Dallas ISD's The School for the Talented and Gifted is standing tall as one of the 10 best high schools in America, according to U.S. News and World Report's 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings. And three more DISD schools join it in the top 50 nationwide.
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 Dallas schools
The School for the Talented and Gifted once again leads Texas as the No. 1 best high school and ranks No. 8 in U.S. News' national list of the best high schools. TAG also ranks as the 17th best STEM high schools in America, up from No. 33 last year.
DISD's School of Science and Engineering ranks No. 4 statewide and No. 36 nationally, and it appears as the 20th best STEM school in the U.S.
Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women's Leadership School ranks No. 6 in Texas and No. 45 nationally this year, down from No. 15 nationwide in 2025.
Judge Barefoot Sanders Law Magnet ranks No. 7 in Texas and 49th nationally, up from No. 84 last year.
Elsewhere in Dallas-Fort Worth, Mansfield Frontier High School made its U.S. News' ranking debut, ranking as the 33rd best high school in the country, and claiming the No. 3 spot in Texas.
Other Dallas-Fort Worth schools that rank among the 100 best in Texas are:
- No. 13 – Trinidad Garza Early College at Mt. View, Dallas ISD
- No. 14 – Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, Grand Prairie ISD (also No. 27 in Best U.S. Charter Schools)
- No. 16 – Westlake Academy, Westlake (also No. 28 in Best U.S. Charter Schools)
- No. 20 – School of Health Professions, Dallas ISD
- No. 23 – Uplift Education-North Hills Prep High School, Irving (also No. 37 in Best U.S. Charter Schools)
- No. 26 – World Languages Institute, Fort Worth ISD
- No. 27 – Imagine International Academy of North Texas, McKinney (also No. 40 in Best U.S. Charter Schools)
- No. 28 – Young Women's Leadership Academy, Fort Worth ISD
- No. 29 – Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, Dallas ISD
- No. 30 – Booker T. Washington SPVA, Dallas ISD
- No. 35 – Marvin E. Robinson School of Business and Management, Dallas ISD
- No. 36 – Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, Grand Prairie ISD
- No. 42 – Highland Park High School, Highland Park ISD
- No. 47 – Rosie Sorrells Education and Social Services High School, Dallas ISD
- No. 49 – Independence High School, Frisco ISD
- No. 58 – New Tech High School at Coppell, Coppell ISD
- No. 65 – Centennial High School, Frisco ISD
- No. 70 – Reedy High School, Frisco ISD
- No. 74 – Coppell High School, Coppell ISD
- No. 77 – Lovejoy High School, Lovejoy ISD, Lucas
- No. 78 – Wakeland High School, Frisco ISD
- No. 79 – Liberty High School, Frisco ISD
- No. 84 – Cedar Hill Collegiate High School, Cedar Hill ISD
- No. 94 – James M. Steele Accelerated High School, Northwest ISD, Roanoke
- No. 99 – Harmony Science Academy - Euless
Other nationally ranked Texas high schools
Six more Texas high schools graduate to U.S. News' list of the top 100 high schools in the U.S. for 2026-2027:
- Houston ISD’s Carnegie Vanguard High School, No. 25 (up from No. 42 last year).
- Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy, No. 43 (down from No. 36 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).
- 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).
