Top-performing high schools in Fort Worth area recognized in elite national report

Fort Worth is known by several names. Cowtown. Funkytown.

According to a recent report from U.S. News & World Report, maybe it’s time to add Smart Town to that list of nicknames.

The prestigious publication recently released its 2022 list of best high schools in the United States, and no less than 55 were in the immediate vicinity of Fort Worth.

The list was comprised from the nation’s more than 23,500 high schools, of which more than 3,200 are in Texas. Among the honored schools, Fort Worth had 10 make the list among the top 500 in Texas (top 2%) and the top 5,900 in the nation (top 25%), topped by the Young Women’s Leadership Academy, ranked No. 21 in the state and 130th nationally.

Also, the Texas Academy of Biomedical in Fort Worth came in at No. 44 in the state and 258th in the nation.

The highest ranked school in the area is the Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, ranked 15th in Texas and 120th nationally. Westlake Academy was right behind at No. 19 in the state and No. 127 in the nation.

U.S. News & World Report worked with the nonprofit research firm RTI to create the list. Schools were rated based on college readiness, state assessment proficiency/performance, underserved student performance, qualifying scores on college entrance exams and graduation rate.

This year the rankings were adjusted to account for the cancellation of state testing in spring 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Math and reading assessments from the three previous years’ rankings were used instead.

For the first time, assessment data includes most states’ science assessments. Per federal law, students take a state science assessment once between ninth and 12th grade.

Grand Prairie had five schools ranked in the top 500 in the state, one of several area cities to be so honored. The Northwest school district had all four of its public schools ranked, led by Trophy Club Byron Nelson at No. 155 in Texas and 1,444th in the nation (approximately top 6%).

“This recognition honors the expertise of our staff, hard work of our students and dedication and support of our families and community. Northwest ISD continues to set the pace when it comes to academic, arts, and athletic excellence,” said NWISD Superintendent David Hicks.

Keller also had four schools ranked among the leaders, led by Keller High (157 in state/1,474 in nation), as did Eagle Mountain Saginaw ISD. Arlington and Mansfield each had five schools ranked in the leading percentage, including Uplift Summit International High School in Arlington at No. 57 in state (336 in nation) and Mansfield High at No. 196 in state (1.968 nationally).

The nation’s top-ranked school is Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia. The highest ranked school in Texas is the School for the Gifted and Talented in Dallas, which ranked eighth in the nation.

Here is a list of the top Fort Worth area high schools in both the state and the nation, according to the report:

▪ Grand Prairie Fine Arts Academy, No. 15 in Texas, 120 in nation

▪ Westlake Academy, 19 in Texas, 127 in nation

▪ Texas Young Women’s Leadership Academy, Fort Worth, 21 in Texas, 130 in nation

▪ Grand Prairie Collegiate Institute, 40 in Texas, 232 in nation

▪ Texas Academy of Biomedical, Fort Worth, 44 in Texas, 258 in nation

▪ Uplift Summit International High School, Arlington, 57 in Texas, 336 in nation

▪ Young Women’s Leadership Academy of Grand Prairie, 106 in Texas, 844 in nation

▪ Harmony School of Innovation, Fort Worth, 109 in Texas, 880 in nation

▪ Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, 130 in Texas, 1,130 in nation

▪ Harmony Science Academy, Euless, 140 in Texas, 1,274 in nation

▪ Byron Nelson, Trophy Club, 155 in Texas, 1,444 in nation

▪ Keller, 157 in Texas, 1,474 in nation

▪ Flower Mound, 166 in Texas, 1,628 in nation

▪ Josh Dubishi Career, Grand Prairie, 170 in Texas, 1,675 in nation

▪ Young Men’s Leadership Academy, Fort Worth, 178 in Texas, 1,739 in nation

▪ Colleyville Heritage, 194 in Texas, 1,954 in nation

▪ Mansfield, 196 in Texas, 1,968 in nation

▪ Flower Mound Marcus, 205 in Texas, 2,132 in nation

▪ Keller Central, 222 in Texas, 2,307 in nation

▪ International Leadership of Texas, Saginaw, 224 in Texas, 2,325 in nation

▪ James M. Steele Accelerated, Roanoke, 226 in Texas, 2,375 in nation

▪ Keller Timber Creek, 231 in Texas, 2,440 in nation

▪ Haslet V.R. Eaton, 232 in Texas, 2,491 in nation

▪ Mansfield Lake Ridge, 239 in Texas, 2,597 in nation

▪ Tarrant County College South/Fort Worth Collegiate, 245 in Texas, 2,667 in nation

▪ International Leadership of Texas, Arlington-Grand Prairie, 250 in Texas, 2,747 in nation

▪ Birdville, 254 in Texas, 2,833 in nation

▪ Mansfield Timberview, 279 in Texas, 3,296 in nation

▪ Saginaw Boswell, 280 in Texas, 3,299 in nation

▪ Hurst L.D. Bell, 283 in Texas, 3,322 in nation

▪ Aledo, 286 in Texas, 3,375 in nation

▪ Midlothian Heritage, 291 in Texas, 3,472 in nation

▪ Keller Fossil Ridge, 300 in Texas, 3,588 in nation

▪ Southlake Carroll, 310 in Texas, 3,703 in nation

▪ Saginaw, 316 in Texas, 3,784 in nation

▪ Fort Worth Paschal, 322 in Texas, 3,892 in nation

▪ Saginaw Chisholm Trail, 324 in Texas, 3,904 in nation

▪ Uplift Mighty, Fort Worth, 331 in Texas, 4,006 in nation

▪ Fort Worth Trimble Tech, 336 in Texas, 4,063 in nation

▪ Mansfield Legacy, 339 in Texas, 4,105 in nation

▪ Euless Trinity, 346 in Texas, 4,151 in nation

▪ Richland, 350 in Texas, 4,195 in nation

▪ Northwest, 353 in Texas, 4,214 in nation

▪ Burleson Centennial, 372 in Texas, 4,453 in nation

▪ Arlington Seguin, 374 in Texas, 4,484 in nation

▪ Mansfield Summit, 400 in Texas, 4,763 in nation

▪ Arlington, 404 in Texas, 4,808 in nation

▪ Burleson, 421 in Texas, 5,079 in nation

▪ Benbrook, 438 in Texas, 5,285 in nation

▪ Kennedale, 450 in Texas, 5,410 in nation

▪ Grapevine/Colleyville Collegiate Academy, 498 in Texas, 5,849 in nation

This story was originally published July 22, 2022 at 7:00 AM.