Every year, U.S. News releases a listing of the best performing schools in the country. It also breaks those schools down by grade level, such as this year’s list of best high schools. The following are some of the neighborhoods with Houston’s best performing schools, according to the 2017 rankings.

Carnegie Vanguard High School photo courtesy of Ravi Tek

Midtown

Midtown is positioned centrally in Houston and is well connected to the rest of the city along Highway 45 to the east and Highway 69 to the south. It’s also home to the top ranked high school in the city, Carnegie Vanguard High School. This school requires students to take AP courses to graduate, and its students consistently perform well on state examinations.

Southbelt

Southbelt is located in southeastern Houston close to the outer Sam Houston Tollway loop. Connected to central Houston along Highway 45, the Southbelt area is composed of a number of smaller neigborhoods, such as Sagemont and Clearview Village. As such, the pricing on homes can vary widely, but there is typically a house for almost any budget. The area is also home to the YES Prep – Southeast campus. This school has a 100 percent participation rate in Advanced Placement coursework. Students also rank highly in math and English proficiency. 

Photo courtesy of WhisperToMe

Southgate

Southgate may be better positioned to leverage an academic environment than any other in Houston, with Rice University to the north and the Texas Medical Center to the east. Given how close the medical center is, it’s perhaps no surprise that Southgate also is home to the DeBakey High School for Health Professions. The school has active research facilities on the campus and graduates become eligible to enroll in the Houston Premedical Academy, a medical program at the University of Houston.

Northline

North of downtown is Northline, a Houston suburb that typically features affordable living. Bordered on two sides by highways, Northline has a direct connection to the downtown area and quick access to other popular parts of the city, such as Midtown. It’s also the home of KIPP Generations Collegiate, which boasts a 100 percent participation rate in its AP program and a high passing rate on AP examinations. Students are typically considered college ready at graduation and often excel in their English proficiency.

Photo courtesy of Victory Early College High School

Greater Inwood

On the opposite side of the city from Southbelt is the Greater Inwood area. Home prices can range from as low as $35,000 to over $2 million, which points to the broad number of options homebuyers have. Greater Inwood is home to Victory Early College High School, which has a very high participation rate in its AP program. Students have a high passing rate on the AP exam.

Memorial

West Houston alongside Higway 10 includes a long stretch of neighborhood known as Memorial. It’s composed of smaller communities, such as Hunters Creek Village and Bunker Hill Village. Houstonians in this area are also close to the popular Memorial City Mall on the west end and Memorial Park on the other. This is also where the aptly named Memorial High School is located. Students rank fairly high in mathematics and even higher in English proficiency. Many emerge college ready and there is a very high pass rate on the AP exam.

Photo courtesy of WhisperToMe

Woodgate

Located in northern Houston along the outer Sam Houston Tollway loop, Woodgate is tucked between a number of other suburban communities, including Maple Ridge Place and Weisenberger City. This suburban community away from central Houston is where you can find The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. This school boasts a 100 percent graduation rate and a student body that is incredibly proficient in both mathematics and English. The school also has an 85 percent passing rate on the AP exam, making it a very high performing school.

Alief

Alief is located in southwest Houston, just outside the Sam Houstown Tollway loop. Alief is home to many communities, including the Lakes of Bellaire and Beechnut Meadows. Tucked within these communities is Kerr High School. Students have nearly a 100 percent proficiency in both mathematics and English, the graduation rate is perfect, and students typically pass their AP exams.