America’s Best High Schools Aren’t All Traditional, but Parents Are Willing To Pay a Premium

School is trickling back into session across the U.S., and as students settle in, some may be in for bragging rights. U.S. News & World Report released its 2025–26 Best U.S. High Schools rankings, and the top 10 schools aren’t exactly where you might imagine.

The rankings include data on more than 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Nearly 18,000 schools were ranked on six factors based on their performance on state assessments and how well they prepare the student body for heading to college.

Weighted methodology included college readiness (30%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%), college curriculum breadth (10%), and graduation rate (10%).

While the words “top schools” usually conjure up images of snowy, ivy-covered campuses in Connecticut or Massachusetts, the Northeast is surprisingly absent from the top 10.

In fact, the first Northeast school—Queens High School for the Sciences at York College in Jamaica, NY—doesn’t make an appearance until No. 25. Manhattan’s famous Stuyvesant High School is ranked even lower, at No. 33.

While many of the schools do not charge tuition, it’s where the school is located that has parents paying a premium for housing.

Ranked No. 1 is BASIS Tucson North in Tucson, AZ. Western and Southern states make up the majority of the list—a far cry from the image of the Northeast as dominating top-rated schools from primary to university and beyond.

It’s safe to say that most families would prefer their children to attend a top-ranked high school, one prepared to send them on their way to an excellent college.

To that end, families that can afford it often move to towns with high-ranking schools (something that can be determined on each Realtor.com® listing, by clicking into the “Neighborhood and Schools” tab).

And they are often willing to pay a premium to live in these areas.

“School quality plays a major role in families’ relocation choices,” says Jiayi Xu, Realtor.com economic analyst. “However, living in these high-performing districts comes at a price.”

From May to July 2025, the average median list price in these highest-rated areas reached $1.21 million—135% higher than the average in their surrounding metros, according to the Realtor.com school housing report.

Affordability is still a concern when it comes to public school systems. So the metros with the top premiums aren’t necessarily the ones with the top-ranked schools.

Specifically, Carroll Independent School District in the Dallas metro topped the list with a 390.9% premium ($1,718,866), followed by Laguna Beach Unified in Los Angeles (322% premium, $3,784,505), and Reed Union Elementary in the San Francisco Bay Area (304.7% premium, $3,033,983).

In addition, Ladue School District is the school district with the highest premium in the St. Louis metro (222.8% premium, $668,297), and New Hope-Solebury School District is the one with the highest premium in the Philadelphia metro (223.9% premium, $863,767).

Sending your kids to a top school doesn’t come cheap. Is it worth it?

“Parents who made sacrifices or concessions to be in a top school district seldom question or regret the decision,” says Atlanta agent Bruce Ailion with Re/Max Town & Country.

When his five children were young, he purchased a home in the best school district he could afford—Cobb County outside of Atlanta—and “paid a substantial premium.” He points to his now-adult children as proof that the premium paid off.

“One child is financially retired at 37, another is a tenured professor at Harvard, the third a veterinarian, the fourth a college grad working to afford to play, and the fifth an attorney working for the Department of Justice, all with scholarships and no student loans,” he says.

“Was the $50,000 to $75,000 premium worth it? I’d say so.”

He notes that private schools could have easily cost him $15,000 to 21,000 per year, per child—with no appreciation.

“In most instances, the results of a high-quality education are substantial and have a lasting, life-altering impact,” he says.

Keep in mind that the criteria for getting into these top-rated high schools vary—some do not require living in a specific district, some require academic testing or achievement, and some have tuition. Check each school’s website for admissions policies.

Here are the top 10 public high schools in the country, according to the report: