University School is ranked 13th in Tennessee and first in Johnson City and Washington County in U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings.
University School has earned high marks in the 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings from U.S. News & World Report.
The Best High Schools edition for 2026-27 includes a numerical ranking of nearly all public high schools nationwide based on multiple sources of objective data. It includes rankings of high schools within each school district that has three or more public high schools.
University School, the K-12 school on the campus of East Tennessee State University, placed 651st among almost 18,000 high schools nationwide, 13th among high schools in Tennessee, and first in both the Johnson City metro area and Washington County.
“This honor is a reflection of the dedication and shared commitment of our students, faculty, staff, families, and valued partnership between East Tennessee State University and Washington County Schools,” said Dr. Brian K. Partin, director of University School. “It celebrates not only the accomplishments of today but also the strong tradition of excellence that has shaped our school community since its founding. We are incredibly proud of this achievement and grateful for the collective efforts that continue to foster student success and strengthen our school community year after year.”
University School has historically ranked in the Top 20 schools in Tennessee under the methodology that has been used to rank schools by U.S. News & World Report since 2019, according to Partin.
Prior to that system, Partin said, U.S. News & World Report published rankings for schools that were ranked in the top Gold and Silver tiers. The first year University School was ranked under that method was 2012, when the school ranked 10th in the state.
The highest ranking achieved by University School under the old method was fifth in 2014 and eighth under the new method in 2020.
