100 Best Private High Schools in California: 2016

By GREG HAMBRICK (Patch Staff) and BEA KARNES (Patch Staff)

Selecting a private school is about more than just academics. Campus environment and other factors can play a key role, as well as feedback from other parents.

Niche.com has released its 2016 rankings for what it has dubbed the best private high schools in California.

Two of the top schools also landed on the national top 10 list: Stanford Online High School is number three, while Harvard-Westlake School is number six.

There are 4,374 private schools in California, according to Private School Review.

• Also see: 2016 Top 100 Elementary Schools in California

So how were these schools selected? Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio, student and parent reviews, and more. See how these rankings were calculated.

Also, you can look up other high school rankings for Best Magnet, Best Charter or Best Public.

Here is the full list of the top 100 private high schools in California, according to Niche:

1 Stanford Online High School Stanford

2 Harvard-Westlake School Los Angeles

3 Flintridge Preparatory School La Cañada Flintridge

4 Cate School Carpinteria

5 The College Preparatory School Oakland

6 The Harker School San Jose

7 Crystal Springs Uplands School Hillsborough

8 Polytechnic School Pasadena

9 Marlborough School Los Angeles

10 The Bishop’s School San Diego

11 The Branson School Ross Valley

12 Menlo School Atherton

13 Castilleja SchoolPalo Alto

14 Lick-Wilmerding High School San Francisco

15 San Francisco University High School San Francisco

16 Head-Royce SchoolOakland

17 Sacred Heart Schools Atherton Atherton

18 Westridge School Pasadena

19 Crossroads School for Arts & Sciences Santa Monica

20 Chadwick School Palos Verdes

21 Brentwood School Los Angeles

22 Viewpoint School San Fernando Valley

23 The Thacher School Ojai-Mira Monte

24 The Urban School of San Francisco San Francisco

25 The Webb Schools Claremont

26 Francis Parker School San Diego

27 Pinewood School Los Altos Hills

28 The Athenian School Diablo

29 Marin Academy San Rafael

30 Sierra Canyon School Los Angeles

31 The Buckley School Los Angeles

32 Windward School Los Angeles

33 York School Seaside-Monterey

34 Sage Hill School Newport Beach

35 The Quarry Lane School Dublin

36 La Jolla Country Day School San Diego

37 Pilgrim School Los Angeles

38 Loyola High School Los Angeles

39 Stevenson School Del Monte Forest

40 Marymount High School Los Angeles

41 Pacific Ridge School Carlsbad

42 Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles Los Angeles

43 Woodside Priory School Portola Valley

44 Oakwood Secondary School Los Angeles

45 Fairmont Preparatory Academy Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove

46 Vistamar School El Segundo

47 Santa Catalina School Monterey

48 Sacramento Country Day School Sacramento

49 Archer School for Girls Los Angeles

50 Bellarmine College Prep School San Jose

51 St. Margaret’s Episcopal School San Juan Capistrano

52 Oakwood South Santa Clara Valley

53 French-American International School - San Francisco San Francisco

54 Campbell Hall School Los Angeles

55 Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School Irvine

56 Sonoma AcademySanta Rosa

57 St. Ignatius College Preparatory School San Francisco

58 Maybeck High School Berkeley

59 Mayfield Senior School Pasadena

60 Laguna Blanca School Santa Barbara

61 St. Francis High School Mountain View

62 Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles Los Angeles

63 Crossroads School Los Angeles

64 Acaciawood School Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove

65 Villanova Preparatory School Mira Monte

66 School for Independent Learners Los Altos

67 The Bay School of San Francisco San Francisco

68 Bentley School Lafayette

69 Archbishop Mitty High School San Jose

70 Milken Community High School Los Angeles

71 Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy La Cañada Flintridge

72 Kehillah Jewish High School Palo Alto

73 Lycée Français de San Francisco - Ortega Campus San Francisco

74 San Domenico School Sleepy Hollow

75 Stuart Hall High School San Francisco

76 Oaks Christian School Westlake Village

77 The King’s Academy Sunnyvale

78 Besant Hill School of Happy Valley Ojai-Mira Monte

79 Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School Santa Cruz

80 Convent of the Sacred Heart High School San Francisco

81 Notre Dame High School San Jose

82 Wildwood School Los Angeles

83 Dunn School Solvang-Santa Ynez

84 Jewish Community High School of the Bay San Francisco

85 Ribet Academy Los Angeles

86 Bishop O’Dowd High School Oakland

87 Santa Margarita Catholic High School Rancho Santa Margarita

88 New Covenant Academy Los Angeles

89 Yula Girls High School Los Angeles

90 Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA) - Los Feliz Los Angeles

91 Valley Christian Schools Dublin

92 Marywood-Palm Valley School Rancho Mirage

93 Valley Christian High School San Jose

94 La Salle High School Pasadena

95 Idyllwild Arts Academy Idyllwild

96 Orange Lutheran High School Anaheim-Santa Ana-Garden Grove

97 Summerfield Waldorf School Santa Rosa

98 Squaw Valley Academy Colfax-Monumental Ridge

99 Immaculate Heart Middle School & High School Los Angeles

100 Shalhevet School Los Angeles

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