Three Tucson-area high schools are among the top 15 schools in the country.
Charter schools Basis Tucson North and Basis Oro Valley were ranked second and third respectively, while TUSDโs University High School came in at No. 15 on the U.S. News & World Reportโs 2017 Best High Schools rankings list.
Additionally, Arizona made up half of the top 10 schools in the U.S., with Basis Scottsdale ranking first, Basis Peoria coming in fifth and Basis Chandler placing seventh.
The list, published annually, looks at data from more than 22,000 schools focusing on student outcomes with an emphasis on graduation rates and state proficiency tests. Diversity, enrollment, participation in free and reduced-price lunch programs and Advance Placement are also considered.
โIt is critical that students graduate from high school to put them on a successful path to college and a career,โ said Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News. โWe encourage parents to use the data included in the 2017 Best High Schools rankings to help make informed decisions about their childrenโs education.โ
Basis Tucson North moved up from last yearโs third-place rank overall and got the No. 5 ranking for best STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) school. Its Oro Valley location went from sixth to third.
University High School moved up from 24th last year.
Just over 2,600 schools made the list of 2017 Best High Schools. Other Tucson campuses included are:
- No. 299: Presidio School, charter.
- No. 798: Catalina Foothills High School, Catalina Foothills School District.
- No. 1,568: Vail Academy and High School, Vail School District.
- No. 1,625: Empire High School, Vail School District.
- No. 1,818: Academy of Tucson High School, charter.
- No. 1,911: Arizona College Prep Academy, charter.
- No. 1,943: Ironwood Ridge High School, Amphitheater Unified School District.
- No. 1,950: Sabino High School, TUSD.
- No. 1,966: Canyon del Oro High School, Amphitheater Unified School District.
- No. 2,304: Mountain View High School, Marana Unified District.
- No. 2,524: Tanque Verde High School, Tanque Verde Unified School District.
U.S. News & Report also ranked states, with Maryland taking the No. 1 spot.
Arizona ranked 25th, up from 30th last year, and took the top five rankings for best charter schools.
