Buchholz High School in Gainesville ranked among the top 100 public schools in Florida in U.S. News and World Report’s 2026-27 Best High Schools State rankings released Aug. 18.
The school ranked No. 69 in Florida this school year, down from No. 59 last year.
Students at the nation’s highest-ranked schools excelled on state math, reading and science exams, earned strong scores on college-level tests and graduated at high rates.
“Every student deserves a pathway to success, and that journey often begins with selecting the right school,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said. “The 2026-2027 Best High Schools rankings empower families with the valuable data and transparency they need to help make the best educational choices for them. We are proud to offer this essential resource to help shape the next generation of college-ready students.”
U.S. News evaluated about 18,000 public high schools nationwide using six indicators of school quality: college readiness (30%), college curriculum breadth (10%), state assessment proficiency (20%), state assessment performance (20%), underserved student performance (10%) and graduation rate (10%).
Each school received a score between 0 and 100, with the highest-performing schools earning a score of 100. For example, a score of 60 indicates a school performed in the 60th percentile among all ranked schools.
Buchholz High School ranked highest among Alachua County schools, placing No. 1,053 nationally this year, down from No. 847 last year. The Professional Academy Magnet at Loften High School ranked No. 1,583 nationally, followed by Eastside High School at No. 1,829 and Gainesville High School at No. 3,235.
State rankings were based on the proportion of each state’s high schools that placed in the top 25% nationally. In Florida, 57 schools ranked in the top 5% nationwide, 122 ranked in the top 10%, and 282 ranked in the top 25%.
Florida ranked No. 4 in the U.S. News Best High School state rankings.
Among Florida public high schools, Loften High School ranked No. 105 this year, followed by Eastside High School (No. 124), Gainesville High School (No. 203), Newberry High School (No. 242), Santa Fe High School (No. 286) and Hawthorne Middle/High School (No. 508).
District rankings were based on each school’s national ranking. Every district with three or more ranked high schools received a district ranking.
Within Alachua County, Buchholz ranked No. 1, followed by Loften (No. 2), Eastside (No. 3), Gainesville High (No. 4), Newberry (No. 5), Santa Fe (No. 6) and Hawthorne Middle/High (No. 7).
The top-ranked schools nationwide were:
1. Central Magnet School (TN)
2. Signature School (IN)
3. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (PA)
4. Davidson Academy (NV)
5. School Without Walls High School (DC)
6. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (VA)
7. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology (GA)
8. The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) (TX)
9. Nikola Tesla Stem High School (WA) 10. Science Academy Stem Magnet (CA)
This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: See how Alachua County high schools fared in latest US News rankings
Reporting by Chelsea Long, Gainesville Sun / The Gainesville Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chelsea Long, Gainesville Sun | USA TODAY Network
