Ysleta ISD’s Young Women’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) and Valle Verde Early College High School are the best public high schools in the region, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 respectively in the El Paso area on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best U.S. High Schools rankings released Tuesday.
In addition, six Ysleta ISD high schools made the region’s top 20-ranked public high schools – they are Hanks High School (No. 12), Eastwood High School (No. 13), Bel Air High School (No. 15), and Del Valle High School (No. 20). They were followed closely by Riverside (No. 25), Parkland (No. 31) and Ysleta (No. 33) high schools.
This is the second consecutive year that Ysleta ISD captured both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in El Paso on the Best High Schools list, which ranked nearly 18,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the number of students who:
· Score above expectations on state assessments in math, science, and reading
· Pass an array of college-level exams
· Graduate in four years
High Honors for High Schools
The Best High Schools rankings are the latest in a series of accolades for Ysleta ISD. On Friday, every one of its nine high schools earned an “A” rating from the Texas Education Agency – a first in the El Paso region. Ysleta ISD also earned the highest College, Career, and Military Readiness score (95%) in the city.
“High school is the last phase of our student experience at the Ysleta Independent School District – and knowing they’re walking out the door, ready for college, career, or military service after having experienced growth in their journey with us, is a huge point of pride,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Xavier De La Torre.
“These rankings speak to the high standards and hard work of our high-school teams, along with the strong support and leadership of Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brenda Chacon-Robles and her team,” Dr. De La Torre added. “At Ysleta ISD, we are competitive. But we’re not competitive for us – we’re competitive for the kids. My priority is to make sure the Ysleta student is the best prepared and best educated student in the region, and that continues to happen year after year.”
Spotlighting the Best: YWLA, Valle Verde ECHS
Earning an impressive score of 99.15 out of a possible 100 in the Best High Schools rankings, YWLA was ranked No. 1 in the city, No. 21 in Texas, and No. 152 nationwide, with a perfect 100% graduation rate and 100% of students both taking and passing at least one Advanced Placement (AP) exam. Scoring an overall 98.49 in the Best High Schools list, Valle Verde Early College High School is ranked No. 2 in the city, No. 38 in Texas, and No. 271 in the nation, with exceptional 99% graduation rate and 90% proficiency in science.
For more details, visit https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/national-rankings