The 2012 U.S. News and World Report "Best High Schools" ranking, publish in Sept. 2012, awarded Pullman High School a silver medal. The report's criteria were student-teacher ratios, college readiness, and math and English proficiency.

Of the nearly 22,000 high schools ranked nationwide, 78 percent did not receive medals. Among those receiving medals, 7 percent were silver. In the state of Washington, PHS ranked number 29.