The U.S. News & World Report released the ranking of “Best High Schools” for the 2026-2027 academic year on Tuesday, covering the top-performing public high schools, charter schools, and STEM high schools in all 50 states and major metropolitan areas across the United States.
Approximately 27,000 eligible public high schools were evaluated for this ranking, with nearly 18,000 schools making it onto the list. Massachusetts continued to lead the states with 47% of its high schools making it into the top 25% nationwide, followed closely by New Jersey at 44% and Maryland at 43%.
In terms of metropolitan areas, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area in California saw 60% of its schools ranking in the top 25% nationally, putting it at the top spot. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission in Texas followed closely at 59%, with Milwaukee-Waukesha in Wisconsin ranking third at 56%.
California and New Jersey led the nation in the number of STEM high schools with 96 and 50 schools respectively.
STEM high schools focus on integrating education in the core subjects of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, fostering students’ critical thinking and problem-solving skills through project-based learning, advanced laboratory research, and interdisciplinary courses. They lay a solid foundation for students pursuing STEM majors at top universities and future careers in technology.
Charter schools also performed well, representing 23% of the top 100 high schools nationally.
Among them, BASIS Charter Schools in Arizona had 3 schools ranked in the top 5 STEM high schools nationwide and had 12 campuses in the top 100.
BASIS Charter Schools are renowned K-12 public charter school networks in the U.S., known for their high academic standards and accelerated curriculum, often ranking high in the U.S. News & World Report’s list of the best high schools nationwide.
The ranking methodology was developed in collaboration between U.S. News & World Report and the non-profit research organization RTI International, using the latest data from the 2023-2024 academic year. Data sources included the U.S. Department of Education’s Common Core of Data, state math, reading, and science test scores, high school graduation rates, as well as data from the College Board’s AP and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams.
The ranking is based on six indicators, including state test performance, graduation rates, college readiness, breadth of college curriculum, performance of underserved students, and overall academic outcomes. Private schools and schools with limited data are not included in the ranking.
LaMont Jones, executive editor of the education section of U.S. News & World Report, stated that every student should have a path to success, and this journey often begins with choosing the right school. The ranking aims to provide families with transparent data for reference.
1. Central Magnet School – Tennessee
2. Signature School – Indiana
3. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School – Pennsylvania
4. Davidson Academy – Nevada
5. School Without Walls High School – District of Columbia
1. Signature School – Indiana
2. BASIS Oro Valley – Arizona
3. BASIS Goodyear – Arizona
4. Haas Hall Bentonville – Arkansas
5. BASIS Prescott – Arizona
1. High Technology High School – New Jersey
2. BASIS Ahwatukee – Arizona
3. BASIS Chandler – Arizona
4. Edison Academy Magnet School – New Jersey
5. BASIS Scottsdale – Arizona