Schools
These Are The Top 10 Public High Schools In RivCo, New Ranking Says
Southern California dominated a new list of the best public high schools in the Golden State. Plus, check out the top 25 schools statewide.

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Several Riverside County schools are among the top-ranked public high schools in America, earning an "A" overall grade, 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.
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Riverside STEM Academy in Riverside ranked No. 17 among public high schools statewide.
Below are the top 10 public high schools in Riverside County:
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- Riverside STEM Academy — Riverside
- John F. Kennedy High School — Norco
- Great Oak High School — Temecula
- Western Center Academy — Hemet
- Vista Murrieta High School — Murrieta
- Murrieta Mesa High School — Murrieta
- Santa Rosa Academy — Menifee
- Eleanor Roosevelt High School — Eastvale
- Palm Desert High School — Palm Desert
- Murrieta Valley High School — Murrieta
Below are the top 25 public high schools in SoCal. 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:
- California Academy of Mathematics & Science — Long Beach
- Troy High School — Fullerton
- Canyon Crest Academy — San Diego
- Academy of the Canyons — Santa Clarita
- California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley — Duarte
- Orange County School of the Arts — Santa Ana
- University High School — Irvine
- The Science Academy STEM Magnet — North Hollywood
- Soar High (Students on Academic Rise) — Lancaster
- Torrey Pines High School — San Diego
- Palos Verdes Peninsula High School — Rolling Hills Estates
- Riverside STEM Academy — Riverside
- Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School for STEM — Los Angeles
- Mt. Everest Academy — San Diego
- High Tech Los Angeles — Los Angeles
- Whitney High School — Cerritos
- Oxford Academy — Cypress
- Westview High School — San Diego
- Granada Hills Charter — Granada Hills
- Preuss School UCSD — La Jolla
- Helix Charter High School — La Mesa
- Del Norte High School — San Diego
- Northwood High School — Irvine
- Eunice Sato Academy of Math & Science — Long Beach
- La Cañada High School — La Cañada Flintridge
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:
- California Academy of Mathematics & Science — Carson
- Troy High School — Fullerton
- Henry M. Gunn High School — Palo Alto
- Canyon Crest Academy — San Diego
- Academy of the Canyons — Santa Clarita
- California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley — Duarte
- University High School — Fresno
- Orange County School of the Arts — Santa Ana
- Palo Alto High School — Palo Alto
- University High School — Irvine
- Saratoga High School — Saratoga
- The Science Academy STEM Magnet — North Hollywood
- Lowell High School — San Francisco
- Soar High (Students on Academic Rise) — Antelope Valley
- Torrey Pines High School — San Diego
- Palos Verdes Penninsula High School — Rolling Hills Estates
- Riverside STEM Academy — Riverside
- Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School For Stem — Los Angeles
- Mt. Everest Academy — San Diego
- Los Altos High School — Los Altos
- Middle College High School — Stockton
- High Tech Los Angeles — Los Angeles
- Whitney High School — Cerritos
- Oxford Academy — Anaheim
- Westview High School — San Diego
Check back with Patch this week for coverage on California’s best school districts and best private schools.
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