A Fresno charter school is getting bouquets for ranking among the top 100 U.S. high schools.

U.S. News & World Report released its annual Best High Schools Ranking last week.

University High School, a charter school authorized by Fresno Unified, ranked No. 63 nationally.

Clovis North Joins UHS in California’s Top 100

In California, UHS ranked seventh and Clovis North High School in northeast Fresno ranked No. 95 among California schools.

“This honor highlights the incredible dedication of our students, the tireless commitment of our teachers and staff, and the unwavering support of our families and university partners,” said UHS Superintendent/Principal Jeffie Esparza Hickman.

“We are proud to provide students in the Central Valley with an education that emphasizes the vital role of music in learning, while also preparing every student for college readiness within a uniquely supportive environment.”

UHS is a liberal arts school that emphasizes musicianship, requiring every student to participate in band, orchestra or choir. Additionally, the school offers unique curriculum such as zoology and Latin. Located on the Fresno State campus, juniors and seniors enroll in university classes, earning college credits.

Ranking Criteria

The 2025 list evaluated more than 24,000 public high schools nationwide, ranking nearly 18,000.

More than 2,500 California based high schools were evaluated in this process and 1,646 were ranked.

The top schools were “those whose students demonstrated outstanding outcomes above expectations in math, reading and science state assessments, earned qualifying scores on an array of college-level exams, and graduated in high proportions,” according to U.S. News.

The schools were assessed on college readiness, test scores, underserved student performance and graduation rates.

U.S. News said its goal in creating this list is to inspire educators and communities to do better and arm parents with the knowledge to make informed decisions about their child’s education.

See Where Other Fresno Area Schools Landed

GV Wire compiled the rankings of local high schools. Here’s where they land:

• • University High School: #7 in CA and #63 nationally
  • Clovis North High School: #95 in CA and #728 nationally
  • Edison High School: #177 in CA and #1,307 nationally
  • Clovis West High School: #246 in CA and #1,795 nationally
  • Buchanan High School: #285 in CA and #2,095 nationally
  • Clovis High School: #349 in CA and #2,546 nationally
  • Clovis East High School: #387 in CA and #2,781 nationally
  • Emra Duncan Polytechnical School: #508 in CA and #3,751 nationally
  • Sanger High School: #554 in CA and #4,114 Nationally
  • Phillip J Patino School of Entrepreneurship: #560 in CA and #4,186 nationally
  • Bullard High School: #749 in CA and #6,074 nationally
  • Fresno High School: #785 in CA and #6,505 nationally
  • Sunnyside High School: #876 in CA and #7,435 nationally
  • Roosevelt High School: #927 in CA and #8,048 nationally
  • Central High East Campus: #959 in CA and #8,589 Nationally
  • Central High: #987 in CA and #8,774 Nationally
  • Hoover High School: #1,016 in CA & 9,239 nationally
  • McLane High School: #1,186 in CA and #11,665 nationally