U.S. News & World Report just announced its annual rankings of the top public high schools in the nation. The rankings, new for the 2026-27 school year, “include data on over 27,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia,” according to U.S. News. Rankings include traditional public schools as well as charter and STEM schools, and they measure a range of factors: college readiness (30%); college curriculum breadth (10%); state assessment proficiency (20%); state assessment performance (20%); underserved student performance (10%); and graduation rate (10%).
In North Carolina, 604 high schools made this year’s rankings.
Here are the top 30 high schools in the state. Charter high schools are in bold—30% of the top 30!
- The Early College at Guilford
- STEM Early College at N.C. A&T
- Onslow Early College
- Wake NCSU STEM Early College High School
- Raleigh Charter High School
- Nesbitt Discovery Academy
- Philip J. Weaver Ed Center
- Green Level High
- Highland School of Technology
- Woods Charter
- Green Hope High School
- The North Carolina Leadership Academy
- Ardrey Kell High School
- Providence High School
- Triangle Math & Science Academy
- East Chapel Hill High School
- Char Eng Early College – UNCC
- Lake Norman Charter
- Marvin Ridge High School
- Research Triangle High School
- Pine Lake Preparatory
- Chapel Hill High School
- Weddington High School
- Panther Creek High School
- Northwest Guilford High School
- Durham School of the Arts
- Gray Stone Day
- Henderson Collegiate
- Franklin Academy
- Carrboro High School
See how high schools stacked up:
- Read about the national high school rankings.
- See North Carolina’s overall high school rankings.
- Check out the state’s charter high school rankings.
- View the press release and methodology from U.S. News & World Report.
Above: Shutterstock photo.
Recent Comments