CRISFIELD — Crisfield Academy and High School is now 75th out of 276 high schools in Maryland according to newly-released rankings from U.S. News & World Report.

That’s up from 78th last year and puts it in the top 5 in the Salisbury Metro area.

Only three schools in the tri-county area were higher: Snow Hill (45), Stephen Decatur (53) and Mardela (60). Pocomoke was at 101, James M. Bennett at 133, Washington Academy and High School at 145, and Parkside and Wicomico High 147 and 148, respectively.

U.S. News ranks only public schools and Maryland overall was fourth out of all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Schools are compared based on state assessments, graduation rates and college-level exams with data primarily from the 2017-18 academic year.

According to Vice Principal Jeff Hale CAHS moves up from bronze to silver status. In a letter to staff Mr. Hale wrote that they accomplished this “with less, showing that it’s who’s in the building that matters, not what the building is made of.”