BASIS Tucson North ranked as best public high school in the U.S.

The number one public high school in the country is here in Tucson, according to U.S. News and World Report.

BASIS Tucson North, located at 5740 E River Road, tops the 2025-2026 rankings.

The tuition-free public charter school is known for its rigorous curriculum.

What makes us so special here at BASIS is all of our devotion and dedication to academic excellence, Student Body Vice President Payson Horsinka said. We really go through everything in order to try and push ourselves to the hardest that we can, take as many AP classes and try and do as well as we can.

BASIS charter schools have 40 campuses across Arizona, Louisiana, Texas and Washington, D.C. The Tucson North campus serves about 760 students in grades 5 through 12.

Weve grown up with these people, and we know these people t