North Texas Schools Shine in 2026 U.S. News Rankings, With Dallas ISD Leading the Pack

North Texas schools have once again achieved high recognition in the 2026 rankings of the best elementary and middle schools in Texas, with Dallas ISD’s William B. Travis Academy/Vanguard for the Academically Talented and Gifted securing the top position among middle schools across the state.

Travis Academy has achieved the impressive distinction of ranking fourth among elementary schools in Texas, upholding its legacy of excellence in both areas.

Sudie L. Williams Talented and Gifted Academy in Dallas ISD has made impressive strides, climbing to No. 5 among Texas elementary schools, up from No. 6 last year. Additionally, it has secured third place statewide among middle schools, highlighting significant progress in the district’s gifted-student programs.

In North Texas, over a dozen schools have secured spots in the state's top 25, highlighting the area's strong academic reputation.

Walnut Grove Elementary in Southlake’s Carroll ISD has achieved a remarkable milestone, rising 15 positions to rank 19th among Texas elementary schools. The school received impressive ratings for academic excellence, with 88% of students achieving proficient scores in math and 91% in reading, according to U.S. News. The student-teacher ratio stands at an impressive 14:1, surpassing the district average.

Other Dallas-Fort Worth elementary schools in the top 25 include:

• No. 11: Overton Park Elementary, Fort Worth ISD (up from No. 12)
  
  
• No. 12: School for the Talented and Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD (up from No. 17)
  
  
• No. 14: Lakewood Elementary, part of Dallas ISD, has dropped from No. 11.
  
  
• No. 17: Robert H. Rockenbaugh Elementary, Carroll ISD (down from No. 9)
  
  
• No. 18: Old Union Elementary, Carroll ISD (down from No. 14)
  
  
• No. 21: Carroll Elementary, Carroll ISD (unchanged)
  
  

For middle schools, Dallas-Fort Worth dominated the statewide top 10. Joining William B. Travis Academy and Sudie L. Williams were

• No. 4: Lawler Middle School, Frisco ISD
  
  
• No. 5: George Dawson Middle School, Carroll ISD
  
  
• No. 6: School for the Talented & Gifted in Pleasant Grove, Dallas ISD
  
  
• No. 7: Carroll Middle School, Carroll ISD
  
  
• No. 8: Willow Springs Middle School, Lovejoy ISD
  
  
• No. 9: Henry W. Longfellow Career Exploration Academy, Dallas ISD
  
  

The evaluation assessed over 81,000 public schools across the country, utilizing data from the U.S. Department of Education to measure student achievement in math and reading skills, along with state assessment outcomes. Tie-breakers relied on the overall scores being higher and the student-teacher ratios being smaller.