CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL - PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

Central High School is a public high school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Central, the second-oldest continuously public high school in the United States, was founded in 1836 and is a four-year university preparatory magnet school. About 2,400 students attend grades 9 through 12. Central is regarded as one of the top public schools in the nation due to its high academic standards. Central High School is the only high school in the United States with authority, granted by an Act of Assembly in 1849, to confer academic degrees upon its graduates. This practice is still in effect, and graduates who meet the requirements are granted the Bachelor of Arts degree. Central also confers high school diplomas upon graduates who do not meet the requirement for a bachelor's degree.