An Oakland County school has once again topped the list of the best public high schools in the state and made the top dozen nationwide in annual rankings.
International Academy, a public magnet school with campuses in Bloomfield Hills, White Lake and Troy, is ranked 12th in the country byU.S. News & World Report, which released their 2026-2027 rankings of nearly 18,000 schools on Aug. 18.
“These rankings are an incredible reflection of the dedication and talent of our students, teachers and staff,” Huron Valley Schools Superintendent Paul Salah said in an email. “To have International Academy West recognized as the No. 1 high school in Michigan and No. 12 in the nation is an extraordinary accomplishment and highlights the academic opportunities
available to HVS students and students from surrounding communities."
U.S. News & World Report uses six criteria of varying weights to rank schools including college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency and performance (20% each), and college curriculum breadth, underserved student performance, and graduation rate (10% each).
The International Academy, which has more than 1,300 students in grades 9-12 and a graduation rate of 99%, received a total score of 99.93 out of 100 and was rated 98.4 in college readiness. All students participate in the International Baccalaureate Program, with 98% of them passing at least one IB exam, and 98% proficient in math and reading, with 87% proficient in science. The International Academy tied for No. 1 in the country in the category of state assessment proficiency.
The No. 1 public high school in the country overall as ranked by U.S News & World Report is Central Magnet School in Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Top 20 public high schools in Michigan
Here are the top 20 Michigan public high schools according to U.S. News & World Report, with national ranking in parentheses:
- International Academy, with campuses in Bloomfield Hills, Troy and White Lake (#12)
- International Academy of Macomb, Clinton Township (#21)
- City High Middle School, Grand Rapids (#60)
- Washtenaw International High School, Ypsilanti (#118)
- Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy (#137)
- Central High School, Grand Rapids (#299)
- Spring Lake High School (#320)
- Rochester Adams High School (#400)
- Troy High School (#401)
- Grosse Pointe South High School (#414)
- East Grand Rapids High School (#422)
- Novi High School (#472)
- Northville High School (#507)
- University High School Academy, Lathrup Village (#525)
- West Michigan Aviation Academy, Grand Rapids (#527)
- Okemos High School (#556)
- Saline High School (#561)
- Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor (#582)
- Elk Rapids High School (#591)
- Bridgman High School (#630)
For the full rankings and explanation of methodology, visit usnews.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: This Michigan public high school made top 12 in national rankings
