U.S. News & World Report, the Washington Post, and Newsweek all have annual rankings of the best public high schools in the nation. Despite public charter schools making up only 6 percent of public high schools nationwide, they have been a continuous presence on national ranking lists.
The table below presents the public charter schools that were ranked in the top 100 on at least one of the lists, as well as the public charter schools ranked in Newsweek’s top “25 Doing the Most with the Least” list. BASIS Tuscon North, Signature School, and Archmedean Upper Conservatory were listed in the top 100 on all three major lists. Fourteen public charter schools were among the top 100 on two national high school rankings. The U.S. News & World Report’s Best High Schools list had 24 public charter schools in the top 100. The report also ranked three public charters in the top 10. The Washington Post’s Most Challenging High Schools ranked 31 public charter schools in their top 100—up from 28 charters in 2013—and comprised half of the top 10. In Newsweek’s Top High Schools list, there were 17 public charter schools in the top 100, four more charters than in 2013, with three reaching their top 10. Newsweek also came out with their “25 Doing the Most with the Least” list, which takes students’ socioeconomic status into account. Ten public charter schools were on the list, making up 40 percent of the nation’s top high schools that are closing the achievement gap. Congratulations to these public charter schools that are providing their students with the best education in the nation. Tweet
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School Name
State
U.S. News & World Report, Best High Schools
Washington Post, High School Challenge Index
Newsweek, America’s Best High Schools
Newsweek, 25 Schools Doing the Most with the Least
Haas Hall Academy
AR
25
Accelerated Elementary and Secondary
AZ
24
BASIS Oro Valley
AZ
7
BASIS Scottsdale
AZ
2
2
BASIS Tuscon North
AZ
5
10
29
Northland Preparatory Academy
AZ
44
American Indian Public Charter
CA
44
1
Animo Jackie Robinson Charter High School
CA
9
Hawthorne Math and Science Academy
CA
55
KIPP King Collegiate High
CA
67
KIPP San Jose Collegiate
CA
41
Lennox Mathematics, Science & Technology Academy
CA
59
Northcoast Prep and Performing Arts Academy
CA
21
Orange County School of the Arts
CA
52
Oscar De La Hoya Animo Charter High School
CA
25
Pacific Collegiate School
CA
25
83
Stockton Collegiate International
CA
44
The Preuss School UCSD
CA
42
40
1
University High School
CA
53
98
Peak to Peak Charter School
CO
66
28
The Charter School of Wilmington
DE
30
Archimedean Upper Conservatory
FL
100
19
67
City of Hialeah Educational Academy
FL
13
Doral Academy Performing Arts and Entertainment
FL
86
International Studies Charter high School
FL
24
Mater Academy Charter High
FL
22
Gwinnett School of Math, Science & Tech
GA
3
17
Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy
ID
47
66
Noble Street College Prep
IL
4
Signature School
IN
21
6
5
Mystic Valley Regional Charter School
MA
92
Sturgis Charter
MA
88
Nova Classical
MN
86
St. Croix Prep
MN
80
Raleigh Charter High School
NC
55
33
Albuquerque Institute for Mathematics and Science at UNM
NM
64
48
Coral Academy of Science Las Vegas
NV
73
Dove Science Academy Tulsa
OK
8
Harding Charter Preparatory High School
OK
89
Corbett Charter
OR
3
Challenge Early College
TX
97
Energized for STEM
TX
32
Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
TX
91
Harmony School of Innovation – Fort Worth
TX
59
Harmony Science Academy – North Austin
TX
25
Harmony Science Academy Brownsville
TX
30
Harmony Science Academy Houston
TX
51
Harmony Science Academy-Waco
TX
42
IDEA Academy and Collegy Preparatory School
TX
30
IDEA Frontier College Preparatory
TX
85
KIPP Austin Col
TX
63
NYOS Charter School
TX
93
Uplift North Hills Preparatory
TX
2
40
Uplift Peak Preparatory
TX
2
Uplift Summit International Preparatory
TX
16
99
19
Uplift Williams Prepatory
TX
29
3
YES Prep East End Campus
TX
81
74
YES Prep North Central
TX
28
57
YES Prep Southeast
TX
95
Nora Kern is senior manager of research at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.
