These Are The Top 25 Public High Schools In SoCal, New Ranking Says

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two Southern California schools are among the top 50 public high schools in America, while SoCal dominated the list of the top-25 ranked schools statewide, according to new rankings from the education platform Niche.

Niche’s 2024 Best Schools and Districts rankings include data on 94,058 public schools, 30,809 private schools and 12,192 school districts.

This year’s rankings include 7,375 newly ranked public schools.

California Academy of Mathematics & Science in Long Beach ranked 22nd among public high schools nationally, while Fullerton's Troy High School came in at No. 32.

Below are the top 25 public high schools in Southern California. Twelve are in Los Angeles County, seven are in San Diego County, five are in Orange County and one is in Riverside County, according to Niche:

1. California Academy of Mathematics & Science — Long Beach
2. Troy High School — Fullerton
3. Canyon Crest Academy — San Diego
4. Academy of the Canyons — Santa Clarita
5. California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley — Duarte
6. Orange County School of the Arts — Santa Ana
7. University High School — Irvine
8. The Science Academy STEM Magnet — North Hollywood
9. Soar High (Students on Academic Rise) — Lancaster
10. Torrey Pines High School — San Diego
11. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School — Rolling Hills Estates
12. Riverside STEM Academy — Riverside
13. Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School for STEM — Los Angeles
14. Mt. Everest Academy — San Diego
15. High Tech Los Angeles — Los Angeles
16. Whitney High School — Cerritos
17. Oxford Academy — Cypress
18. Westview High School — San Diego
19. Granada Hills Charter — Granada Hills
20. Preuss School UCSD — La Jolla
21. Helix Charter High School — La Mesa
22. Del Norte High School — San Diego
23. Northwood High School — Irvine
24. Eunice Sato Academy of Math & Science — Long Beach
25. La Cañada High School — La Cañada Flintridge

You can view the full rankings here.

Niche said its rankings, now in the ninth year, differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance in that it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.

The company said its rankings were created to provide families with valuable information — both quantitative and qualitative — on schools in their area or in a neighborhood they’re not familiar with yet.

As in previous years, the Best Schools rankings include categories for boarding, charter and magnet schools as well as schools for STEM and the arts among many others.

Of the overall top 25 public high schools in California, 18 are in SoCal. Here is the full Top 25 listing for all of California:

1. California Academy of Mathematics & Science — Carson
2. Troy High School — Fullerton
3. Henry M. Gunn High School — Palo Alto
4. Canyon Crest Academy — San Diego
5. Academy of the Canyons — Santa Clarita
6. California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley — Duarte
7. University High School — Fresno
8. Orange County School of the Arts — Santa Ana
9. Palo Alto High School — Palo Alto
10. University High School — Irvine
11. Saratoga High School — Saratoga
12. The Science Academy STEM Magnet — North Hollywood
13. Lowell High School — San Francisco
14. Soar High (Students on Academic Rise) — Antelope Valley
15. Torrey Pines High School — San Diego
16. Palos Verdes Penninsula High School — Rolling Hills Estates
17. Riverside STEM Academy — Riverside
18. Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School For Stem — Los Angeles
19. Mt. Everest Academy — San Diego
20. Los Altos High School — Los Altos
21. Middle College High School — Stockton
22. High Tech Los Angeles — Los Angeles
23. Whitney High School — Cerritos
24. Oxford Academy — Anaheim
25. Westview High School — San Diego

Check back with Patch this week for coverage on California’s best school districts and best private schools.