Nine of the top schools in North Carolina are, technically, schools of choice, according to recently released rankings of the best schools in the country. These include magnet and charter schools, institutions in which parents and students choose and apply for admission. The annual U.S. News rankings include data on nearly 24,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia, U.S. News says on its website. The Early College at Guilford in Greensboro ranked first in the state and 20th in the country. Raleigh Charter High School was second in North Carolina, and 100th in the country. STEM Early College at N.C. A&T was ranked third, and 103rd in the country. Woods Charter in Chatham County was fourth in North Carolina, and Phillip J. Weaver Ed Center in Greensboro, a magnet school, was fifth. East Chapel Hill High, the lone traditional public school in the top 10, was tenth in North Carolina and 352nd nationally.