Top 25 High Schools: West

More than 250 schools in our full list of the best American high schools are located in California, arguably a hub of innovation in education. But the rest of the West, especially Arizona, also has notable schools.

The premier schools in the West were ranked using the same metrics as our overall list, with primary weighting given to graduation rate, the percent of graduates accepted to college, and the number of AP and IB tests given per student. As well, average SAT, ACT, and AP scores and the number of students enrolled in an AP or IB program were considered.

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-BASIS-scottsdale_xhxgwn

Overall Newsweek Rank: 3

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 3.1

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-BASIS-Tucson-North_t0v2gs

Overall Newsweek Rank: 7

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 2.6

Justice Amarillas, courtesy BASIS Tuscon

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-american-indian_vfuh7d

Overall Newsweek Rank: 11

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 2.6

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-whitney-high-school_onwe4k

Overall Newsweek Rank: 18

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.4

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-tuscon-University-High-School_v6jqu3

Overall Newsweek Rank: 19

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.6

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-International-Community-School_wlfnhy

Overall Newsweek Rank: 29

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.5

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-International-School_ym3zll

Overall Newsweek Rank: 31

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.5

courtesy Stephen Brashears

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Oxford-Academy_awoksz

Overall Newsweek Rank: 34

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.5

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-troy-high-school_tjrizi

Overall Newsweek Rank: 47

Graduation Rate: 99%

College-bound Grad Rate: 98%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.1

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Peak-to-Peak-Charter-School_s1jydo

Overall Newsweek Rank: 49

Graduation Rate: 99%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.2

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-The-Corbett-School_jap0m6

Overall Newsweek Rank: 58

Graduation Rate: 92%

College-bound Grad Rate: 91%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 2.8

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Arizona-College-Preparatory-Erie_pzk9zw

Overall Newsweek Rank: 60

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.9

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-lowell-high-school_zo7zzj

Overall Newsweek Rank: 66

Graduation Rate: 98%

College-bound Grad Rate: 95%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.2

Jeremy Gaines

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-canyon-crest_dic24t

Overall Newsweek Rank: 78

Graduation Rate: 99%

College-bound Grad Rate: 95%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.1

Kathryn Stevens

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Newport-High-School_p8rdgh

Overall Newsweek Rank: 80

Graduation Rate: 96%

College-bound Grad Rate: 97%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.2

courtesy Stephen Brashears

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Saratoga-High-School_qet5q9

Overall Newsweek Rank: 81

Graduation Rate: 99%

College-bound Grad Rate: 97%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.8

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-palos-verdes_e6eigr

Overall Newsweek Rank: 88

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 99%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.9

Christopher Michel/Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Coeur-dAlene-Charter-Academy_upmqrg

Overall Newsweek Rank: 89

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 94%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.9

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/130503_west_fairview_haszjc

Overall Newsweek Rank: 98

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 92%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.9

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-san-marino_c1lqr4

Overall Newsweek Rank: 99

Graduation Rate: 98%

College-bound Grad Rate: 97%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.8

Joel Glassman/San Marino High School

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Dougherty-Valley-High-School_vb4ktw

Overall Newsweek Rank: 100

Graduation Rate: 100%

College-bound Grad Rate: 98%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.7

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Pacific-Collegiate-School_bqpykl

Overall Newsweek Rank: 101

Graduation Rate: 84%

College-bound Grad Rate: 100%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.4

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-University-High-School_ywqb0f

Overall Newsweek Rank: 102

Graduation Rate: 98%

College-bound Grad Rate: 96%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 0.8

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Monta-Vista-High-School_tfgvha

Overall Newsweek Rank: 103

Graduation Rate: 97%

College-bound Grad Rate: 90%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.1

Terry Yu/Monta Vista High School

galleries/2013/05/06/top-25-high-schools-west/best-high-schools-Interlake-High-School_vuizgp

Overall Newsweek Rank: 111

Graduation Rate: 89%

College-bound Grad Rate: 94%

AP/IB Tests per Student: 1.6

courtesy Stephen Brashears

Top 25 High Schools: West

Newsweek sorts the list of the best high schools in the country to find the top schools in the Western U.S.

Lauren Streib