Here's How La Mesa-Mount Helix Schools Rank: Niche

LA MESA-MOUNT HELIX, CA — La Mesa and Mount Helix schools received grades and rankings from Niche. The ranking and review site gave four high schools in the area A grades, while elementary and middle schools received B and C grades.

Here's how Niche graded and ranked La Mesa and Mount Helix schools:

• Murdock Elementary School: B+, ranked 169th best public elementary school in San Diego area
• Murray Manor Elementary School: B, ranked 223rd best public elementary school in San Diego area
• Lemon Avenue Elementary School: B, ranked 224th best public elementary school in San Diego area
• Sweetwater Springs Elementary School: B, ranked 249th best public elementary school in San Diego area
• La Mesa Dale Elementary School: B, did not receive a ranking
• Maryland Avenue Elementary School: B, ranked 290th best public elementary school in San Diego area
• Northmont Elementary School: B, ranked 291st best public elementary school in San Diego area
• Rolando Elementary School: B-, did not receive a ranking
• Casa de Oro Elementary: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Kempton Street Literacy Academy: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Highlands Elementary School: C+, did not receive a ranking
• La Presa Elementary School: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Rancho Elementary School: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Avondale Elementary School: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Loma Elementary School: C, did not receive a ranking
• Bancroft Elementary School: C-, did not receive a ranking
• La Mesa Arts Academy: B+, ranked 91st best public middle school in California
• Parkway Middle School: B+, ranked 773rd best public middle school in California
• STEAM Academy at La Presa: B-, did not receive a ranking
• Spring Valley Academy: C+, did not receive a ranking
• Quest Academy: B+, did not receive a ranking
• Helix High School: A+, ranked second best charter high school in San Diego area and 11th best charter high school in California
• Steele Canyon High School: A, ranked ninth best charter high school in San Diego area and 32nd best charter high school in California
• Grossmont High School: A-, ranked 404th best public high school in California
• Monte Vista High School: A-, ranked 394th best public high school in California
• Mount Miguel High School: B-, did not receive a ranking

Related: La Mesa-Mount Helix School Calendar 2019-2020

Niche looked at more than 94,000 public schools, 4,100 private schools and nearly 11,000 school districts across the country. The rankings are meant to help parents and students find schools that best fit their needs.

"Unlike traditional school rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche's rankings provide a real-life view of what it's like to attend a given school," the company said in a news release.

Comments from current students, alumni, and parents are included in the analysis, as well as observations about things like campus life, extracurricular activities, sports options, diversity, and programs for gifted and special needs students.

"Parents and students need more than test-score data," Luke Skurman, CEO at Niche, said in the news release. "They need to understand what it's really like to attend a school before they start the application or registration process."

For the first time, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, were ranked the top private and public high schools, respectively, in the nation.

2020 top public high schools:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
2. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
3. Walter Payton College Prep
4. Stuyvesant High School
5. Bergen County Academies

2020 top private high schools:

1. Phillips Exeter Academy
2. St. Mark's School of Texas
3. Phillips Academy
4. The College Preparatory School
5. Trinity School

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.