3 Aldine ISD High Schools Named Among Nation’s Best by U.S. News & World Report

Once again, Aldine ISD campuses have been recognized in the U.S. News & World Report 2025-26 Best High Schools rankings. The list evaluates and ranks schools nationwide based on multiple factors. Three Aldine ISD campuses placed in the top 40% of schools across the country, underscoring their academic excellence.

Avalos P-TECH School, Blanson CTE High School, and Victory Early College High School each earned eligibility to display the U.S. News “Best High Schools” award badge.

“This recognition is a reflection of the hard work of our students, teachers, and leaders,” Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney said. “It also speaks to the opportunities Aldine ISD provides to ensure every student has access to high-quality educational experiences that prepare them for college, career, and beyond. I am incredibly proud of these campuses and the excellence happening across our district.”

Avalos Pathways in Technology Early College High (P-TECH) School

Avalos P-TECH, with a 100% AP® participation rate, ranked No. 274 in Texas and No. 2,728 nationally. The school’s student population is 98% minority enrollment, and 84% are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The district’s CTE/Choice School campus opened in fall 2019. Avalos P-TECH offers paralegal studies, teaching and training, cybersecurity, computer networking, and nondestructive testing.

Blanson Career and Technology Education (CTE) High School

Blanson CTE, with a 56% AP® participation rate, ranked No. 223 in Texas and No. 2,137 nationally. The school has a 98% minority enrollment, and 87% of students are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

The campus, which opened in fall 2018, is another CTE/Choice School option for AISD students. Blanson CTEHS offers 17 different CTE programs in various industry sectors, including computer programming, industrial robotics and automation technology, distribution and logistics, animation, dental assistant, and more.

Victory Early College High School

Victory Early College High ranked No. 106 in Texas, No. 27 in the Houston metro area, and among the top 40% nationally. The school has a 60% AP® participation rate, with 98% minority enrollment and 85% of students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Victory ECHS, which opened in fall 2007, is a collaboration between the Aldine ISD and Lone Star Community College. This Choice School experience provides an atmosphere that blends high school and college. Victory Early College, a small high school located within the Lone Star College-Houston North Victory site, offers limited campus enrollment, small class sizes, and a supportive, personalized learning environment. Victory provides students with the opportunity to pursue a high school diploma and an associate’s of arts degree or two years of college credit toward a baccalaureate degree.

History of Recognition

Nataly López Bautista from Blanson CTE High School was accepted into Operation Catapult at the Rose Hulman & Girls Who Code summer 2025 experience. She is an EMERGE summer program scholar.

This is not the first time Aldine ISD campuses have appeared on the U.S. News list. When the rankings first started in 2007, the magazine awarded high schools Gold, Silver, or Bronze badges based on performance. Victory Early College was a perennial Gold badge recipient, earning the top honor multiple years in a row between 2013 and 2018.

Since 2007, other Aldine schools, including Aldine High School, Carver High School, Eisenhower High School, MacArthur High School, Nimitz High School, and several ninth-grade campuses, have also appeared on the list.

When U.S. News switched to a single badge system in 2019, Victory Early College High has continued to be named to the list every year — 13 consecutive years. Blanson CTE has made the list since 2013, showcasing its consistent excellence. This year marks Avalos P-TECH’s first appearance, a promising start to a journey of success.

How the Rankings Work

A group of Victory Early College High School students was inducted into the newly formed National Mathematics Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta, in May 2025.

The U.S. News rankings, developed in partnership with RTI International, a global nonprofit research institute, evaluated nearly 18,000 high schools across the country. Six key factors were considered: college readiness, breadth of curriculum, state test performance in reading, math, and science, performance of underserved students, and graduation rates.

Public high schools that place in the top 40% nationally earn eligibility to display a U.S. News award badge.

Award-Winning Schools

In recent years, Blanson CTE, Avalos P-TECH, and Victory Early College have all earned additional accolades.

• 2025: Children at Risk ranked Avalos P-TECH and Blanson CTE second and third, respectively, among Houston-area Gold Ribbon High Schools.
• 2024: Blanson CTE and Avalos P-TECH earned places on the College Board’s AP School Honor Roll, earning Silver and Bronze distinctions, respectively. Both schools also received the AP Access Award.
• 2023: Blanson CTE earned a Bronze distinction on the AP School Honor Roll.
• 2020: Victory Early College earned an “A” rating from Children at Risk for a second consecutive year, placing it among the top 20 schools in the Houston area. That same year, the campus earned the College Success Award from GreatSchools.org.

Click here to view the complete list of U.S. News Best High School rankings.