Top of the Class

4 North Texas high schools graduate to best in U.S.

Just in time for the first day of school, Newsweek has revealed the top 500 high schools in the country — and four Dallas-Fort Worth schools make the cut.

Newsweek and research partner Westat assessed high schools on six factors: graduation rate, college-bound rate, enrollment in college preparedness classes, SAT/ACT scores, student retention, and counselor-to-student ratio. According to the publication, Carroll Senior High School, Plano West, Highland Park High School, and School for the Talented and Gifted are the best in the region.

The magnet school known as TAG leads the pack in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The well-regarded school ranks No. 1 in Texas and No. 26 overall. It boasts an impressive graduation rate of 100 percent and a college-bound rate of 98.2 percent.

Highland Park High School ranks No. 6 in Texas and No. 112 overall, with a 100 percent graduation rate and a 99.8 percent college-bound rate. Plano West, coming in at No. 8 in the state and No. 130 overall, has a nearly 97 percent rate of graduation with 97 percent of the kids college-bound. In Southlake, Carroll Senior High's 100 percent graduation rate and 95 percent college-bound score land it at the No. 10 spot in Texas and No. 145 overall.

Three of the schools — Plano West, TAG and Carroll Senior — also earned a "gold star" from Newsweek for having low-income students score at or above the average on standardized tests.

According to Newsweek, the other two top-rated schools in Texas besides School for the Talented and Gifted are Cedar Hill Collegiate High School at No. 76 (Cedar Hill) and DeBakey High School for Health Professionals at No. 91 (Houston).

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Fun in the Fort

Fort Worth wrangles spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S.

Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Stock Show

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Fort Worth knows how to have a good time. So says a WalletHub's new report on the most fun cities in America in 2024, which ranked Fort Worth No. 55 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Fort Worth was 35th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, but ranked No. 81 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. But many Fort Worth locals know the city is full of entertainment opportunities, family-friendly activities (especially during the holidays), top dining destinations, and more. Plus, it's home to the annual Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo - which locals affectionately call "rodeo season."

Fort Worth performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 74 nationwide. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Fort Worth residents should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Fort Worth's next-door neighbor Arlington, home to one of the area's hidden-gem art museums, came in at No. 79 on the list.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are Dallas, (No. 31), El Paso (No. 53), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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