University High School (UHS) is an accelerated public high school located in Tucson, Arizona. Originally known as Special Projects High School (SPHS), University High School is in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD). The mission statement of UHS identifies it as "a special function high school which serves students who are academically focused and intellectually gifted and provides curriculum and social support not offered in the comprehensive high school." Since 1985, it has shared a campus with Rincon High School, a separate high school. Courses from each school can be combined, and athletics and fine arts are combined under the Rincon/University (RUHS) name.
| University High School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
United States | |
| Information | |
| Oversight | Tucson Unified School District |
| CEEB code | 030488 |
| Enrollment | 1,060 (2022-2023)[1] |
| Campus type | Urban |
| Color(s) | Black and white |
| Mascot | Penguin |
| Newspaper | The Perspective |
| Website | uhs |
Ranking and recognition
editU.S. News & World Report has included UHS in their list of "America's Best High Schools" out of nearly 18,000 schools in the US:
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Ranked #81[2] |
| 2023 | Ranked #25 |
| 2022 | Ranked #28[3] |
| 2021 | Ranked #17[4] |
| 2020 | Ranked #22[5] |
| 2019 | Ranked #40[6] |
| 2018 | Ranked #27[7] |
| 2017 | Ranked #15[8] |
| 2016 | Ranked #24[9] |
| 2015 | Ranked #8 |
| 2014 | Ranked #7 |
| 2013 | Ranked #28 |
| 2012 | Ranked #4 |
In 2014, the Washington Post listed UHS at No. 28[10] in its review of "America's Most Challenging High Schools," which ranked the 1,900 highest-performing high schools nationally.[11]
In 2013, the Daily Beast listed UHS at No. 19 in its annual list of the "Best 2,000 High Schools in the Nation.[12]
In May 2006, Newsweek named UHS as one of "The Public Elites," schools that, "NEWSWEEK excluded...from the list of Best High Schools because so many of their students score well above average on the SAT and ACT."[13]
In 2005 and 2016, it was honored as a Blue Ribbon school.[14]
Notable alumni
edit- Max Cannon, Creator of Red Meat comic strip[15]
- Gabby Giffords, U.S. Representative from Arizona's 8th district[16]
- Martha Crawford Heitzmann, vice president for research and development, Air Liquide, France[17]
- Jay Kuo, lawyer, political analyst, social media company CEO, Broadway producer, and composer and lyricist of Broadway musical Allegiance[18]
- Kaiser Kuo, writer, musician, podcaster, and Director of International Communications at Baidu[19][better source needed]
- Timothy Reckart, Academy Award nominated filmmaker[20]
- Zach Selwyn, actor, TV host, musician and writer[21] Guinness World Records Gone Wild[22]
- Michael Thompson, Professional golfer[18]
- Jessica Grace Wing, composer and filmmaker[23]
- Deja Foxx, reproductive rights activist and political strategist.[24]
References
edit- ^ "University High School". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved November 2, 2024.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". us news.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". us news.com. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". usnews.com. January 28, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". October 19, 2020. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". July 22, 2019. Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ - US News Best High Schools". October 12, 2018. Archived from the original on October 12, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ | US News Best High Schools". October 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 5, 2017. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "University High School (Tucson) in Tucson, AZ | US News Best High Schools". October 5, 2016. Archived from the original on October 5, 2016. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
- ^ "America's Most Challenging High Schools - University High School". Washington Post. 2014. Archived from the original on October 8, 2016.
- ^ https://apps.washingtonpost.com/local/highschoolchallenge/schools/2014/list/national/ [permanent dead link]
- ^ "2013 America's Best High Schools". Newsweek. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ^ "The Public Elites". Newsweek America. June 15, 2006. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006 – via MSNBC.com.
- ^ "NATIONAL BLUE RIBBON SCHOOLS PROGRAM - Schools Recognised 1982 Through 2018" (PDF). US Department of Education.
- ^ https://www.universityhighschoolfoundation.org/main/sites/default/files/pilote%20releaase%201.pdf [permanent dead link]
- ^ Star, Hank Stephenson Arizona Daily. "TUSD considers giving University High School its own campus in Tucson". Arizona Daily Star.
- ^ [1]
- ^ a b Hertvik, Nicole (December 7, 2016). "An Interview With Jay Kuo, Composer and Lyricist of 'Allegiance.'". D.C. Theater Arts.
- ^ "More on China's Second Life". Ich Bin Ein Beijinger.
- ^ Star, Phil Villarreal Arizona Daily. "Former Tucsonan Reckart snags Oscar nomination". Arizona Daily Star.
- ^ "AMC | Watch TV Shows & Movies Online | Stream Current Episodes".
- ^ "Dan Cortese to Host truTV's Guinness World Records™ Gone Wild As New Series Starts Production". tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Reel, James. "Finding 'Lost'". Tucson Weekly.
- ^ Tucson, Angela Pittenger | This Is (April 19, 2017). "Tucson's Deja Foxx on eloquently confronting Sen. Flake and running for president". This is Tucson. Retrieved March 22, 2022.