CA's Best High Schools Ranked In New Analysis

Several California schools are among the best high schools in the country, according to a ranking released Monday by Niche.

For its 2027 Best Schools and Districts in America rankings, Niche analyzed 93,000 public schools, 30,000 private schools and 11,000 school districts nationwide.

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The best public high schools in California are:

1. California Academy of Mathematics & Science | Long Beach Unified School District

2. Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School for STEM | Los Angeles Unified School District

3. California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley | Duarte

4. Troy High School | Fullerton Joint Union High School District

5. Canyon Crest Academy | San Dieguito Union High School District

6. Lowell High School | San Francisco Unified School District

7. Orange County School of the Arts | Santa Ana

8. Palo Alto High School | Palo Alto Unified School District

9. Castro Valley Virtual Academy Online School | Castro Valley Unified School District

10. University High School | Fresno

11. Henry M. Gunn High School | Palo Alto Unified School District

12. Academy of the Canyons | William S. Hart Union High School District

13. Riverside STEM Academy | Riverside Unified School District

14. South Pasadena Senior High School | South Pasadena Unified School District

15. Torrey Pines High School | San Dieguito Union High School District

16. Los Altos High School | Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District

17. Soar High (Students on Academic Rise) | Antelope Valley Union High School District

18. La Canada High School | La Canada Unified School District

19. University High School | Irvine Unified School District

20. Saratoga High School | Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District

21. Sunny Hills High School | Fullerton Joint Union High School District

22. Grossmont Middle College High School | Grossmont Union High School District

23. Whitney High School | ABC Unified School District

24. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School | Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District

25. Carmel High School | Carmel Unified School District

The full list of the best public schools in California can be found here.

The best private high schools are:

1. Harvard-Westlake School | Studio City

2. Stanford Online High School | Redwood City

3. Cate School | Carpinteria

4. The College Preparatory School | Oakland

5. Head-Royce School | Oakland

6. Castilleja School | Palo Alto

7. Lick-Wilmerding High School | San Francisco

8. The Bishop's School | La Jolla

9. The Quarry Lane School | Dublin

10. The Nueva School | Hillsborough

11. Marlborough School | Los Angeles

12. Brentwood School | Los Angeles

13. Windward School | Los Angeles

14. Menlo School | Atherton

15. Crystal Springs Uplands School | Hillsborough

16. The Branson School | Ross

17. Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences | Santa Monica

18. Polytechnic School | Pasadena

19. Westridge School | Pasadena

20. The Thacher School | Ojai

21. Chadwick School | Palos Verdes Peninsula

23. Sierra Canyon School | Chatsworth

24. Sage Hill School | Newport Coast

25. Woodside Priory School | Portola Valley

26. San Francisco High School of the Arts | San Francisco

The full list of the best private schools in California can be found here.

Niche's rankings combine federal and state data, school statistics, and over 3 million reviews from students, parents, and teachers to evaluate schools beyond test scores.

This year's updates feature methodology improvements and new standalone rankings for public and private schools. To offer clearer comparisons, Niche separated public and private lists for Best Schools for the Arts, Most Diverse Schools, Best College Prep Schools, and Best Teachers. Two rankings also received purpose-built methodologies for the first time. Best Boarding High Schools and Best Private Online High Schools both now include factors specific to their school type.

"Families deserve a complete view of their options, whether they're evaluating schools in their area or exploring what's available elsewhere," Luke Skurman, founder and CEO of Niche, said in a news release. "This year's rankings give families more ways to find the right fit, with updates designed to help them find schools where their children will thrive."

Niche also provides rankings by state, metro area, STEM and arts programs, K-8 schools, and more, giving families the flexibility to compare schools based on what matters most to them.