Two Houston high schools are dominating U.S. News and World Report's prestigious annual list of the country's best public high schools.

The 2024 rankings from U.S. News, released April 23, put Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School at No. 31 nationally (up from No. 35 last year and No. 40 in 2022) among the country’s best high schools. The school also ranks No. 248 nationally among the best STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) high schools and No. 12 among the best magnet high schools.

Meanwhile, DeBakey High School for Health Professions ranks No. 70 nationally among the best high schools (down from No. 66 last year and No. 50 in 2022) and No. 19 among best magnet high schools. DeBakey ranked No. 426 nationally among best STEM high schools.

Topping the national list for 2024 is the BASIS Peoria Charter School in Peoria, Arizona.

Each year, U.S. News evaluates about 18,000 high schools on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth, and graduation rates.

“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,” said LaMont Jones, Ed.D., the managing editor of education at U.S. News, in a release. “Accessible data on our high schools can empower families across the country as they navigate today’s educational environment and plan for the future.”

Elsewhere in Texas
Around the state, these Texas high schools also made it into the top 100 nationally:

• Dallas ISD's The School for the Talented and Gifted, No. 6 (unchanged from last year). No. 21 nationally among the best STEM high schools, and No. 3 among the best magnet high schools.
• Dallas ISD's Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School, No. 23 (down from No. 18 last year) and No. 10 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
• Dallas ISD's Science and Engineering Magnet School, No. 29 nationally among the best high schools (down from No. 23 last year), No. 37 nationally among the best STEM high schools, and No. 11 nationally among the best magnet high schools.
• Grand Prairie ISD's Collegiate Institute, No. 30 (up from No. 188 last year). No. 6 nationally among best charter high schools.
• Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy, No. 38 (down from No. 32 last year and No. 34 in 2022). No. 34 nationally among the best STEM high schools.
• BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus, No. 64 (up from No. 81 last year and No. 77 in 2022). No. 76 nationally among the best STEM high schools and No. 13 nationally among the best charter high schools.
• Brownsville ISD's Early College High School, No. 71 (up from No. 229 last year).
• Dallas ISD’s Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet, No. 85 (up from No. 93 last year and No. 48 in 2022) . No. 21 nationally among the best magnet high schools.

When broken down just to Texas schools, Houston's Carnegie Vanguard High School (No. 5) and DeBakey High School for Health Professions (No. 8) are both in the top 10 best-rated public high schools in Texas this year, U.S. News says.

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

• No. 24 – Kinder High School for Performing and Visual Arts, Houston ISD
• No. 25 – Challenge Early College High School, Houston ISD
• No. 29 – Young Women's College Prep Academy, Houston ISD
• No. 32 – Eastwood Academy, Houston ISD
• No. 37 – Harmony School of Innovation - Katy, Katy
• No. 40 – Kerr High School, Alief ISD, Houston
• No. 43 – Houston Academy for International Studies, Houston ISD
• No. 47 – East Early College High School, Houston ISD
• No. 59 – Clear Horizons Early College High School, Clear Creek ISD, Houston
• No. 61 – Seven Lakes High School, Katy ISD
• No. 63 – Early College Academy at Southridge, Spring ISD, Houston
• No. 68 – KIPP Houston High School, Houston
• No. 70 – North Houston Early College High School, Houston ISD
• No. 71 – Victory Early College High School, Aldine ISD, Houston
• No. 75 – Tompkins High School, Katy ISD
• No. 76 – Clements High School, Fort Bend ISD, Sugar Land
• No. 82 – Sharpstown International School, Houston ISD
• No. 85 – Tomball Star Academy, Tomball ISD
• No. 89 – Westchester Academy for International Studies, Spring Branch ISD, Houston
• No. 95 – Harmony School of Innovation - Sugar Land, Sugar Land
• No. 97 – Harmony School of Discovery - Houston, Houston
• No. 98 – Energy Institute High School, Houston ISD