Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology’s streak of hard-hitting accolades continues this year with a glowing review from U.S. News & World Report. The outlet recently crowned it the top high school in Virginia—and fifth best in the nation—for 2026.
The ranking praised the Fairfax-based magnet school’s STEM-focused curriculum that builds toward a technical lab project for seniors. It touted students’ access to 15 specialized research labs spanning astronomy, oceanography, and astrophysics. Courses cover a broad range of hot-button fields like DNA science, architectural design, automation and robotics.
This article originally appeared in the April 2026 issue.…