Five Austin ISD high schools are among the best in the nation, according to the 2017 U.S. News & World Report rankings.

Four of the schools were among the top-ranked public high schools on the magazine's list in 2016. Akins made the top-ranked list this year.

After evaluating more than 22,000 public high schools throughout the country, U.S. News & World Report ranked:

• LASA—fifth in Texas, 27th nationally;
• Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders—24th in Texas, 117th nationally;
• Anderson—121st in Texas, 1057th nationally;
• Bowie—126th in Texas, 1107th nationally.
• Akins—195th in Texas, 2291st nationally.

Many of the five AISD schools rank at the top of other national lists that recognize the best educational programs in the country.

The report also ranked the top STEM schools among the 500 overall best schools in the nation. Among those, LASA was ranked 44th among STEM schools

The national rankings are determined through a four-step process.  

For the first two steps, U.S. News & World Report reviewed overall student performance on state-required tests and factored in how effectively the schools educated their least-advantaged students.

For the last two steps, the publication assessed the schools’ graduation threshold rates and how well they prepared students for college, based on participation in and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

To review the full list of rankings, please visit www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools.