These Tucson-Area Schools Are Among Arizona's Best For 2026-27: U.S. News

For Tucson families weighing where students should attend high school, five public schools in the area have been placed among Arizona’s top 25 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 to 2027 Best High Schools rankings. University High School led the local group, followed by BASIS Tucson North. Tanque Verde High School, Catalina Foothills High School and Empire High School also earned spots, giving several Tucson area districts and charter operators statewide recognition.

University High, part of Tucson Unified School District, ranked sixth in Arizona and 50th nationally. The school reported a 98% graduation rate, a college readiness score of 94 and an enrollment of 982 students in grades nine through 12. The ranking makes University High one of the strongest large public high schools in the region, based on a review that considers academic results, preparation for college and graduation outcomes.

BASIS Tucson North ranked ninth in Arizona and 58th nationally. The public charter school reported a 100% graduation rate and a college readiness score of 100, with 227 students enrolled in grades nine through 12. Its placement marks a sharp change from the previous national ranking, when BASIS Tucson North was named the country’s No. 1 high school. This year, it fell to No. 58, even though it continued to post the highest possible scores in the two measures reported for the school.

The other three local schools each placed within Arizona’s top 25. Tanque Verde High School, in the Tanque Verde Unified School District, ranked No. 20 in the state and No. 755 nationally. It reported a 95% graduation rate, a college readiness score of 65.5 and 761 students in grades nine through 12. Catalina Foothills High School ranked No. 23 in Arizona and No. 1,056 nationally, with a 94% graduation rate, a 49.7 college readiness score and 1,865 students. Empire High School, part of Vail Unified School District, ranked No. 25 in Arizona and No. 1,264 nationally. It reported a 96% graduation rate, a 40.5 college readiness score and enrollment of 886.

Students and families north of Tucson also have a highly ranked option in BASIS Oro Valley. The school was Arizona’s top ranked public high school in the national list, placing No. 15 in the country. It reported a 100% graduation rate, a college readiness score of 100 and 234 students in grades nine through 12. Its national position put it ahead of both BASIS Tucson North and University High, while the Tucson area’s five other listed schools filled out the state’s top 25.

U.S. News evaluated nearly 18,000 public high schools nationwide from a pool of more than 27,000 schools reviewed for the new list. Charter and magnet schools were eligible, but private schools were not included because of limits in the publicly available data. The rankings were developed with RTI International, a North Carolina nonprofit research organization, and are intended to compare schools across states using common measures rather than local district ratings alone.

The methodology gives the largest share of the score, 30%, to college readiness, based on participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. State assessment proficiency in math, reading and science accounts for 20%. Another 20% measures how underserved students perform relative to expectations, while 10% compares those students with their non underserved peers statewide. The breadth of college level coursework contributes another 10%, and the four year graduation rate for students who entered ninth grade in the 2020 to 2021 school year accounts for the final 10%. The approach means the rankings reflect both overall achievement and how schools serve student groups that have historically faced educational disadvantages.

The national list also illustrates how selective admission policies can affect the results. U.S. News noted that each of the top 20 schools nationally either uses selective enrollment or admits students through a lottery. Central Magnet School in Tennessee took the No. 1 spot after moving up two places. For Tucson residents, the local rankings offer one data point for comparing schools, but they do not describe every factor that shapes a student’s experience, including transportation, programs, campus culture or the admissions process at a charter school.

The recognition comes as U.S. News has also highlighted the University of Arizona in its 2026 to 2027 Best Global Universities rankings. The university rose 13 spots to No. 102 among 2,250 institutions in more than 100 countries, placing it in the top 5% of qualified universities worldwide. It ranked No. 20 among public universities in the United States and No. 40 among all U.S. universities. The U of A was No. 1 among U.S. public universities and No. 3 globally in space science, with strong marks tied to its research reputation, publications and citations. It also ranked among the top institutions in water resources and geosciences, extending Tucson’s education profile from highly rated high schools to globally recognized university research.