These Are Now The 10 Best High Schools In Minnesota

Minnesota has long carried a reputation as one of the country's stronger states for education, and the numbers keep backing it up.

The state's class of 2025 posted a record-high graduation rate, continuing a steady climb out of the pandemic-era dip.

So when a major study set out to identify the best high schools across America — and the best in every individual state, Minnesota families had good reason to pay attention.

That study is the recently released U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings for 2026-2027, which sorted through tens of thousands of public schools nationwide. Here is how it worked, and which ten Minnesota schools rose to the top.

Finding The Best High Schools In America

Working with the research firm RTI International, U.S. News reviewed more than 27,000 public high schools and ranked nearly 18,000 of them. Each earned an overall score from zero to 100 — a national percentile — built from six weighted factors:

• College Readiness (30%) — the share of seniors who took and passed AP or IB exams
• State Assessment Proficiency (20%) — how students scored on state math, reading and science tests
• State Assessment Performance (20%) — how those scores compared to what was predicted for the school's demographics
• College Curriculum Breadth (10%) — participation and success across multiple AP or IB subject areas
• Underserved Student Performance (10%) — how Black, Hispanic, and low-income students scored versus state peers
• Graduation Rate (10%) — the share of ninth-graders who graduated four years later

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Test performance carried the most weight because that data exists for every school, while college-level exams and graduation rates rounded out the picture.

Only public schools qualified — charters and magnets were eligible, private schools were not — and each needed a 12th-grade class of at least 15 students.

The 10 Best High Schools In Minnesota

According to this study, these are Minnesota's 10 best public high schools for the 2026-2027 rankings, counting down from No. 10 to No. 1.

No. 10 — Eagle Ridge Academy Charter School, Minnetonka

Nationally ranked No. 480 with a score of 97.33, this classical charter for grades 6-12 sent 65% of seniors into at least one AP exam, hit 74% science proficiency, and graduated 89% of students — all while about 36% of its student body is economically disadvantaged.

No. 9 — Mounds View Senior High School, Arden Hills

One of the larger schools on the list, with more than 1,800 students, Mounds View ranked No. 473 nationally with a score of 97.36. It paired a 96% graduation rate with a 67% AP participation rate and steady proficiency across all three tested subjects.

No. 8 — Harbor City International Charter, Duluth

Ranked No. 432 nationally with a 97.59 score, this small charter of fewer than 200 students stood out for beating expectations — second in Minnesota for assessment performance — and posted an 89% reading proficiency rate, with 41% of students economically disadvantaged.

No. 7 — Parnassus Prep School-Rhetoric, Maple Grove

Nationally No. 423 with a 97.64 score, Parnassus sent a strong 78% of seniors to AP exams and graduated 91% — a notable result given that 37% of the student body is economically disadvantaged.

No. 6 — Wayzata High School, Plymouth

The largest school in the top 10, with nearly 3,800 students, Wayzata ranked No. 331 nationally with a score of 98.16. It backed a 96% graduation rate with some of the list's strongest core results, including 79% math and 80% reading proficiency.

No. 5 — Math and Science Academy, Woodbury

Ranked No. 302 nationally with a 98.32 score, this Woodbury charter posted the highest graduation rate on the entire list — a near-perfect 99% — along with an 86% AP participation rate and 85% reading proficiency.

No. 4 — St. Croix Preparatory Academy Upper, Stillwater

Nationally No. 204 with a 98.86 score, St. Croix Prep led all of Minnesota in college readiness, with an eye-popping 92% of seniors taking at least one AP exam. It graduated 92% of its students.

No. 3 — Minnetonka Senior High School, Minnetonka

A large school of more than 3,500 students, Minnetonka ranked No. 197 nationally with a 98.9 score, combining an 80% AP participation rate with a 97% graduation rate and well-rounded proficiency, including 78% in science.

No. 2 — Edina High School, Edina

Ranked No. 123 nationally with a 99.32 score; no Minnesota school tested better. Edina ranked first in the state for both assessment proficiency and performance, with a remarkable 90% proficiency in both reading and science.

No. 1 — Nova Classical Academy Upper School, St. Paul

Minnesota's best high school is a St. Paul classical charter that ranked No. 104 in the entire country with a 99.42 score. It graduated 97% of its students, sent 81% of seniors into AP exams, and hit 90% reading proficiency — all while serving a student body that is roughly 21% economically disadvantaged, proof that rigor and access can share the same hallway.

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From sprawling suburban campuses to small classical charters, these ten schools show Minnesota education at its best. Each school's full report card, including its national and state indicator ranks, is available through the complete U.S. News methodology and directory pages.