Six of the top 10 public high schools in Alabama reside in the Birmingham-metro area, according to the 2026-27 U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools in America rankings.

U.S. News reviewed more than 27,000 public schools and ranked nearly 18,000 for this year’s report. The list includes public schools, charter schools and schools that focus on STEM.

The rankings are based on six key metrics including:

College readiness
State assessment proficiency
State assessment performance
Underserved student performance
College curriculum breadth
Graduation rate

U.S. News & World Report ranks top high schools in Alabama

Huntsville’s New Century Tech earned the title as Alabama’s #1 ranked high school in this year’s survey.

Birmingham-area schools dominated the rest of the top five.

Here is the full top 10 list of best high schools in Alabama along with their national ranking:

New Century Tech Demo High School (131)
Homewood High School (212)
Mountain Brook High School (215)
Vestavia Hills High School (533)
Hewitt-Trussville High School (679)
Fairhope High School (701)
Spain Park High School (782)
Oak Mountain High School (818)
James Clemens High School (942)
Arab High School (991)

“Being ranked 215th in the nation by U.S. News and among the top three public high schools in Alabama is a tremendous source of pride for Mountain brook. This recognition reflects the excellence of our administrators and teachers, the commitment of our parents and a community that believes deeply in giving our children every opportunity to succeed.

“It’s also a pleasure to celebrate the success of our next door neighbor, Homewood. Having two schools ranked in the top .01% in the nation, only solidifies our region’s commitment to our future. Plus, it keeps us on our toes!”
Mountain Brook Mayor Graham Smith

Here’s how other Birmingham-area high schools stacked up in Alabama: