Private School Rankings

Two Houston private schools rank among the nation's best in new survey

St. John's School is the No. 2 private school in Texas, and the 20th best in the nation, according to a new survey.

When it comes to private schools, Houston knows its business. At least according to Niche, which just released its 2017 best private high schools list.

St. John's School took the No. 2 spot in Texas, and the 20th spot nationally, while archrival The Kinkaid School ranked No. 7 in the state among private schools and 77th nationally.

Dallas' St. Mark’s took the No. 1 spot in Texas, and the 18th spot nationally. Also for Texas, Dallas’ Hockaday and Greenhill took Nos. 3 and 5, respectively; Austin’s St. Stephen’s Episcopal School placed No. 4, and San Antonio's Keystone School came in at No. 8 in the state.

Overall, Niche analyzed 3,000 private high schools, weighing factors like SAT/ACT scores, quality of colleges that students consider, and student and parent reviews about the school. The data itself came from the U.S. Department of Education, along with test scores, college data, and ratings collected from millions of Niche users. This is also the first year that the rankings included lists like best boarding schools and best K-12 private schools.

Nationally, St. Mark's, Hockaday, and St. Stephen’s also fared well, ranking in the top 50 (Nos. 18, 40, and 47, respectively). Dallas’ Greenhill (No. 54) and Cistercian (No. 76), as well as San Antonio's Keystone School (No. 99) also made the list.

The No. 1 school nationally? Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.

reports education

santa's favorite city

Houston makes the nice list of top 5 most festive U.S. cities in 2024

Photo courtesy of City Lights

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Houston's unending love for the winter holidays is shining bright this year, as the city was just declared the No. 4 most festive city in America for 2024.

Home services provider Thumbtack's recently released report compiled data from millions of holiday light installation requests across all 50 states between October 2023 to October 2024 to reveal its list of the most festive cities in the nation.

Houston previously held the coveted No. 3 spot in 2023 before slipping to No. 4 this year. The city previously ranked No. 4 in 2022.

Houstonians have plenty of citywide light displays to pull inspiration from for their own homes, including the new Coca Cola Classic Christmas, Memorial Park's Holiday Lights, and many more.

Texas cities are far merrier than many other places in the country, with Austin leading the nation as the No.1 most festive city for the third year in a row, and Dallas ranking just one spot behind as No. 2. San Antonio ranked No. 10 this year, after previously ranking No. 5 in the 2023 report.

Houstonians will have to get creative when it comes to their holiday decorating, as the weather doesn't always cooperate with the classic "White Christmas" theme. But that's to be expected from one of the top 10 best warm-weather travel destinations nationwide.

"In the milder climates, you probably won’t find a winter wonderland, but you might see plenty of twinkling lights, tinsel, and bold colors outside the traditional red, green, and white palette," the report's author wrote. "Neon baubles, vintage plastic Santa molds, and playful LED lights keep properties festive and bright. Native eucalyptus, olive branches, and succulents are used as greenery in place of traditional pine and fir."

Outsourcing that outdoor holiday decorating will cost a pretty penny, according to Thumbtack's analysts. The study said the average cost to hire a holiday lighting specialist can range from $168-$300, depending on the scope of the project and home size. Thumbtack also recommends Houstonians avoid hiring a lighting specialist during Thanksgiving weekend, which is the time period that sees the highest demand.

Thumbtack's top 10 most festive U.S. cities in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Dallas, Texas
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Houston, Texas
No. 5 – San Francisco, California
No. 6 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 – Sacramento, California
No. 8 – Charlotte, North Carolina
No. 9 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 10 – San Antonio, Texas

austin dallas houston san antonio rankings holidays christmas reports