U.S. News & World Report released its 2026-27 rankings of the nation's best high schools, with several New York schools earning top spots in the national rankings.
The annual rankings evaluated nearly 18,000 public high schools nationwide based on factors including college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates. More than 27,000 high schools were reviewed for the report.
Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, ranked No. 1 nationally.
In New York, 1,232 public high schools made the 2026-27 rankings. Most charter and magnet schools were included, while private schools were not.
Four of New York's top five schools are in or near New York City,
while one is in Western New York.
Massachusetts had the highest percentage of high schools ranked among the nation's top public schools, according to U.S. News.
Top 5 public high schools in New York
These are the five highest-ranked public high schools in New York, along with their national rankings:
- Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn — No. 73 nationally
- City Honors School at Fosdick Masten Park, Buffalo — No. 187
- Baccalaureate School for Global Education, Long Island City — No. 201
- Harrison High School, Westchester County — No. 211
- Harlem Village Academy West Charter School, New York City — No. 224
Top 5 public high schools near Buffalo
City Honors School at Fosdick Masten Park ranked No. 2 in New York and No. 187 nationally. Williamsville East High School also ranked among the state's top 100.
- City Honors School at Fosdick Masten Park — No. 2 in New York
- Williamsville East High School — No. 95
- Amherst High School — No. 105
- East Aurora High School — No. 128
- Barker Junior/Senior High School — No. 130
Top 5 public high schools near Rochester
Five Rochester-area schools ranked among New York's top 114 public high schools.
Eastridge High School ranked highest among the Rochester-area schools on the list, followed by Canandaigua Academy and Hilton High School.
- Eastridge High School — No. 62 in New York
- Canandaigua Academy — No. 68
- Hilton High School — No. 89
- Honeoye Falls-Lima Senior High School — No. 96
- Palmyra-Macedon High School — No. 114
Top 5 public high schools near Albany
Two schools in the Albany area ranked among New York's top 100, led by Bethlehem High School at No. 75.
- Bethlehem High School — No. 75 in New York
- Schuylerville High School — No. 92
- Columbia High School — No. 125
- Ballston Spa High School — No. 126
- Niskayuna High School — No. 129
Top 5 public high schools near Syracuse
Fayetteville-Manlius High School was the only Syracuse-area school to rank among New York's top 100.
- Fayetteville-Manlius High School — No. 78 in New York
- Skaneateles Senior High School — No. 103
- Jamesville-Dewitt High School — No. 104
- Hamilton Junior-Senior High School — No. 163
- Onondaga Senior High School — No. 223
Top 5 public high schools in the nation
- Central Magnet School — Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Signature School — Evansville, Indiana
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Davidson Academy — Reno, Nevada
- School Without Walls High School — Washington, D.C.
Contributing: USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Best high schools in New York: See 2026-27 U.S. News rankings
