Best High Schools in El Paso, TX

El Paso, Texas, is home to 51 high schools serving grades 9-12, encompassing a diverse range of large comprehensive schools, specialized magnet programs, and alternative academies across several districts including the El Paso Independent School District (Isd), Socorro Independent School District (Isd), and Ysleta Independent School District (Isd).

The most striking finding is the dominance of early college high schools, which consistently outperform all other school types. Transmountain Early College High School leads the city, ranking in the 99th percentile statewide with near-perfect test scores, while Mission Early College High School and Valle Verde Early College High School also achieve elite results with 100% and 98.7% graduation rates, respectively. Among traditional comprehensive schools, Eastwood High School stands out as the top performer, consistently ranking in the 83rd percentile, followed by Montwood High School at the 81st percentile. At the other end, schools like Bowie High School and College Career Technology Academy (Ccta) face significant challenges, with graduation rates as low as 66.5% and 28.6%, respectively.

Key metrics reveal that per-student spending does not correlate with success; the highest-spending schools, such as Telles Academy at over $107,000 per student, have the lowest performance, while top early college schools spend a modest $9,000-$10,000 per student. Across the city, U.S. History is a relative strength, while Algebra I is a widespread weakness, with many schools scoring below the state average. The El Paso Independent School District (Isd) shows the most extreme disparity, housing both the city's best school and many of its lowest-performing comprehensive high schools, whereas Ysleta Independent School District (Isd) has a stronger "middle class" of consistent performers.