CA's Top 100 Public High Schools Ranked By U.S. News

CALIFORNIA — Thousands of public California high schools have been ranked by U.S. News and World Report in the publication's latest analysis of upper school education in the United States, revealing the top schools across the state and beyond.

This year’s Best High Schools list ranks more than 24,000 public high schools throughout the country.

Here's where the top 100 California schools ranked among others in the U.S. (first number is ranking in California, second number is national ranking):

1. (11 nationally) Oxford Academy, Anaheim Union High, Cypress
2. (25 nationally) Whitney High School, ABC Unified School District, Cerritos
3. (32 nationally) California Academy of Mathematics and Science, Long Beach Unified School District, Carson
4. (62 nationally) Riverside Stem Academy, Riverside Unified School District, Riverside
5. (71 nationally) Mission San Jose High, Fremont Unified School District, Fremont
6. (76 nationally) Preuss School UCSD, Preuss School UCSD District, La Jolla
7. (78 nationally) Lowell High School, San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco
8. (84 nationally) Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy, Los Angeles Unified School District, Wilmington
9. (86 nationally) University High School (Fresno), University High District, Fresno
10. (95 nationally) Pacific Collegiate Charter, Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Santa Cruz
11. (107 nationally) Eunice Sato Academy of Math & Science, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach
12. (110 nationally) Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, Gilroy Unified School District, Gilroy
13. (118 nationally) Hawthorne Math and Science Academy, Hawthorne School District, Hawthorne
14. (131 nationally) Lynbrook High, Fremont Union High, San Jose
15. (138 nationally) University Preparatory Academy Charter, University Preparatory Academy Charter District, San Jose
16. (140 nationally) Monta Vista High School, Fremont Union High, Cupertino
17. (148 nationally) Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy, Lennox Mathematics Science and Technology Academy District, Lennox
18. (153 nationally) Western Center Academy, Hemet Unified School District, Hemet
19. (161 nationally) Canyon Crest Academy, San Dieguito Union High, San Diego
20. (166 nationally) Saratoga High, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High, Saratoga
21. (173 nationally) Henry M. Gunn High, Palo Alto Unified School District, Palo Alto
22. (183 nationally) Campolindo High, Acalanes Union High, Moraga
23. (185 nationally) Dougherty Valley High School, San Ramon Valley Unified School District, San Ramon
24. (190 nationally) Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
25. (220 nationally) Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High, Fullerton
26. (222 nationally) West Campus High School, Sacramento City Unified School District, Sacramento
27. (225 nationally) La Canada High School, La Canada Unified School District, La Canada
28. (226 nationally) Downtown Business High, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
29. (227 nationally) University Preparatory, Victor Valley Union High, Victorville
30. (228 nationally) Del Norte High, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
31. (242 nationally) Stockton Collegiate International Secondary, Stockton Collegiate International Secondary District, Stockton
32. (244 nationally) Miramonte High, Acalanes Union High, Orinda
33. (259 nationally) Redwood Academy of Ukiah, Redwood Academy of Ukiah District, Ukiah
34. (260 nationally) Piedmont High School, Piedmont City Unified School District, Piedmont
35. (263 nationally) Technology High, Cotati-Rohnert Park Unified School District, Rohnert Park
36. (27 nationally). Ernest S. Mcbride Sr. High, Long Beach Unified School District, Long Beach
37. (272 nationally) Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School, Alliance Ted K. Tajima High District, Los Angeles
38. (273 nationally) Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), OCSA District, Santa Ana
39. (292 nationally) Cupertino High, Fremont Union High, Cupertino
40. (309 nationally) Animo Leadership High, Animo Leadership High District, Inglewood
41. (314 nationally) Stockton Unified Early College Academy, Stockton Unified School District, Stockton
42. (325 nationally) Carmel High, Carmel Unified School District, Carmel
43. (333 nationally) Palo Alto High School (Paly), Palo Alto Unified School District
44. (335 nationally) Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
45. (337 nationally) KIPP San Jose Collegiate, KIPP San Jose Collegiate District, San Jose
46. (339 nationally) San Marino High, San Marino Unified School District, San Marino
47. (344 nationally) Granite Bay High, Roseville Joint Union High, Granite Bay
48. (359 nationally) Alliance Gertz-Ressler Richard Merkin 6-12 Complex, Alliance Gertz-Ressler Richard Merkin 6-12 Complex District, Los Angeles
49. (360 nationally) Palos Verdes Peninsula High, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, Rolling Hills Estates
50. (377 nationally) KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory, KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory District, San Francisco
51. (388 nationally) KIPP King Collegiate High, KIPP King Collegiate High District, San Lorenzo
52. (391 nationally) La Quinta High, Garden Grove Unified School District, Westminster
53. (393 nationally) Compton Early College High, Compton Unified School District
54. (397 nationally) Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science, Alliance Marc & Eva Stern Math and Science District, Los Angeles
55. (417 nationally) Diamond Bar High, Walnut Valley Unified School District, Diamond Bar
56. (429 nationally) Westview High, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
57. (431 nationally) University High School (Irvine), Irvine Unified School District, Irvine
58. (434 nationally) South Pasadena Senior High, South Pasadena Unified School District, South Pasadena
59. (435 nationally) Northwood High, Irvine Unified School District, Irvine
60. (437 nationally) Los Altos High (Los Altos), Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, Los Altos
61. (451 nationally) Foothill High, Pleasanton Unified School District, Pleasanton
62. (460 nationally) Amador Valley High, Pleasanton Unified School District, Pleasanton
63. (471 nationally) University Preparatory, University Preparatory District, Redding
64. (475 nationally) Cerritos High, ABC Unified School District, Cerritos
65. (478 nationally) Oakland Charter High, Oakland Charter High District, Oakland
66. (483 nationally) Mountain View High, Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, Mountain View
67. (493 nationally) Oak Park High, Oak Park Unified School District, Oak Park
68. (499 nationally) Leland High School, San Jose Unified School District, San Jose
69. (509 nationally) Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High, Alliance Judy IVie Burton Technology Academy High District, Los Angeles
70. (510 nationally) Anderson W. Clark Magnet High, Glendale Unified School District, La Crescenta
71. (511 nationally). American High, Fremont Unified School District, Fremont
72. (512 nationally) Walnut High, Walnut Valley Unified School District, Walnut
73. (513 nationally) Mark Keppel High, Alhambra Unified School District, Alhambra
74. (529 nationally) Summit Shasta, Summit Public School: Shasta District, Daly City
75. (547 nationally) Carlmont High, Sequoia Union High, Belmont
76. (559 nationally) Mira Costa High, Manhattan Beach Unified School District, Manhattan Beach
77. (564 nationally) Math, Science, and Technology Magnet Academy at Roos, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
78. (584 nationally) Homestead High, Fremont Union High, Cupertino
79. (588 nationally) Evergreen Valley High, East Side Union High, San Jose
80. (589 nationally) Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan High, Alliance Dr. Olga Mohan High District, Los Angeles
81. (592 nationally) Irvington High, Fremont Unified School District, Fremont
82. (600 nationally) Redwood High, Tamalpais Union High, Larkspur
83. (617 nationally) Foothill Technology High, Ventura Unified School District, Ventura
84. (618 nationally) Sage Creek High, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad
85. (619 nationally) Mt. Everest Academy, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego
86. (622 nationally) PUC Lakeview Charter High, PUC Lakeview Charter High District, Sylmar
87. (624 nationally) Los Gatos High, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High, Los Gatos
88. (631 nationally) West Ranch High, William S. Hart Union High, Valencia
89. (632 nationally) USC Hybrid High, Ednovate - Usc Hybrid High College Prep District, Los Angeles
90. (637 nationally) Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Western Sierra Collegiate Academy District, Rocklin
91. (638 nationally) El Segundo High, El Segundo Unified School District, El Segundo
92. (644 nationally) Scripps Ranch High, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego
93. (665 nationally) Orthopaedic Hospital Medical Magnet High School, Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles
94. (676 nationally) Collegiate Charter High of Los Angeles, Collegiate Charter High of Los Angeles District, Los Angeles
95. (682 nationally) River Valley Charter, River Valley Charter District, Lakeside
96. (698 nationally) Leadership Public Schools: Richmond, Leadership Public Schools: Richmond District, Richmond
97. (699 nationally) Acalanes High, Acalanes Union High, Lafayette
98. (708 nationally) Santa Monica High, Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, Santa Monica
99. (725 nationally) Harmony Magnet Academy, Porterville Unified School District, Strathmore
100. (742 nationally) Glen A. Wilson High, Hacienda La Puente Unified School District, Hacienda Heights

The purpose of the rankings is to provide insight into academic performance among underserved groups, showing how well schools are supporting these students, Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News, said in a news release.

Families can also use the rankings to see how schools compare at the national, state and local level on factors such as graduation rates and college readiness, Narayan said.

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, was ranked No. 1 in the nation, as well as among magnet schools.

Here are the top 10 schools in this year’s national Best High Schools ranking:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology - Alexandria, Virginia
2. Academic Magnet High School - North Charleston, South Carolina
3. The Davidson Academy of Nevada - Reno, Nevada
4. Payton College Preparatory High School - Chicago, Illinois
5. School for Advanced Studies - Miami, Florida
6. Sumner Academy of Arts and Science - Kansas City, Kansas
7. Merrol Hyde Magnet School - Hendersonville, Tennessee
8. BASIS Chandler - Chandler, Arizona
9. Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology - Lawrenceville, Georgia
10. Signature School - Evansville, Indiana

The methodology used for this year’s ranking focused on six factors: college readiness, reading and math proficiency, reading and math performance, underserved student performance, college curriculum breadth and graduation rates.

The data used in this edition is from the 2018-2019 academic school year and, therefore, was not affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read more about the Best High Schools methodology.

In addition to the national rankings, U.S. News also published rankings at the state, metro area and school district levels. Only metro areas and school districts with three or more high schools were included in these subrankings.

BASIS Chandler in Arizona is at the top of the list for charter schools, and High Technology High School in Lincroft, New Jersey, is the No. 1 STEM school.