Introduction to National Rankings
Two prestigious Houston high schools are living up to their reputations for top-tier education after being ranked among the best high schools in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s just-released annual rankings. Houston Independent School District’s Carnegie Vanguard High School and DeBakey High School for Health Professions both appeared in the top 100 best high schools in the U.S., and are ranked among the top 10 in Texas.
Ranking Methodology
U.S. News annually evaluates about 24,000 public high schools on six factors: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rates. New for this year’s batch of rankings, U.S. News discontinued its list of top magnet schools, citing a lack of new data from source Common Core of Data. The national best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and charter schools rankings were unaffected.
Top Ranked High Schools
Topping the 2025 list of best U.S. high schools is BASIS Tuscon North, a charter school in Tuscon, Arizona. HISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School ranked as the 42nd best high school in the nation (down from No. 31 in 2024), and it appeared as the No. 5 best high school in Texas. DeBakey High School for Health Professions ranked four spots behind CVHS as the 9th best Texas high school this year. Nationally, it dropped five spots from its 2024 rank as No. 70 and is now the 75th best high school in the country.
Importance of Rankings
"Students and families need data to help them make one of the most important decisions of their academic journey. Our Best High Schools rankings provide the insights to help them identify schools that will prepare students for college success," said U.S. News managing editor for education LaMont Jones, Ed.D., in a press release. "Access to information isn’t just helpful — it’s essential for planning a student’s future."
Other Top Ranked Schools in the Area
Two Houston-area charter schools ranked among the top 100 in the country: Harmony School of Innovation in Katy (No. 56), and Spring Branch ISD’s Westchester Academy for International Studies (No. 94). Katy’s Harmony School of Innovation also ranked as the 33rd best high school in Texas (up from No. 37 last year), while the Westchester Academy moved up into the No. 64 spot after previously ranking 89th last year.
Best STEM High Schools
In the national list of best STEM high schools, two Katy institutions made the list: Seven Lakes High School (No. 93) and Tompkins High School (No. 98). Seven Lakes ranked as the 51st best Texas high school for 2025 (up from No. 61 last year), and Tompkins ranked 73rd (up from No. 75 last year).
Other Top Ranked Houston Schools
The 17 additional Houston schools that rank among Texas’ 100 best are:
- No. 18 – Challenge Early College High School, Houston ISD
- No. 21 – Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston ISD
- No. 27 – Young Women’s College Prep Academy, Houston ISD
- No. 31 – Eastwood Academy, Houston ISD
- No. 32 – Kerr High School, Alief ISD, Houston
- No. 44 – Spring Early College Academy, Spring ISD, Houston
- No. 60 – North Houston Early College High School, Houston ISD
- No. 66 – East Early College High School, Houston ISD
- No. 71 – Yes Prep – Southwest, Houston
- No. 77 – Sharpstown International School, Houston ISD
- No. 82 – Clements High School, Fort Bend ISD, Sugar Land
- No. 83 – Energy Institute High School, Houston ISD
- No. 86 – Houston Academy for International Studies, Houston ISD
- No. 88 – Harmony School of Innovation – Sugar Land, Sugar Land
- No. 90 – Jordan High School, Katy ISD, Katy
- No. 92 – Clear Horizons Early College High School, Clear Creek ISD, Houston
- No. 95 – Yes Prep – North Central, Houston
Other Top Ranked Texas High Schools
These nine additional Texas high schools made it into U.S. News’ national list of the top 100 high schools for 2025-2026:
- Dallas ISD’s The School for the Talented and Gifted, No. 9 (down from No. 6 last year). TAG also ranked No. 33 nationally among the best STEM high schools.
- Dallas ISD’s Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, No. 15 (up from No. 23 last year).
- Dallas ISD’s School of Science and Engineering, No. 23 (up from No. 29 last year). SEM also ranked No. 46 among the best STEM schools.
- Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy, No. 36 (up from No. 38 last year). LASA also ranked No. 74 nationally among the best STEM high schools.
- Grand Prairie ISD’s Collegiate Institute, No. 54 (down from No. 30 last year). The Collegiate Institute also ranked No. 13 nationally among the best charter high schools.
- BASIS San Antonio – Shavano Campus, No. 58 (up from No. 64 last year). The Shavano Campus also ranked No. 18 nationally among the best STEM high schools and No. 14 nationally among the best charter high schools.
- Dallas ISD’s Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, No. 84 (up from No. 85 last year).
- Lubbock ISD’s Talkington School for Young Women Leaders, No. 95 (up from No. 105 last year).
- San Antonio ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy, No. 98 (up from No. 106 last year).
Conclusion
The rankings provide valuable insights for students and families to make informed decisions about their academic journey. With several Houston and Texas high schools ranking among the best in the country, it’s clear that the state is home to many excellent educational institutions. Whether a student is interested in STEM fields, the arts, or other areas of study, there are plenty of top-ranked high schools in Texas to choose from. By considering these rankings and doing further research, students and families can find the best fit for their needs and set themselves up for success in college and beyond.
