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JACKSON — The Mississippi Department of Education today announced that Natchez Early College Academy was one of 46 Mississippi high schools to receive the 2022 College Success Award from GreatSchools.org, the nation’s leading nonprofit providing school information to parents and families.

Now in its fifth year, the annual recognition honors public high schools that excel at preparing students to enroll and succeed in college, as determined by available data in each state.

Mississippi’s recipients are among 1,742 winners from 25 states that have demonstrated successful track records of graduating students who enroll in two-or four-year colleges, are ready for college-level coursework, and persist on to their second year. Despite the many challenges brought forth by the COVID-19 pandemic, these schools have continued to uphold many best practices to support their students’ college preparation and success.

The College Success Award is possible because Mississippi is leading the nation in both collecting and transparently sharing information on how students perform after high school, which is valuable information for families, educators, and policymakers.

“We applaud Mississippi for prioritizing a high-quality public education that puts students on the path to bright futures,” said Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools. “It’s inspiring to see how entire school communities — students, teachers, and families — can work together in pursuit of a common goal: success for all. Congratulations to these 46 schools for receiving the College Success Award as proof of their hard work and dedication.”

Community members can join in celebrating Mississippi’s winning schools on social media using #CollegeSuccessAward. To learn more about the College Success Award and view the complete list of winners, visit bit.ly/3QQORim.

The 46 Mississippi high schools are:

• Baldwyn High School
• Biggersville High School
• Booneville High School
• Brandon High School
• Center Hill High School
• Clinton High School
• DeSoto Central High School
• East Central High School
• East Union Attendance Center
• Enterprise High School
• Germantown High School
• Golden Triangle Early College
• Grenada High School
• Ingomar Attendance Center
• Lafayette High School
• Lewisburg High School
• Loyd Star School
• Madison Central High School
• Mississippi School for Math and Science
• Mississippi School of the Arts
• Murrah High School
• Natchez Early College Academy
• Neshoba Central High School
• Northeast Lauderdale High School
• Northwest Rankin High School
• Noxapater Attendance Center
• Oak Grove High School
• Ocean Springs High School
• Oxford High School
• Pearl High School
• Petal High School
• Pine Grove High School
• Pisgah High School
• Ray Brooks School
• Richland High School
• Ridgeland High School
• Saltillo High School
• Shaw High School
• Stone High School
• Thrasher High School
• Tupelo High School
• Wesson Attendance Center
• West Bolivar High School
• West Lauderdale High School
• West Lincoln School
• Winona Secondary School