North Oconee High School and Oconee County High School have been honored with the inaugural GreatSchools “College Success Gold Award” for college preparedness and college achievement among their graduates. Oconee County Schools was the only county school system in Northeast Georgia selected for this honor.

“Congratulations to both North Oconee and Oconee County high schools for receiving the ‘College Success Gold Award’ based on their proven track records of graduates being well-prepared to succeed at the post-secondary level,” said Superintendent Jason L. Branch. “This honor reflects the hard work of our teachers, students, parents, and leaders and our community’s shared commitment to sustained excellence. We appreciate this national recognition as it highlights our students’ successful K-12 experiences and preparation for life after graduation.”

This gold level honor for college success was launched in 2021, although the program has recognized excellence in college preparedness and success since 2018. Both North Oconee and Oconee County high schools were selected for the “College Success Award” each year since its inception.

The gold award considers ACT and SAT scores, the percentage of graduates enrolled in college, the percentage of graduates that do not require remedial courses in college, and the percentage of graduates enrolling in college for the second year. Gold level winners must have been recognized in previous years, therefore demonstrating consistency in success among graduates. Around 7% of public high schools across the nation were selected for the gold-level honor – 86 total in Georgia.

For more information, please visit www.greatschools.org.