Best public high schools in California

As filmmaker and writer Nora Ephron said during a '96 commencement address at Wellesley College, "Your education is a dress rehearsal for a life that is yours to lead." If that's the case, high school may be one of the greatest dress rehearsals of all.

It's a place where students explore their interests, dive into extracurricular activities, finally get the freedom to choose their own classes, and prepare for college or the workplace. For many of these students and their families, public education is key: 49.6 million students enrolled in public pre-K-12 schools in fall 2022, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, about a third were in high school, enrolled across about 23,500 public secondary schools nationwide.

For many anxious parents, getting their kids into the best of these public high schools is of the utmost importance. Some families even move homes to get into better school districts. However, among all of these thousands of schools, a few stand out for their academic excellence, incredible track records, and the future success of their young students.

Stacker compiled a list of the best public high schools in California using 2027 rankings from Niche. Niche uses seven weighted factors for its rankings. A majority of the score is based on academics, but other factors include culture and diversity; sports; clubs and activities; resources; and surveys of parents, teachers, and students. You can read more about Niche's methodology here.

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#24. Carmel High School

- Location: Carmel Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 780 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#23. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

- Location: Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,075 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#22. Whitney High School

- Location: ABC Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,024 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#21. Grossmont Middle College High School

- Location: Grossmont Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 37 (12:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#20. Sunny Hills High School

- Location: Fullerton Joint Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,343 (22:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#19. Saratoga High School

- Location: Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,161 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#18. University High School

- Location: Irvine Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,307 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#17. La Canada High School

- Location: La Canada Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,989 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#16. Soar High (Students on Academic Rise)

- Location: Antelope Valley Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 670 (27:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#15. Los Altos High School

- Location: Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,170 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#14. Torrey Pines High School

- Location: San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,536 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#13. South Pasadena Senior High School

- Location: South Pasadena Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,536 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#12. Riverside STEM Academy

- Location: Riverside Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 665 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#11. Academy of the Canyons

- Location: William S. Hart Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 385 (30:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#10. Henry M. Gunn High School

- Location: Palo Alto Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,643 (16:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#9. University High School

- Location: Fresno, CA
- Enrollment: 500 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#8. Palo Alto High School

- Location: Palo Alto Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,891 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#7. Orange County School of the Arts

- Location: Santa Ana, CA
- Enrollment: 2,346 (18:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#6. Lowell High School

- Location: San Francisco Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,571 (21:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#5. Canyon Crest Academy

- Location: San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,147 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#4. Troy High School

- Location: Fullerton Joint Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 2,504 (23:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#3. California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley

- Location: Duarte, CA
- Enrollment: 1,098 (10:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#2. Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School for STEM

- Location: Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 713 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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#1. California Academy of Mathematics & Science

- Location: Long Beach Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 673 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+