The latest U.S. News & World Report high school rankings released Aug. 18 show L&N STEM Academy in downtown Knoxville rose to No. 5 in Tennessee, and six Knox County schools placed among the state’s 100 best. Overall, 13 of 18 Knox County high schools ranked among the Volunteer State’s top 500.
State and local standings
U.S. News listed L&N STEM Academy at No. 219 nationally this year. The small magnet school, which opened in 2011 and focuses on science, technology, engineering and math, moved up from No. 6 in Tennessee in the 2025 rankings.
Farragut High School, the district’s largest school with enrollment near 2,100 students, ranked No. 18 in Tennessee and No. 963 nationally, a drop from its 2025 position at No. 13 in the state. Bearden High School rose to No. 32, up from 38th last year, serving nearly 2,000 students in western Knoxville and Knox County. West High School improved to No. 33, up from 39th, with an enrollment of about 1,500 students.
Hardin Valley Academy placed No. 53 in Tennessee, moving up from 57th in 2025. The campus enrolls nearly 2,000 students and is located in the county’s northwest.
How other Knox County schools performed
Several additional Knox County schools also appeared on the U.S. News list. Their Tennessee rankings this year included:
- Career Magnet Academy — No. 166
- Halls High School — No. 181
- Gibbs High School — No. 195
- Karns High School — No. 196
- Powell High School — No. 214
- South-Doyle High School — No. 216
- Central High School — No. 223
- Carter High School — No. 256
Three Knox County Schools did not appear in the ranking this year; the source notes they were unranked but does not specify which campuses those were.
| School | Tennessee Rank | National Rank (if listed) |
|---|---|---|
| L&N STEM Academy | 5 | 219 |
| Farragut High School | 18 | 963 |
| Bearden High School | 32 | — |
| West High School | 33 | — |
| Hardin Valley Academy | 53 | — |
Context and potential implications
The U.S. News rankings are widely cited as a measure of high school performance and can shape parents’ and students’ perceptions, enrollment decisions at magnet and specialty programs, and how district leaders prioritize resources. L&N’s climb into the state top five reinforces the reputation of specialized STEM-focused magnet programs in producing strong academic outcomes.
For larger comprehensive high schools, movement within state rankings can reflect shifts in graduation rates, test scores, college readiness indicators and other metrics U.S. News uses. Farragut’s slide from No. 13 to No. 18 in Tennessee, and its national position just inside the top 1,000, may prompt district officials to examine areas for improvement even as the school remains among the state’s higher-ranked campuses.
Knox County’s spread of rankings — with several schools improving and others holding steady or dropping — highlights the diversity of school types and student populations within the district, from small magnet academies to large suburban campuses. District leaders and local advocates often point to such rankings when discussing funding priorities, program expansion and efforts to address achievement gaps.
U.S. News releases are annual and based on a set of indicators the organization discloses; local officials typically review the methodology and results to determine how best to respond. The county’s placement of 13 of 18 high schools inside the state’s top 500 suggests broad performance across the district, while the presence of multiple campuses in the top 100 showcases pockets of strong achievement.
As families weigh school choices ahead of the academic year, these rankings will likely factor into conversations about magnet applications, transfers and local education priorities in Knox County and across Tennessee.
