Data Visualization
Charter vs. Magnet vs. Traditional Public High School Matriculation to Top 25 National Universities
A comparative analysis of how different public school models—charter, magnet, and traditional—perform in sending graduates to Top 25 National Universities across major US metros.
By Data Team | Published October 5, 2025 | Updated October 6, 2026
Key Insights
Magnet Schools Dominate in Many Metros
(Based on median T25 matriculation rates)
- Seattle: The region's top magnet schools (median ~11.0%) are clear leaders, far outperforming traditional (~3.0%) and charter (~1.0%) schools.
- Austin: Elite magnet schools (median ~10.0%) are the top performers, significantly ahead of charters (~2.0%) and traditional schools (~2.0%).
- Los Angeles: Magnet schools show a large performance gap, with a median rate (~11.0%) more than 1.5 times that of traditional (~7.0%) and double charter (~4.0%) schools.
- New York City: The city's famed Specialized High Schools (Magnets) have a median rate (~11.0%) that nearly 3 times the charters (~4.0%).
- Atlanta: Magnet schools (median ~8.0%) post strong matriculation rates, significantly outpacing traditional (~4.0%) schools in the region.
Charter and Traditional Leaders
In several metro areas, charter or traditional public schools are the top performers.
- Phoenix (Charter): This metro is dominated by high-performing charter schools, with a median matriculation rate (~12.0%) that is the highest for any charter system in the nation.
- Bay Area (Traditional): The region's top traditional schools boast a median of ~9.0%, leading all other metros in that category.
- Milwaukee (Charter): Charters (median ~7.5%) are the top performers, outpacing the region's traditional (~5.0%) and magnet (~4.5%) schools.
- Boston (Traditional): The region's high-performing suburban traditional schools (median ~10.0%) demonstrate a slight edge over the city's elite Charter (~3.5%).
- Los Angeles (Traditional): Traditional schools have the high median T25 matriculation rate (~7.0%).
Charter School Variance
Charter schools show the widest range of outcomes. While some high-performing charters, particularly in Phoenix, Los Angeles and Milwaukee, are national leaders, the median for charters is often lower than other school types in many other cities.
Highest Median by Type
Across all analyzed cities:
- Charter: Phoenix (~12.0%)
- Magnet: LA, NYC, Seattle (~11.0%)
- Traditional: NYC (~10.5%)
Matriculation Data Visualization
How to Read This Chart
This chart visualizes the distribution of T25 National University matriculation rates for different public school models. The box shows the middle 50% of schools, the line inside is the median, and the whiskers show the data range, excluding outliers (dots). The columns on the right provide additional context: "No. of Schools" shows the count for each category, and "Top Performer" highlights the school type with the highest median matriculation rate for that city.