Public Charters Make Up 90% of DC’s Top Public Open-Enrollment High Schools, According to U.S. News & World Report
30 Years Later, Public Charters Dominate DC’s Top Open-Enrollment High Schools
WASHINGTON, DC — This week, U.S. News & World Report published its 2026-2027 Best U.S. High School Rankings. In DC, public charter schools represented nine of the city’s top 10 open-enrollment schools.
In DC, students and families can choose to apply for any public school (public charter or DC Public Schools) through the school lottery system, with one exception: at the high school level there are eight DCPS high schools that are selective, meaning students must meet specific academic, essay, interview, or audition requirements to be eligible and matched.
"30 years ago, DC's public charter school sector was founded on a simple promise: every student in this city deserves access to a high-quality education. These new rankings embody that promise," said Ariel Johnson, Executive Director of the DC Charter School Alliance. "Ninety percent of the city's top-performing open-enrollment high schools are public charters. That's not a coincidence — it's proof that our sector is leading the way in making excellence open to every student, not just the ones with the strongest test scores or transcripts walking into 9th grade."
See below for the list of top 10 public open-enrollment high schools in DC.
BASIS DC PCS
Jackson-Reed High School (DCPS)
Washington Latin PCS - Upper School
E.L. Haynes PCS - High School
District of Columbia International School PCS
Paul PCS International - High School
Friendship PCS - Woodson Collegiate Campus
Friendship PCS - Technology Preparatory Academy High School
Washington Leadership Academy PCS
Capital City High School PCS
Interviews are available upon request. Contact Katie Wynne at kwynne@dccharters.org.
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About the DC Charter School Alliance
The DC Charter School Alliance is the 501(c)(3) advocacy organization representing DC's public charter schools — 65 nonprofit organizations operating 131 schools that serve nearly half of all public school students in the District, from age 3 through adulthood. The Alliance advocates to ensure every public charter student has the resources and support they need to thrive. Learn more at www.dccharters.org.
