U.S. News declares 2 Austin high schools America's best for 2026

Austin ISD's Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) and Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders are standing tall as two of the 100 best high schools in America, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings. And six more Central Texas 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 Austin schools
The Liberal Arts and Science Academy is the best high school in Austin, and it ranks as the 5th best high school in Texas this year. Nationally, LASA is the 43rd best high school for 2026-2027, down from No. 36 last year. AISD's Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders is the 10th best Texas high school and ranks 97th nationwide (up from No. 142 last year).

Elsewhere in the Austin area, two local schools appeared among the top 100 best charter high schools in the U.S.: IDEA Rundberg College Preparatory (No. 49) and Meridian School in Round Rock (No. 63). IDEA Rundberg ranks as the No. 32 best high school in Texas, and Meridian School ranks 40th statewide.

Other Central Texas schools that rank among the 100 best in Texas are:

• No. 53 – Westlake High School, Eanes ISD, Austin
• No. 59 – Westwood High School, Round Rock ISD, Austin
• No. 64 – Colorado River Collegiate Academy, Bastrop ISD, Bastrop
• No. 95 – Round rock High School, Round Rock ISD, Round Rock

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.
• Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School, No. 25 (up from No. 42 last year).
• 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.
• 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.
• Houston ISD’s DeBakey High School for Health Professions, No. 91 (down from No. 75 last year).
• San Antonio ISD's Young Women's Leadership Academy, No. 100 (down from No. 98 last year).