the mark of a student who is ready for the next course, or for college work. So our column is the share at Proficient or above.
Georgia's bar is a strict one. Across the state most schools land between a quarter and half of students at that level, which is why a school at 74.0% is well up the list rather than middling. Comparing these numbers to another state's test results will mislead you, because every state sets its own bar.
Why the subject columns matter more than the average
The core tests cover algebra, American literature and composition, biology and U.S. history. A school with a strong average can still have one weak course, and the course is what a student actually takes.
Algebra is the common weak spot. Savannah Classical Academy Charter High School shows 76% in algebra and 44% in English. That is the reverse of the usual pattern. Middle schools show up in the Milestones file when they give algebra or biology early. That is one reason math results move around more than the others.
What a family should do with this
Pull up your own school and read it course by course. A single number for the school hides the one class where half the students are not clearing the bar, and that class is usually algebra.
If your student is about to take a course where the school's result is weak, plan the help for that year. Do not wait for the test. And if you are weighing a magnet or charter school, keep in mind that these schools admit by application. Part of what the numbers show is who walked in the door.
Questions parents ask
Which Georgia high school has the highest Milestones scores?
Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology leads Georgia, with 98.0% of students proficient or better on the core Milestones tests.
What does proficient mean on Georgia Milestones?
The state treats Proficient as the mark of a student who is ready for the next course, or for college work.
Which Milestones test is hardest?
Algebra is the common weak spot.
Method & sources: The figures are Georgia Milestones end-of-course results for 2024-25, published by the Governor's Office of Student Achievement, for all students at each school. Our column sums the Proficient and Distinguished shares for each core course -- algebra, American literature and composition, biology and U.S. history -- and averages the courses a school reported. Schools reporting fewer courses are averaged over fewer. Middle schools appear in the file when they give algebra or biology early, so the group tested is not always a high school group.
This brief as data: /research/georgia-milestones-top-schools.json. Free for editorial use with attribution to Test Prep Gurus (High School Reach).
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