RUSD Earns Recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 ‘Best High Schools’ Rankings

Eight Riverside Unified School District high schools earned recognition in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings, released on Aug. 18, highlighting the academic achievement and college- and career-readiness support available to students across the district.

Riverside STEM Academy continued its strong standing among the nation’s top public high schools, ranking No. 11 among 2,747 ranked high schools in California and No. 105 nationally.

All five comprehensive RUSD high schools: Arlington High School, John W. North High School, Martin Luther King High School, Riverside Polytechnic High School, and Ramona High School earned state rankings. Riverside Virtual School and Summit View Independent Study at the Educational Options Center also earned recognition in the 2026-27 rankings.

The recognition comes as Riverside Unified begins implementing its new five-year Strategic Plan for 2026-31, approved by the Board of Education in June. Shaped by input from more than 4,000 students, families, staff, and community partners, the plan establishes a clear focus on accelerating student outcomes and expanding future pathways so every student is known, supported, and prepared for the path they choose.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings align with these priorities. The rankings evaluate schools using six measures: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rates.

U.S. News & World Report ranked nearly 18,000 public high schools nationwide in partnership with RTI International, a global social science research organization. The rankings primarily draw on data from the 2023-24 school year, including state assessment results, graduation rates, and Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate participation and performance.