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Miami has plenty of reasons to brag, but here's one that has nothing to do with idyllic beaches or lively nightlife: Some of the best high schools in the country are located right here in South Florida.
The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings of the country's best high schools put 13 Florida schools in the top 100 in the nation. That's a number matched only by Arizona; Texas ranked third with 11 schools in the top 100.
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The rankings considered factors including college readiness, curriculum breadth, graduation rates and performance on state assessments. And while Pine View School took the No. 1 spot in all of Florida, South Florida wasn't far behind.
The highest-ranked South Florida school was Marine Academy of Science and Technology, or MAST@FIU, in North Miami. It came in at No. 2 in the state and an impressive No. 31 nationally.
Here's how the rest of Florida's top schools stacked up:
1. Pine View School — Osprey, Sarasota County Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 13)
2. Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST@FIU) — North Miami, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 31)
3. Neocity Academy — Kissimmee, Osceola Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 35)
4. Archimedean Upper Conservatory Charter School — Miami, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 39)
5. West Shore Junior/Senior High School — Melbourne, Brevard Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 47)
6. Jose Marti MAST 6-12 Academy — Hialeah, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 55)
7. Stanton College Preparatory School — Jacksonville, Duval County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 63)
8. Suncoast Community High School — Riviera Beach, School District of Palm Beach County (U.S. ranking: No. 81)
9. I Preparatory Academy — Miami, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 86)
10. Terra Environmental Research Institute — Miami, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (U.S. ranking: No. 87)
Miami-Dade's showing is particularly notable because six of its schools cracked the national top 100, and magnet and charter schools dominate the county's top 10.
The rankings are based on a nationwide evaluation of high schools, meaning South Florida's showing puts the region in some pretty elite company. For local families thinking about where their kids might spend the next four years, these schools are certainly worth having on the radar.
For more information and to see the full national results, click here.