These are the best high schools in the Pittsburgh area for 2026, according to U.S. News and World Report

U.S. News and World Report’s latest annual list of the best high schools includes numerous from the Pittsburgh area. 

The rankings, which were released on Tuesday, are based on six factors to find the best public high schools across America. This year, nearly 18,000 schools across the 50 states were included

More than 150 high schools in the Pittsburgh metro area, as designated by U.S. News and World Report, were ranked for the 2026 list. Peters Township High School, No. 382 in the national ranks, was the highest-ranked school in the Pittsburgh metro. 

A list of the top 10 public schools in the Pittsburgh metro area and Pennsylvania can be found below

Top 10 Pittsburgh-area public high schools

1. Peters Township High School (No. 382 nationally)
2. Upper St. Clair High School (No. 426 nationally)
3. Fox Chapel Area High School (No. 508 nationally)
4. Mt. Lebanon High School (No. 517 nationally)
5. Pine-Richland High School (No. 554 nationally)
6. Hampton High School (No. 606 nationally)
7. Pittsburgh CAPA 6-12 (No. 631 nationally)
8. South Fayette High School (No. 649 nationally)
9. Quaker Valley High School (No. 737 nationally)
10. Neshannock Junior/Senior High School (No. 772 nationally)

Top 10 Pennsylvania public high schools

1. Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School (No. 3 nationally) 
2. Downingtown STEM Academy (No. 19 nationally) 
3. Central High School (No. 119 nationally) 
4. New Hope-Solebury High School (No. 254 nationally) 
5. Wilkes-Barre Area STEM Academy (No. 323 nationally) 
6. Harriton High School (No. 339 nationally) 
7. Radnor High School (No. 341 nationally) 
8. Lower Merion High School (No. 380 nationally) 
9. Peters Township High School (No. 382 nationally) 
10. Unionville High School (No. 403 nationally) 

U.S. News and World Report’s methodology 

U.S. News and World Report’s ranking factors included college readiness, state assessment performance and graduation rate. College readiness is the most heavily weighted factor. 

The public high schools considered for the ranking had a 12th-grade enrollment of at least 15 students. Private high schools were not ranked because of limitations in publicly available data, U.S. News and World Report added.