Massachusetts once again had the largest share of the best public high schools in the US News & World Report’s annual rankings, according to data released Tuesday
Across Massachusetts, 47 percent of eligible schools landed in the top quartile of the 2026-2027 Best High School Rankings, slightly higher than the previous year
However, none of the state’s schools cracked the top 10 nationwide
The highest ranked school in Massachusetts was Boston Latin School, which came in 44th nationwide, followed by Belmont High School (138th), Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School (139th), the Bromfield School in Harvard (161st), and Lexington High School (167th)
Massachusetts’ first-in-the-nation ranking was followed by New Jersey and Maryland
Massachusetts’ stronger showing comes as state education leaders, education advocates, and families are locked in an intense debate over whether Massachusetts should impose new requirements for awarding high school diplomas
The new requirements would likely include passing end-of-course exams in core subjects and other measures, such as requiring students to demonstrate financial literacy and complete a capstone project. State leaders are attempting to fill a void created after voters in 2024 repealed a state law requiring high school students to pass Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System exams in English, math, and science
In the US News & World Report high school rankings, testing data factor heavily. The methodology includes scores from state standardized tests and college-level exams, such as Advanced Placement, and graduation rates
Schools also are evaluated on how effectively they serve Black and Latino students as well as those living in low-income households
Black and Latino students made up 25 percent or more of the student population in nearly half of the schools in the top quartile; low-income students accounted for 25 percent or more of the student population at 60 percent of schools in the top quartile, according to the data
The rankings evaluated around 27,000 eligible public high schools nationwide, with nearly 18,000 of them ranked. The highest ranked school was the Central Magnet School in Tennessee, followed by Signature School in Indiana, and Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Pennsylvania
Four state education agencies — Colorado, Maine, New York, and Vermont — did not consent for US News to use their Advanced Placement data from the College Board in the rankings, resulting in those states having the lowest proportion of schools in the top 25 percent, according to the news outlet
LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at US News, said in a statement the rankings provide families with valuable data to help them make choices about schooling
“Every student deserves a pathway to success, and that journey often begins with selecting the right school,” Jones said
James Vaznis can be reached at james.vaznis@globe.com. Follow him @globevaznis
