Newsweek Ranked All the Public High Schools Across America 2006 The May 8 , 2006 Newsweek cover story is titled " America ' s Best High Schools , 2006 . " According to Newsweek ' s new compilation of America ' s best public high schools , Illinois has only two high schools in the Top 100 list , the highest one ( in Chicago ) coming in at number thirty . Compare that to : Florida , which has three in the Top Ten and most in the Top 100 ( 20 ) New York ( 17 in the Top 100 ) D . C . Metro ( 14 in the Top 100 ) Texas ( 9 in the Top 100 and the Best High School overall ) Then again , the schools are ranked according to a ratio invented by Newsweek Contributing Editor Jay Mathews that Newsweek explains like this : " the total number of Advanced Placement ( AP ) and International Baccalaureate ( IB ) tests taken at the school and divided by the number of graduating seniors . All public schools that achieved a ratio of at least 1 . 000 , meaning they had given as many tests in 2005 as they had graduates , are on the list . " ( Mathews ranked 1 , 139 schools . ) America ' s Best High Schools , 2006 ( TOP 30 ) Talented and Gifted in Dallas , Texas Jefferson County in Irondale , Ala . BASIS Charter in Tucson , Ariz . City Honors in Buffalo , N . Y . Stanton College Prep in Jacksonville , Fla . Eastside in Gainesville , Fla . Suncoast Community in Riviera Beach , Fla . Science / Engineering Magnet in Dallas , Texas International Academy in Bloomfield Hills , Mich . Academic Magnet in North Charleston , S . C . Science Academy of South Texas in Mercedes , Texas North Hills School in Irving , Texas H - B Woodlawn in Arlington , Va . Eastern Sierra Academy in Bridgeport , Calif . Richard Montgomery in Rockville , Md . Myers Park in Charlotte , N . C . Classen School of Advanced Studies in Oklahoma City , Okla . Highland Park in Dallas , Texas Clarke County in Berryville , Va . Little Rock Central in Little Rock , Ark . Hillsborough in Tampa , Fla . San Diego High School of International Studies in San Diego , Calif . John Miller - Great Neck North in Great Neck , N . Y . Wilson Magnet in Rochester , N . Y . Atlantic Community in Delray Beach , Fla . Lowell in San Francisco , Calif . Jericho in Jericho , N . Y . Paxon School for Advanced Studies in Jacksonville , Fla . Coral Reef in Miami , Fla . Lincoln Park in Chicago , Ill . The Complete List of the 1 , 000 Top U . S . Schools 2005 Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews : the number of Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate tests taken by all students at a school in 2004 divided by the number of graduating seniors .