DALLAS — Three Dallas-area high schools top off the list of the state's best and also slate among the nation's finest, according to the latest rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
The new rankings put Dallas ISD’s School for the Talented and Gifted at No. 1 in the Lone Star State and No. 8 nationally. It also ranks as the eighth-best school in the nation for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and fourth-best magnet school in the US.
"Our community is excited to be ranked as the best high school in Texas and top eight in the U.S.," said Arnoldo Zuñiga, TAG principal. "Our students, teachers and staff continued to rise to the challenge to ensure our students would be college and career ready, all while navigating through a global pandemic."
Texas' second- and third-best schools also came from Dallas ISD: Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School and Science and Engineering Magnet School.
In the national ranking, Rangel ends the Top 20 list and SEM is only a few spots away at 22.
The No. 1 high school in the nation is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Arlington, Virginia.
The rest of Texas' top 10 were also among the top schools in the nation:
- Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy: Ranked No. 34 nationally
- Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School: Ranked No. 40 nationally
- Dallas ISD’s Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet: Ranked No. 48 nationally
- Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions: Ranked No. 50 nationally
- BASIS San Antonio - Shavano Campus: Ranked No. 77 nationally
- San Antonio ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy: Ranked No. 78 nationally
- Northside ISD’s Health Careers High School: Ranked No. 102 nationally
The rankings are determined each year based on six factors: college readiness (30%), reading and math proficiency (20%), reading and math performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%), and graduation rates (10%).
Approximately 17,840 high schools across the nation were graded for the rankings, according to U.S. News.
