U.S. News & World Report has released its rankings of the best public high schools in the United States for the 2025-2026 academic year, and Newton’s two public high schools landed relatively high up on the list.

They ranked nearly 18,000 high schools across the country based on a variety of metrics. Newton South came in at number 575, and Newton North was ranked number 852.

That puts both of the city’s high schools in the top 5 percent of the rankings nationwide.

Statewide, Newton South High School was ranked the 24^th best public high school in Massachusetts, and Newton North was ranked number 35.

The U.S. News & World Report ranking methodology takes several factors into consideration:

• College readiness, which can be seen in the proportion of 12^th grade students who took and earned a qualifying score on at least one Advanced Placement or Baccalaureate Exam, counts for 30 percent of a school’s ranking.
• State assessment in math, science and reading counts for 40 percent of the ranking.
• Underserved student performance (for Black, Hispanic, Latino and low-income students) counts for 10 percent.
• College curriculum participation rate, based on how many 12^th graders earned qualifying scores on AP exams, counts for 10 percent.
• And the school’s graduation rate for students who entered ninth grade in the 2019-2020 school counts for 10 percent.

While their rankings are different, very little sets the two Newton high schools apart. Newton South High School has a 99 percent graduation rate with a college readiness score of 57.1. Newton North has a 98 percent graduation rate with a college readiness score of 56.7.

For nearby comparison:

• Brookline High School is ranked number 637 nationally and 28^th statewide.
• Needham High School’s at number 760 nationally and 31^st statewide.
• Wellesley came in at number 481 nationally and 20^th statewide.
• And Watertown is ranked 2,047^th in the country and 85^th in the state.

You can read the full U.S. News & World Report rankings lists, both nationally and by state, here.