Texas school quality varies enormously by district line. A 5-mile move can change your ACT average by 7 points and your in-state UT Austin admit chances by 30 percentage points. The schools below are ranked within their metro on a blend of ACT averages, AP exam pass rates, and four-year college matriculation. Most Texas top schools weight ACT over SAT — about 65% of Texas test-takers choose the ACT.
Houston metro
| School | Neighborhood | Zip | Avg ACT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnegie Vanguard HS | Midtown | 77004 | 31–34 | HISD magnet, 4-year application; ~110/grade |
| DeBakey HS for Health Professions | Texas Medical Center | 77030 | 30–33 | Medical-focused magnet, dual enrollment with Baylor |
| Memorial High School (Spring Branch ISD) | Memorial | 77024 | 27–31 | Top-rated zoned public; feeder for UT/A&M |
| Bellaire HS (HISD) | Bellaire | 77401 | 27–30 | Large zoned public; strong IB program |
| Lamar HS (HISD) | Upper Kirby | 77019 | 26–30 | IB program; River Oaks/Montrose feeder |
| T.H. Rogers School | Galleria | 77057 | 29–32 | K–8 + select HS programs; gifted/talented magnet |
| Westside HS (HISD) | Briar Forest | 77042 | 25–29 | Strong sports + IB option |
| Stratford HS (Spring Branch) | Memorial / Hedwig Village | 77024 | 27–30 | Strong AP enrollment, top-half college matriculation |
| The Woodlands HS (Conroe ISD) | The Woodlands | 77381 | 26–30 | Large suburban; strong feeder to A&M |
Dallas–Fort Worth metro
| School | Neighborhood | Zip | Avg ACT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Park High School | Highland Park | 75205 | 29–33 | $3M+ median home value zone; near-100% college matriculation |
| School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) | Pleasant Grove | 75215 | 32–35 | Dallas ISD magnet, repeatedly ranked #1 public HS in U.S. |
| Science and Engineering Magnet HS | Pleasant Grove | 75215 | 31–34 | Sister magnet to TAG; on same campus |
| Plano West Senior HS | West Plano | 75093 | 27–31 | Zone includes Carlton Woods; large AP enrollment |
| Plano East Senior HS | East Plano | 75074 | 26–29 | Diverse, large, strong CTE programs |
| Plano Senior HS | Central Plano | 75093 | 27–30 | Original Plano HS; feeder for UT and A&M |
| Frisco ISD (multiple HS) | Frisco | 75033, 75035 | 26–30 | Liberty, Heritage, Wakeland, Reedy — all strong |
| Coppell HS | Coppell | 75019 | 27–30 | Strong tech + IB programs |
| Westlake HS (Eanes ISD) | Westlake | 78746 | 28–32 | Eanes ISD, west of Austin proper; near-perfect college matriculation |
Austin metro
| School | Neighborhood | Zip | Avg ACT | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Science Academy (LASA) | East Austin | 78723 | 30–34 | AISD magnet, application required, top public in Austin |
| Westlake HS (Eanes ISD) | Westlake | 78746 | 28–32 | Eanes ISD, near-100% college matriculation |
| Westwood HS (Round Rock ISD) | Northwest Austin | 78750 | 28–31 | STEM-strong, large AP enrollment |
| Anderson HS (AISD) | Northwest Hills | 78759 | 26–30 | Zoned + Anderson IB option |
| McCallum HS (AISD) | Brentwood | 78757 | 26–29 | Fine arts academy magnet |
| Vandegrift HS (Leander ISD) | Four Points | 78732 | 27–30 | Suburb growing fast |
| Cedar Park HS (Leander ISD) | Cedar Park | 78613 | 26–29 | Strong feeder to UT and Texas State |
How Texas top-7% rule shapes high school strategy
UT Austin auto-admits the top 6% of every Texas public high school's senior class. This makes high school choice strategically tricky: a 1500 SAT student ranked #80 at TAG (75215) might miss auto-admit, while the same student at a less-competitive school could be top 6% with a lower workload. The trade-off is rigor (TAG, LASA, Carnegie Vanguard prepare you for college better, but rank you against tougher peers).
ACT vs SAT in Texas
Roughly 65% of Texas test-takers choose the ACT — a regional preference dating back to when the SAT was less common in the South. Most Texas high schools coach more heavily for the ACT, and most Texas universities (UT, A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, TCU, Baylor, Rice) treat both equally. Take a practice test of each, see which gives you the higher percentile, and commit.
How AceNotes fits Texas high school students
- Free ACT and SAT study sets (100 each) for the test you choose — the same prep stack that paid Texas tutoring services charge $200+/hr to deliver.
- AP exam prep for every subject — Texas magnet schools (TAG, LASA, Carnegie Vanguard) push 8+ APs per student.
- Regular class study material — drop in your AP Bio textbook chapter or a Khan Academy video and get a study set generated in seconds.
- Spanish + multilingual content — important across San Antonio, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley schools.
Where Texas students go to college
From the top Texas high schools, the top destinations are: UT Austin (the dominant in-state choice for top 6%), Texas A&M (College Station), Rice (Houston), Vanderbilt, the Ivies (especially Princeton, Columbia, Penn, Cornell — all common landings for TAG and Highland Park grads), Stanford, Notre Dame, USC, and Baylor. SMU is the second most common Dallas private destination after Vanderbilt.
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