Top Houston Public Schools
Public schools are taxpayer-funded, governmental institutions. Compared to private schools, public schools must follow generally strict anti-discrimination guidelines and be able to adequately educate any student that walks in the door. Any student living within a “zoned” school’s geographic area of enrollment may automatically attend that school at no cost and with very little hassle.
However, there are some special, “magnet” schools, that do cater to specific types of students and require an application to attend. This site focus on these select public schools. Public Magnet School programs in the Houston area are usually structured in three different ways:
- Schoolwide Magnet – All students, zoned and applicants, benefit from this specialized program; no application necessary for zoned students to benefit.
- Dedicated Magnet – No students are zoned to these schools; everyone is admitted based off of their qualifying applications.
- School-Within-A-School (SWAS) – Admitted students benefit from a specialized program but may also take normal classes; zoned students generally may participate in the special program without applying.
For families residing within the Houston city limits, the two main school districts are
Arabic Immersion Magnet School
The Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) is an HISD public elementary school. With fewer than 100 students per grade level, AIMS is the first and only public Arabic immersion school in the country. The Arabic Immersion Magnet School (AIMS) opened its doors in fall 2015. Located at the site of the former Holden Elementary, it currently serves only PreK-4 students, ...
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Garden Oaks Montessori
Garden Oaks Elementary was established in 1940 as a Kindergarten through 6th grade campus. In 1994, a caring and committed group of parents worked to advocate for public schools, which resulted in the establishment of a Montessori program at Garden Oaks. Today, Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet provides authentic public Montessori education to a diverse, PK3 through 8th grade learning community ...
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Harvard Elementary
On September 18, 1898, Harvard Elementary School opened its doors to the children of the south end section of the Houston Heights. The mission of Harvard Elementary School is to empower each student with the global awareness, knowledge, skills, and values necessary to make a better world. Founded in 1898 in the Houston Heights, Harvard Elementary began with 30 students ...
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Horn Elementary
Horn Elementary was founded in the year 1949. It is is located in the affluent, independent municipality of Bellaire in southwest Houston, and it serves grades PreK-5. The school was completely rebuilt by HISD in 2010-2011. Horn Academy, named after educator Paul W. Horn, is an elementary school in HISD with a magnet program and Gifted/Talented Neighborhood program. Horn has ...
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Kolter Elementary School
Kolter Elementary School opened in 1960 and was named after Jennie Kolter, a teacher who lost her life protecting her students in a 1959 tragedy at Poe Elementary. Kolter is a Foreign Language Magnet School where children in grades K-5 study a foreign language and culture. Kolter Elementary School, founded in 1960, was named in honor of Jennie Kolter, a ...
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Lovett Elementary School
Lovett Elementary School, founded in 1957. Edgar Odell Lovett Elementary School was named for the first President and Founder of the Rice Institute, now Rice University. Most recently, Lovett was awarded as a Magnet School of Excellence by Magnet Schools of America and selected as a Blue Ribbon School for 2016. Lovett Elementary School, founded in 1957, was named for ...
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Mandarin Immersion Magnet School
The Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS), formerly the Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School (MCLIMS) is a magnet primary school located in Houston. The school opened in the former Maud W. Gordon Elementary School. The school was openened in August 2012 with grades Kindergarten through 2. The school uses a 50-50 immersion model. Half of the instruction is in Mandarin ...
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Mark Twain Elementary
Mark Twain Elementary School opened its doors on September 11,1950. Since 2005, Mark Twain Elementary School has been an authorized IB World School. They are an International Spanish Academy and have a Dual Language program that consists of one dual language class at each grade level. Named for the classic American author, Mark Twain Elementary (MTE) opened in 1950 in ...
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Poe Elementary
Edgar Allan Poe Elementary School is a primary school located at 5100 Hazard Street in Houstn, Texas, United States. It has bilingual programs for all grade levels and a fine arts magnet program. Poe Elementary School was established in 1928. From 1986 to 1996, Poe Elementary served a section of River Oaks as the neighborhood program of River Oaks Elementary ...
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River Oaks Elementary
River Oaks Elementary School is a magnet Vanguard school for the Houston Independent School District. It is located in the River Oaks neighborhood of Houston, Texas, United States. River Oaks Elementary School has an accelerated multidisciplinary curriculum. River Oaks opened in 1929. River Oaks Elementary (ROE), an HISD Vanguard magnet and Vanguard Neighborhood school, first opened its doors in 1929 ...
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Roberts Elementary
Roberts Elementary School operates as part of the Lamar High School feeder pattern in the Central Region of HISD. The mission of Roberts Elementary is to provide a rigorous academic curriculum for all students that is relevant, allowing for different ways in which students can demonstrate mastery and be challenged in making connections to "real-world" applications. Named after former Texas ...
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T. H. Rogers School
T. H. Rogers School opened in 1962. The school was named after Thomas Horace Rogers, who served as the principal of San Jacinto High School Houston, Texas. In 1980 T. H. Rogers was converted into a magnet school. Founded in 1962, T.H. Rogers sees itself as “a lighthouse beacon that safely guides all children into harbors of success.” T.H. Rogers ...
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The Rice School La Escuela Rice
The Rice School opened on August 1994. The Rice School serves grades kindergarten through 8 in Houston, Texas. Rice is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Rice is a magnet school that has Houston ISD's "Technology and Spanish" program. The Rice School/ La Escuela Rice, founded in 1994, was originally intended to serve as an overflow elementary school ...
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Travis Elementary School
William B. Travis Elementary School is a public elementary school in the Woodland Heights area of Houston, Texas. It is a part of the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Travis Elementary was constructed in 1908 and the three-story building had 12 classrooms, and construction ended in 1909. Travis Elementary School was founded in 1910. Preserved and renovated portions of the ...
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West University Elementary School
West University Elementary School is one of the most coveted public elementary schools in Houston ISD. However, due its extreme popularity among its affluent neighborhood, the school has no room for out of zone magnet transfers and therefore lost its magnet status in 2013. Founded around 1928, West University Elementary School (WUES) was originally connected to Pershing Middle School, which ...
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Wilson Montessori
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School was named after the 28th president of the United States. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School was built in 1924 on the site of the summer farm home of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, the president of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1841. Woodrow Wilson Montessori School, founded in 1925, serves students in grades PreK-8. Wilson Montessori is ...
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Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan (BCMAR) was opened in 2013. BCMAR is a unique Medical Magnet School that offers a rigorous health science based curriculum to students. Every class taught at Baylor College of Medicine Academy at James D Ryan MS is Pre-AP. Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan was opened in 2013 on the site of ...
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Garden Oaks Montessori
Garden Oaks Elementary was established in 1940 as a Kindergarten through 6th grade campus. In 1994, a caring and committed group of parents worked to advocate for public schools, which resulted in the establishment of a Montessori program at Garden Oaks. Today, Garden Oaks Montessori Magnet provides authentic public Montessori education to a diverse, PK3 through 8th grade learning community ...
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Lanier Middle School
Lanier opened in 1926 as one of HISD's first junior high schools. Lanier was renovated during the 2008/2009 school year, with a new paint job, new interior signage, and new walkways to the new locations of the temporary buildings. Students zoned to Lanier automatically are eligible to attend the school, and are automatically able to attend the Vanguard program if ...
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Mandarin Immersion Magnet School
The Mandarin Immersion Magnet School (MIMS), formerly the Mandarin Chinese Language Immersion Magnet School (MCLIMS) is a magnet primary school located in Houston. The school opened in the former Maud W. Gordon Elementary School. The school was openened in August 2012 with grades Kindergarten through 2. The school uses a 50-50 immersion model. Half of the instruction is in Mandarin ...
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Pershing Middle School
West University Place Pershing Junior High School, which was named after John J. Pershing, was established in 1928. It is a fine arts magnet school. The school, that serves around 1,650 students in grades 6 through 8, is managed by the Houston Independent School District. Pershing Middle School was established by HISD in 1928. Originally connected to West University Elementary ...
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Pin Oak Middle School
Pin Oak Middle School was established in 2002. Pin Oak Middle School uses a House system to create smaller learning communities within the larger school setting. Students are assigned to House A, B or C, where they remain for their entire time at Pin Oak. All Houses provide access to Pre-AP and advanced classes. Magnet students are placed in ...
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T. H. Rogers School
T. H. Rogers School opened in 1962. The school was named after Thomas Horace Rogers, who served as the principal of San Jacinto High School Houston, Texas. In 1980 T. H. Rogers was converted into a magnet school. Founded in 1962, T.H. Rogers sees itself as “a lighthouse beacon that safely guides all children into harbors of success.” T.H. Rogers ...
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The Rice School La Escuela Rice
The Rice School opened on August 1994. The Rice School serves grades kindergarten through 8 in Houston, Texas. Rice is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Rice is a magnet school that has Houston ISD's "Technology and Spanish" program. The Rice School/ La Escuela Rice, founded in 1994, was originally intended to serve as an overflow elementary school ...
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Wilson Montessori
Woodrow Wilson Elementary School was named after the 28th president of the United States. Woodrow Wilson Elementary School was built in 1924 on the site of the summer farm home of Mirabeau Buonaparte Lamar, the president of the Republic of Texas from 1838 to 1841. Woodrow Wilson Montessori School, founded in 1925, serves students in grades PreK-8. Wilson Montessori is ...
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Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy
In 2011, the Houston Independent School District opened the Young Women's College Preparatory Academy in partnership with the Young Women’s Preparatory Network. he Young Women’s Preparatory Network has opened eight other schools in Texas that are recognized as offering the most distinctive high school leadership programs in the nation. Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy opened with grades 6 and 9 ...
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Bellaire High School
Bellaire High School opened in the fall of 1955. The school is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving the needs of an urban, multi-ethnic, multi-cultural student body through a diversity of programs and activities. Its campus is located in Bellaire, Texas in Greater Houston. Bellaire High School, founded in 1955, was the first International Baccalaureate School in Texas. With ...
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Carnegie Vanguard High School
Carnegie Vanguard High School (CVHS), named after Andrew Carnegie, is located in the Fourth Ward of Houston, Texas near Downtown (it was formerly located near Sunnyside). The school serves grades 9-12 and is part of the Houston Independent School District. Carnegie Vanguard has been consistently ranked the top ranked public high school in the Houston area. Carnegie Vanguard High School ...
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Heights High School (Formerly Reagan high School)
Houston Heights High School was first established for Heights residents in 1904, at the site of the present Milroy Park, at the corner of Yale and 12th. Heights serves students in grades nine through twelve and is a part of the Houston Independent School District. In 2016, the name was changed from John H. Reagan to Heights High. John H ...
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High School for Law and Justice
The High School for Law & Justice (HSLJ), a unique magnet school, began in the spring of 1981 as a recruitment source for minority police officers. Currently, the curriculum is designed to allow students to explore careers related to law enforcement and criminal justice. The mission of the High School for Law & Justice is to provide students and staff ...
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Kinder High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA)
The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) originated in 1971 as one of only three public schools in the nation to offer programs in both the visual and performing arts. In January 2019, HSPVA made the move to 790 Austin Street. Upon moving into the new building, HSPVA adopted the name Kinder High School for the Performing ...
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Lamar High School
Lamar High School, was established in 1936 in honored memory of Mirabeau B. Lamar. Lamar High has a four-year program, serving grades 9 through 12, and is part of the Houston Independent School District. Lamar High also has a business magnet program offering business management courses, as well as cooperation with the Houston business community to provide internships and university ...
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Michael E. DeBakey High School
DeBakey High School for Health Professions, the first of its kind, was established in 1972 as a partnership between HISD and Baylor College of Medicine. It was designed to provide increased opportunities for students to access careers in medicine, science, and the health professions by focusing on educational experiences in science and the health professions. In 1972, DeBakey opened at ...
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The Energy Institute High School
Energy Institute High School (EIHS) is a magnet high school in Houston, Texas. The school attracts students from charter schools, private schools, and home schooling as well as from other Houston ISD middle schools. The Energy Institute welcomed its first class in 2013. The Energy Institute is a unique magnet program, as it is the first high school in the ...
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Waltrip High School
Steven Pool Waltrip High School, a part of Houston Independent School District, opened in l959 at 1900 West 34th Street. Students were enrolled in grades ten through twelve, and later, ninth was added. Founded in 1959, S. P. Waltrip High School is a public magnet school named after Steven Pool Waltrip, who was Houston’s superintendent of schools in 1910. The ...
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Westside High School
Westside High School is a secondary school in Houston, Texas, United States. It serves grades 9 through 12 and is part of the Houston Independent School District. Westside opened in 2000 as a brand-new fifty-million-dollar building. Westside is HISD's Magnet School for Integrated Technology. Westside High School, an HISD magnet school founded in 2000, is located on its original campus ...
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Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy
In 2011, the Houston Independent School District opened the Young Women's College Preparatory Academy in partnership with the Young Women’s Preparatory Network. he Young Women’s Preparatory Network has opened eight other schools in Texas that are recognized as offering the most distinctive high school leadership programs in the nation. Young Women’s College Preparatory Academy opened with grades 6 and 9 ...
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Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science
The Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science (TAMS) is a two-year residential early entrance college program. TAMS was established on June 23, 1987 by the 70th Texas Legislature. TAMS operates wholly within the University of North Texas. Acting to stem a forecasted decline in the perceived quality of math and science education across the nation, a number of states decided ...
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Cornerstone Academy
Cornerstone Academy was founded in October 1997. The school was designed to help relieve overcrowding of the Spring Branch ISD middle schools and provide a choice for parents. Technology is integrated into the core curriculum areas. No event information is available at this time. Cornerstone Academy (CSA) is a Title I charter school serving grades 6-8 in Spring Branch ISD ...
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Westchester Academy
The Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) is a public charter school in the Spring Branch Independent School District in Houston, Texas. It serves grades 6–12 and is an International Baccalaureate continuum school. A Spring Branch ISD application-based charter school, Westchester Academy for International Studies (WAIS) originally opened in 1967 as Westchester High School to accommodate a surge in enrollment ...
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