Schools were grouped into metro areas according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In total, about 17,790 public high schools were ranked. The top 40 metro areas represent those that have the highest proportions of schools ranking among the top 25% across the country.

The list features the metro areas in ascending order of representation and metro Atlanta came in the top 20. The area also came in ahead of other metro areas including Washington, D.C. and San Francisco.