Westlake and Vandegrift high schools were each ranked as one of the top 50 high school in Texas by U.S. News and World Report in its April issue. Westlake was ranked 25th in the state and 172nd in the nation and Vandegrift was ranked 41st in the state. The schools were two of four Central Texas public high schools to be recognized in the top 50 in Texas.

The rankings are based on the performance of the school's students on state assessments and their preparation for college.

"We are very proud of the fact that so many Westlake students choose to challenge themselves to complete college-level work while still in high school," Westlake High School Principal John Carter said in a news release.

More than 31,000 public high schools nationally were analyzed in the study.