Arizona Has the Highest Ranked Public High School in the Nation, Says U.S. News & World Report

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in education rankings, today announced the 2024 Best High Schools rankings. The rankings evaluate nearly 18,000 eligible public high schools at the national, state and local level.

Five new schools in the top 10: Riverside Stem Academy (CA), International Academy (MI), Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (PA), Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GA) and BASIS Peoria (AZ).

Rankings at the state, metro and school district levels, including subrankings for each metropolitan area and school districts with three or more high schools. Additionally, U.S. News published rankings on charter and magnet schools, and the top science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) schools.

“The 2024 Best High Schools rankings 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,” says LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor of education at U.S. News. “Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future.”

The highest ranked public schools in the 2024 Best High Schools national rankings are those with students who achieved exceptional scores on state assessments for math, reading and science. These schools also had strong underserved student performance, college readiness and curriculum breadth, as well as high graduation rates. College readiness specifically measures participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams, while underserved student performance focuses on students who are Black, Hispanic or from low-income households. U.S. News worked with RTI International, a global research firm, to implement the comprehensive ranking methodology.

National Ranking – Top 10
1. BASIS Peoria (AZ)
2. Signature School (IN)
3. Tesla STEM High School (WA)
4. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (PA)
5. Payton College Preparatory High School (IL)
6. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TX)
7. Academic Magnet High School (SC)
8. International Academy of Oakland (MI)
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GA)
10. Riverside Stem Academy (CA)

Best Charter Schools – Top 5
1. BASIS Peoria (AZ)
2. Signature School (IN)
3. Haas Hall Bentonville (AR)
4. Basis Oro Valley (AZ)
5. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (NM)

Best Magnet High Schools – Top 5
1. Tesla STEM High School (WA)
2. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (PA)
3. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TX)
4. Academic Magnet High School (SC)
5. International Academy of Macomb (MI)

Best STEM High Schools – Top 5
1. High Technology High School (NJ)
2. BASIS Peoria (AZ)
3. BASIS Chandler (AZ)
4. The Early College at Guilford (NC)
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)

Along with the national rankings, U.S. News also publishes a state-by-state ranking of the 2024 Best High Schools and a demographic breakdown of all ranked schools that looks at enrollment, poverty and location.