Oxford Academy, a public high school in Cypress that enrolls about 1,200 top-achieving students through a competitive application process, fell two spots from last year's No. 2 standing, according to the magazine's annual rankings report released today.

Were terribly thrilled just to be ranked nationally and in that (Top 100) gold group, said Kathy Scott, principal of Oxford Academy. Its sort of a numbers game, but a good numbers game.

Four of the 62 top IB programs in the nation also hail from Orange County.

The IB program at Troy High in Fullerton is ranked No. 28, Laguna Hills High is No. 47, Sunny Hills High in Fullerton is No. 52, and Foothill High in Santa Ana is No. 59.

Oxford, which also was ranked No. 4 in 2007, is the only Orange County high school ranked in the Top 100 this year, although Irvine's University High School was ranked No. 76 two years ago.

(Click here to review the Orange County Register's 2009 rankings, which place Oxford as No. 1 in the county.)

U.S. News recognized a total of 24 O.C. schools this year for their overall excellence. Oxford, as a Top 100 school, was the only gold medal school; 18 O.C. campuses received a silver medal and 5 took bronze.

The magazine's rankings are based on a complex statistical analysis that examines whether a school's students including the least-advantaged students are performing better than expected for the average student in the state. The analysis also weighs test data from students' college-level Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

U.S. News' No. 1-ranked high school this year is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., which also took that honor last year.

The top California school this year is No. 3-ranked Whitney High in Cerritos.

Whitney, which is only about five miles north of Oxford, jumped from last years No. 10 spot.

I was pleased for them; they are a great school, said Scott, Oxfords principal. Its an honor that California has two schools in the top five, just a few miles apart from each other.

One difference that may account for Whitney edging out Oxford in the U.S. News rankings this year, Scott said, is that Oxford requires all students to take five Advanced Placement courses in specific areas, including English, history, government and science. Whitney, which does not have this requirement, has a higher AP pass rate, Scott said.

Thank you,

The 24 O.C. schools honored by the magazine are:

Gold medal

Oxford Academy in Cypress

Silver medal

Beckman High in Irvine

Bolsa Grande High in Garden Grove

Corona del Mar High in Newport Beach

Cypress High

Foothill High in Santa Ana

Garden Grove High

Irvine High

Laguna Hills High

La Quinta High in Westminster

Los Amigos High in Fountain Valley

Middle College High in Santa Ana

Northwood High in Irvine

O.C. High School of the Arts in Santa Ana

Santiago High in Garden Grove

Segerstom High in Santa Ana

Sunny Hills High in Fullerton

Troy High in Fullerton

University High in Irvine

Bronze medal

Anaheim High

Hope Special Education Center in Buena Park

Nova Academy in Santa Ana

Rancho Alamitos High in Garden Grove

Western High in Anaheim