Massachusetts had the highest percentage of high-ranking public high schools nationally, according to US News and World Report’s latest rankings, with Boston Latin School and the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School in Hadley leading the way.

The annual rankings evaluated more than 17,600 public high schools on factors such as college readiness, college curriculum, results on state assessments, the performance of students who are Black, Hispanic, and from low-income households, and graduation rate, according to the publication.

Boston Latin School placed 27th on the list — up from its 50th position last year when it was also named the state’s top high school. Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School ranked 100th nationally.

The rankings from US News and World Report have come under increased scrutiny in recent years, particularly at the university level. Some have complained that the ranking system places outsized influence on criteria that reflect wealth or level of prestige. Harvard and Yale Law schools have refused to participate, and critics have recommended that the rankings be taken with a grain of salt.

US News has defended its rankings. At the high school level, they “offer a starting point for parents to understand a school’s academic performance, whether it’s a prospective school or one that their child is already attending,” LaMont Jones, managing editor of education at US News, said in a press release.

“Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future,” Jones said.

Massachusetts had the largest proportion of its high schools ranked in the top 25 percent nationally, at about 44 percent. It was followed by Connecticut with 43 percent and New Jersey with 42 percent.

Other top-ranked schools in Massachusetts included: Lexington High School (192nd nationally), Advanced Math and Science Academy Charter School in Marlborough (228th nationally), Sturgis Charter Public School in Hyannis (235th nationally), John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science in Roxbury (236th nationally), Hopkinton High School (250th nationally), Dover-Sherborn Regional High School (288th nationally), Boston Latin Academy (308th nationally), and Acton-Boxborough Regional High School (319th nationally).

In the category of state assessment performance, which was derived from math, reading, and science test scores, overall results were compared with what US News “predicted for a school with its demographic characteristics in its state.” Schools that exceeded their expectations scored higher.

“In all 50 states, there is a very significant statistical relationship between the proportion of a student body that is Black, Hispanic and/or from a low-income household — defined as being eligible for free or subsidized school lunch — and a school’s results on state assessments,” according to the publication.

Maine and Oklahoma did not grant permission to use their schools’ scores on Advanced Placement exams in the rankings, “which means schools in these states that administered AP exams were not able to be fully credited on their college readiness,” according to the publication.

See the list of rankings below.

Top 10 high schools in the nation:

1. BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
2. Signature School (Indiana)
3. Tesla STEM High School (Washington)
4. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
5. Payton College Preparatory High School (Illinois)
6. The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
7. Academic Magnet High School (South Carolina)
8. International Academy of Oakland (Minnesota)
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (Georgia)
10. Riverside Stem Academy (California)

Top 5 charter schools in the nation:

1. BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
2. Signature School (Indiana)
3. Haas Hall Bentonville (Arkansas)
4. Basis Oro Valley (Arizona)
5. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (New Mexico)

Top 5 magnet schools in the nation:

1. Tesla STEM High School (Washington)
2. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
3. The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
4. Academic Magnet High School (South Carolina)
5. International Academy of Macomb (Minnesota)

Top 5 STEM schools in the nation:

1. High Technology High School (New Jersey)
2. BASIS Peoria (Arizona)
3. BASIS Chandler (Arizona)
4. The Early College at Guilford (North Carolina)
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Virginia)

Shannon Larson can be reached at shannon.larson@globe.com. Follow her @shannonlarson98.

Actor John Krasinski’s brother apparently doesn’t have all his office ducks in a row.

Paul Krasinski, who runs The Farmhouse in Plymouth, is in hot water over his nonprofit as the town recently ordered him to stop operations due to building code violations.

The Town of Plymouth sent the Krasinski brother cease-and-desist orders to immediately halt operations at his educational facility for violating fire safety codes and lacking the required permits. The cease-and-desist letters were first reported by the Plymouth Independent over the weekend.

“It has come to our attention that the operation of an educational facility is being operated at 296 Center Hill Rd. Plymouth, MA, and is in violation of the below fire safety codes,” the fire department’s battalion chief wrote to Krasinski.

“During a recent inspection conducted by Plymouth Fire and Building Departments it was also determined that you have failed to secure the proper licenses and permits to operate this type of occupancy at your private residence,” the battalion chief added in the cease-and-desist letter.

Local student programs and meetings have been taking place at The Farmhouse, which has not had the required permits — violating the Massachusetts State Building Code.

The town’s director of inspectional services sent a cease-and-desist order for the building code violation.

“This office has become aware of a change in use of the single-family dwelling to a public/educational use without the benefit of a building permit,” the director wrote.

“Cease and Desist all activities associated with this notice including: Immediately cease all activities and use associated with the public/business/educational activities within any building or structure on the property,” the director added in the cease-and-desist order.

The Herald received copies of the letters through a public records request on Monday.

The Herald reached out to The Farmhouse and Krasinski for a comment, but they did not immediately respond.

The Farmhouse over the weekend, after the Plymouth Independent’s report went live, posted a photo of a rainbow on social media.

“On a rainy day here at The Farmhouse, where a well-intentioned informational article was derailed, allowing the real story to be missed,” The Farmhouse wrote. “This is the story of the transformational work that our team is doing to inspire young adults to find true self and pursue their dreams.

“I asked for a sign that everything was going to be ok and this is how the universe responded!” the post continued. “All will become clear soon and give way to brighter days ahead. Thank you, Farmhouse Family.”

In a video on The Farmhouse’s website, Krasinski talks about the idea behind the nonprofit: A place where everyone can come together.

“So it didn’t matter if you were a young child or the chairman of Microsoft, everyone here was welcome,” he said. “And really it was about letting people connect, communicate and gather, and understand themselves through discovery, but also to create new solutions to things. Rather than waiting for people and institutions and organizations to change the world, why couldn’t we do it?”