Houston ISD's Carnegie Vanguard High School is standing tall as one of the 25 best high schools in America, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings.

DeBakey High School for Health Professions also ranks among the top 100 nationally, and 23 more Houston-area schools join them in the statewide top 100.

Each year, U.S. News evaluates approximately 27,000 public high schools on six factors: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rates.

The highest ranking public schools provide the best educational environments where "students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions."

"Every student deserves a pathway to success, and that journey often begins with selecting the right school," said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., managing editor for education at U.S. News. "The 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings empower families with the valuable data and transparency they need to help make the best educational choices for them. We are proud to offer this essential resource to help shape the next generation of college-ready students."

Top ranking Houston schools
Carnegie Vanguard High School once again leads in Texas as the No. 2 best high school, and soared as No. 25 in U.S. News' national list of the best high schools, up from No. 42 last year.

DeBakey High School for Health Professions is the 9th best high school in Texas and ranks No. 91 nationally (down from No. 75 last year).

Three more local schools ranked among the best STEM schools in the country: Memorial High School in Spring Branch ISD (No. 86), Seven Lakes High School in Katy ISD (No. 96), and Dulles High School in Fort Bend ISD (No. 99).

In U.S. News' ranking of the best charter schools, four Houston-area schools made the top 100: Spring Branch ISD's Westchester Academy for International Studies (No. 62), Harmony School of Innovation - Katy (No. 72), Harmony School of Discovery - Houston (No. 78), and YES Prep - North Central (No. 100).

Other Houston-area schools that rank among the 100 best in Texas are:

• No. 17 – Kerr High School, Alief ISD, Houston
• No. 24 – Young Women's College Prep Academy, Houston ISD
• No. 25 – Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston ISD
• No. 31 – Challenge Early College High School, Houston ISD
• No. 39 – Westchester Academy for International Studies, Spring Branch ISD, Houston
• No. 44 – Tomball Star Academy, Tomball ISD
• No. 45 – Harmony School of Innovation - Katy
• No. 46 – North Houston Early College High School, Houston ISD
• No. 51 – Eastwood Academy, Houston ISD
• No. 52 – Seven Lakes High School, Katy ISD
• No. 54 – Harmony School of Discovery - Houston
• No. 55 – Energy Institute High School, Houston ISD
• No. 56 – Spring Early College Academy, Spring ISD
• No. 63 – Sharpstown International School, Houston ISD
• No. 66 – YES Prep - North Central, Houston
• No. 73 – Tompkins High School, Katy ISD
• No. 76 – YES Prep - Southeast, Houston
• No. 80 – Harmony School of Innovation - Sugar Land
• No. 81 – Clements High School, Fort Bend ISD, Sugar Land
• No. 82 – Houston Academy for International Studies, Houston ISD
• No. 86 – Jordan High School, Katy ISD
• No. 88 – Victory Early College High School, Aldine ISD, Houston
• No. 96 – Clear Horizons Early College High School, Clear Creek ISD, Houston

Other nationally ranked Texas high schools
Nine more Texas high schools graduate to U.S. News' list of the top 100 high schools in the U.S. for 2026-2027:

• Dallas ISD's The School for the Talented and Gifted, No. 8 (up from No. 9 last year). TAG also ranked No. 17 nationally among the best STEM schools.
• Mansfield ISD's Mansfield Frontier High School, No. 33.
• Dallas ISD's School of Science and Engineering, No. 36 (down from No. 23 last year). SSE also ranked No. 20 nationally among the best STEM schools.
• Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy, No. 43 (down from No. 36 last year).
• Dallas ISD's Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, No. 15 (up from No. 23 last year).
• Dallas ISD's Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, No. 49 (up from No. 84 last year).
• BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus, No. 57 (up from No. 58 last year). The Shavano Campus also ranks No. 21 nationally among the best STEM high schools and No. 13 nationally among the best charter schools.
• Austin ISD's Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, No. 97 (up from No. 142 last year).
• San Antonio ISD's Young Women's Leadership Academy, No. 100 (down from No. 98 last year)