In the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, the term high school rank may refer to two different meanings:

• The graded ranking of a student
  Student
  A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
  
   in comparison with his or her peers.
• The graded ranking of a school district
  School district
  School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
  
   in comparison with its peers, at a regional, statewide, or nationwide scale.

Student rank

A student's rank is measured on a curve that is variable with the performance of their peers. It can be an unfair ability assessment if there are a number of high performers in a single grade; in such an instance, those students who are just merely "good" may end up being ranked low on the scale.

College

College

A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...

s may use a student's high school

High school

High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....

 rank as part of their admissions assessment process, to determine who may attend the college and who is not worthy of being educated there if space is limited.