20 Best Public High Schools in California – 2024

For many students, finding the ideal high school is just as important as scoping out the right university. Especially for students whose academic interests are defined early, public high schools that offer specialized curriculums are a big draw. At these campuses, students not only prepare for the next step in their academic careers but also develop relevant skillsets which translate well at a collegiate level (Scroll down for the Best Public High Schools in California).

California is a large and beautiful state known for its landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, Santa Monica Pier, and, of course, the Hollywood sign. Even the natural wonders of Sequoia National Park. But California is also home to some of the best public high schools. From performing and fine arts institutions to STEM-focused campuses, the best public high schools in California are well-equipped to foster a wide variety of student interests.

Additionally, the best public schools in California are close to some of the top-rated universities in the country. With Stanford University, California Institute of Technology and the University of California, Berkley consistently topping the list of national highly-ranked universities.

Attending one of the best public high schools in California can help set students up for success on their college applications, no matter which college institution they choose.

Best Public High Schools in California (cont’d)

When assembling this list, we reviewed several factors. These factors include the school’s statewide—or California High Schools—ranking (out of 2,613), the number of students who passed at least one AP exam, average SAT and ACT scores, and graduation rate.

Additionally, we reviewed the College Readiness Index of each school. The College Readiness Index calculates values for schools based on student performance on both state-required tests and AP/IB exams.

Additionally, we will review the average rating for subject proficiency in mathematics, reading, and science. We will compare the average scores of the students from the profiled high school against the scores from other high schools in the district and the state. These ratings were determined by the Smarter Balanced examination.

We will also look at the school’s setting and provide a key to define if it is located in a small city (#), large suburb (*), or large city (^).

Finally, while this list is selective, it is important to note that the order of the schools does not necessarily indicate a further ranking.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at 20 of the best public schools in California to see how they help prepare high schoolers for the next step in their academic careers.

Best Public High Schools in California

1) California Academy of Mathematics & Science – Carson, California

• Statewide Ranking: #3
• College Readiness Index: 92.9
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 91%
• Graduation Rate: 100%
• Average SAT Score: 1340
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 667
• Senior Enrollment: 161
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 27:1

This high school has a highly diverse student population, with 93.9% minority enrollment. At this school, 100% of senior students opted to take an AP exam, and at least 90% of those students scored 3+.

Additionally, students scored well above expectations on subject proficiency. Compared to the other schools within the district, students here scored 95% proficiency in mathematics, (District average, 34%); 93% proficiency in reading, (District average 57%); and 83% proficiency in science (District average 23%).

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: University of California, Los Angeles, Princeton, Bucknell, Fordham, Yale, Tulane

2) Troy High School – Fullerton, California

• Statewide Ranking: #28
• College Readiness Index: 70.5
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 69%
• Graduation Rate: 94%
• Average SAT Score: 1400
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 2,614
• Senior Enrollment: 623
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 24:1

Student diversity is also high at this public school, with 87.7% minority enrollment. 74% of senior students opted to take at least one AP exam, and 93% of seniors scored a 3+.

At Troy High school, students also scored well above expectations on their subject proficiency examination. Compared other schools within the district, students here scored 80% proficiency in mathematics, (District average, 39%); 88% proficiency in reading, (District average 61%); and 74% proficiency in science (District average 33%).

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: American University, Brown University, Duke, MIT, Cornell, Emory, New York University.

3) Henry M. Gunn High School – Palo Alto, California

• Statewide Ranking: #23
• College Readiness Index: 75.6
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 75%
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Average SAT Score: 1430
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 1,868
• Senior Enrollment: 481
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1

With 69.3% minority enrollment, this high school enrolls a diverse student population. 78% of seniors at this high school chose to take an AP exam, and of those, an impressive 96% scored a 3+ on at least one exam.

Students at this high school scored at least 80% or higher in mathematics and reading subject proficiency. Additionally, students scored 68% in science subject proficiency. Overall, students at this high school scored higher on each subject proficiency than both the district and state average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: American University, Brown University, Cornell, Dartmouth College, MIT, Rice University, Yale

4) Canyon Crest Academy – San Diego, California

• Statewide Ranking: #16
• College Readiness Index: 87.1
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 86%
• Graduation Rate: 99%
• Average SAT Score: 1430
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 2,356
• Senior Enrollment: 601
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 28:1

Students at this high school can expect 55.7% minority enrollment. As far as AP exams, 89% of seniors opted to take at least one AP exam. 97% of those seniors scored a 3+.

With high marks in subject proficiency in mathematics (80%), reading (88%), and science (68%), students scored well above expectations and earned higher marks than the district average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, San Diego State University, Arizona State University

5) California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley – Duarte, California

• Statewide Ranking: #176
• College Readiness Index: 59.3
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 56%
• Graduation Rate: 98%
• Average SAT Score: 1260
• Average ACT Score: 28
• Total Enrollment: 982
• Senior Enrollment: 249
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1

With a 71.9% minority enrollment, this arts school has a diverse student population. It is also interesting to note that 71% of the student population are female students. 70% of senior students opted to take at least one AP exam, and 79% of these seniors scored a 3+.

Students at this high school scored mathematics (34%), reading (83%), and science (42%) subject proficiency on par with the district average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: California College of the Arts, Emerson, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Otis College of Art and Design, UCLA

6) University High School – Fresno, California

• Statewide Ranking: #7
• College Readiness Index: 88.2
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 84%
• Graduation Rate: 100%
• Average SAT Score: 1300
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 487
• Senior Enrollment: 113
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 24:1

At this high school, students can expect 71% minority enrollment. Interestingly, 100% of senior students opted to take at least one AP exam. 83% of these students scored a 3+.

When it comes to scoring on subject proficiency, students performed well above expectations on all subjects. For mathematics (87%), reading (98%), and science (90%). Scores on subject proficiency are aligned with the district average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Harvard, Penn State, Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt, UC Berkeley

Best Public High Schools in California (Continued)

7) Orange County School of the Arts – Santa Ana, California

• Statewide Ranking: #38
• College Readiness Index: 75.8
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 74%
• Graduation Rate: 98%
• Average SAT Score: 1320
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 1,671
• Senior Enrollment: 410
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1

At this arts school, students can expect 69.6% minority enrollment. Additionally, most of the student population are female, at 69%. When taking the AP exam, 82% of seniors opted to take the exam. 90% of these students scored a 3+.

Students scored well above expectations on subject proficiency. Their scores for mathematics (73%), reading (89%), and science (62%) aligned with the district average but were noticeably higher than the statewide averages, by at least 20% in each category.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Brown, Harvard, Berklee College of Music, Laguna College of Art and Design, Maryland Institute College of Art

8) Palo Alto High School – Palo Alto, California

• Statewide Ranking: #34
• College Readiness Index: 79.9
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 79%
• Graduation Rate: 95%
• Average SAT Score: 1410
• Average ACT Score:31
• Total Enrollment: 2,010
• Senior Enrollment: 516
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1

With 61.6% minority enrollment, this high school holds a diverse student body. At least 82% of seniors choose to take at least one AP exam, and 97% of these seniors scored a 3+.

When it comes to subject proficiency, the school scored well above expectations. However, the mathematics (77%) and science (61%) scores were a bit lower than the district average at (80%) and (86%) respectively. Yet, the overall subject proficiency scores were still higher than the state average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Amherst, Berklee College of Music, Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Georgia Institute of Technology, Trinity College Dublin

9) Saratoga High School – Saratoga, California

• Statewide Ranking: #24
• College Readiness Index: 71.5
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 71%
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Average SAT Score: 1450
• Average ACT Score: 33
• Total Enrollment: 1,248
• Senior Enrollment: 357
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 20:1

At this high school, there is 80% minority student enrollment, making this one of the best public high schools in California with a largely diverse student population. 74% of seniors decided to take at least one AP exam, and 95% scored at least a 3+.

As it pertains to subject proficiency, students scored highly in mathematics (91%) and reading (94%). Subject proficiency in science was also high at (65%). Each of these scores were higher than both the district and state average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Purdue University

10) Lowell High School – San Francisco, California

• Statewide Ranking: #11
• College Readiness Index: 88.2
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 87%
• Graduation Rate: 99%
• Average SAT Score: 1370
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 2,652
• Senior Enrollment: 723
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 22:1

At 82.3% minority enrollment, this university enrolls a diverse student population. 92% of senior students elected to take an AP exam, and 94% of those seniors scored a 3+.

Impressively, this high school rises above both the district and state average for subject proficiency by at least 30% in each category. Mathematics (84%), reading (93%), and science (73%) each scored highly over the district average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, UC Santa Cruz, UC Davis

11) Torrey Pines High School – San Diego, California

• Statewide Ranking: #98
• College Readiness Index: 66
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 64%
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Average SAT Score: 1350
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 2,649
• Senior Enrollment: 634
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 25:1

This high school has a student minority enrollment of 44.4%. For the AP exam, 73% of seniors opted to take the test, and 88% scored a 3+.

With subject proficiency, this high school preformed above expectations in mathematics (62%), reading (78%), and science (58%). Overall, the scores for mathematics were slightly below the district average at 63%.  However, the overall subject proficiency for each category was still above the state average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Cal Poly, UC San Diego, University of Arizona, San Diego State University

12) Palos Verdes Peninsula High School – Rolling Hills Estates, California

• Statewide Ranking: #46
• College Readiness Index: 71.3
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 69%
• Graduation Rate: 99%
• Average SAT Score: 1370
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 2,340
• Senior Enrollment: 578
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 24:1

In terms of student diversity, this high school has 62.9% minority enrollment. While 77% of seniors opted to take the AP exam, 90% of those students scored a 3+.

The school scored very well in their subject proficiency examination. They earned top marks for all subjects. In mathematics (76%), reading (76%), and science (65%), they scored higher than the district and state averages.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Brown, Carnegie Mellon, Loyola Marymount, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Wisconsin—Madison

Best Public High Schools in California (Continued)

13) Riverside STEM Academy – Riverside, California

• Statewide Ranking: #10
• College Readiness Index: 79.9
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 74%
• Graduation Rate: 96%
• Average SAT Score: 1350
• Average ACT Score: 29
• Total Enrollment: 244
• Senior Enrollment: 56
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 27:1

This high school has a 73.1% minority enrollment. A large majority of seniors decided to take an AP exam, with 98% opting. Of these students, 76% scored a 3+.

When it comes to subject proficiency, this campus scored well above expectations across the board. In mathematics (92%), reading (100%), and science (89%), the school scored highly against both the district and statewide average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: UC, Riverside, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine

14) Everest Academy – San Diego, California

• Statewide Ranking: #104
• College Readiness Index: 59.8
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 59%
• Graduation Rate: 95%
• Average SAT Score: 1380
• Average ACT Score: 31
• Total Enrollment: 125 (at the high school level; the institute is K-12)
• Senior Enrollment: 33
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1

This high school has a 54.2% minority enrollment. 63% of high school seniors elected to take an AP exam, and 92% of these seniors scored 3+.

In subject proficiency, the school earned high marks. Mathematics (55%), reading (83%), and science (62%) were each above both the district and state averages.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: UC Berkeley, Oberlin, Loyola Marymount University, Temple University

15) Los Altos High School – Los Altos, California

• Statewide Ranking: #37
• College Readiness Index: 73.1
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 70%
• Graduation Rate: 98%
• Average SAT Score: 1370
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 2,136
• Senior Enrollment: 554
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1

At this high school, the minority student enrollment is 64%. While 81% of seniors opted to take an AP exam, 87% of these students scored a 3+.

In subject proficiency, students at this high school scored well above expectations. In mathematics (71%) the score was equal to the district average. With reading (85%), the score was slightly higher than the district average, which was 84%. However, the proficiency score for science (63%) was just lower than the state average, which was 66%.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Georgetown, Columbia, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Rice

16) Oxford Academy – Cypress, California

• Statewide Ranking: #1
• College Readiness Index: 100
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 100%
• Graduation Rate: 99%
• Average SAT Score: 1400
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 831
• Senior Enrollment: 196
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 25:1

With a minority enrollment of 94.1%, this high school has a highly diverse student population. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the statistics, 100% of senior students chose to take an AP exam. Of those students, 99% scored a 3+.

Impressively, this high school also scored well above expectations on subject proficiency. With very high scores across the board in mathematics (93%), reading (99%), and science (91%). Notably, this high school scored 60% higher in mathematics than the district average.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Adelphi, Boston University, Gonzaga, New York University, Villanova

17) Whitney High School – Cerritos, California

• Statewide Ranking: #2
• College Readiness Index: 95.5
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 95%
• Graduation Rate: 99%
• Average SAT Score: 1420
• Average ACT Score: 32
• Total Enrollment: 686
• Senior Enrollment: 169
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 26:1

With a largely diverse student body, the minority enrollment at this high school is 95.7%. Most high school seniors opted to take the AP exam, with 96% making this choice. Of those students, 99% scored a 3+.

Notably, this high school scored well in subject proficiency in all areas. In mathematics (97%), reading (99%), and science (85%), the high school scored well above both the district and state averages.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: California State University, Fullerton, California State University, Sacramento

18) Westview High School – San Diego, California

• Statewide Ranking: #54
• College Readiness Index: 66.5
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 66%
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Average SAT Score: 1350
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 2,351
• Senior Enrollment: 573
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 25:1

At this high school, there is a 64.8% minority enrollment. For seniors, 69% chose to take at least one AP examination. Of these seniors, 95% scored a 3+.

In all areas tested for subject proficiency, this high school scored well above expectations. For mathematics (79%), reading (82%), and science (55%), the school earned higher marks than both the district and state averages.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: San Diego State University, Cal Poly, California State University, San Marcos

Best Public High Schools in California (Continued)

19) Mountain View High School – Mountain View, California

• Statewide Ranking: #52
• College Readiness Index: 65.6
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 62%
• Graduation Rate: 91%
• Average SAT Score: 1360
• Average ACT Score: 30
• Total Enrollment: 2,316
• Senior Enrollment: 606
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1

Here, students can expect 61.7% minority enrollment. 76% of seniors chose to take an AP exam, and 82% scored a 3+.

For subject proficiency, the high school performed well. For mathematics (71%), the score was equal to the district average but notably above the state average (30%). In reading (83%), the score was slightly lower than the district average of 84% but was also higher than the state average. Interestingly, the school performed slightly better in science (69%) than the district average of 66%.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Dartmouth College, Johns Hopkins, Baylor University, MIT, Kenyon College

20) J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy – Gilroy, California (Small suburb)

• Statewide Ranking: #4
• College Readiness Index: 95.9
• Passed at Least One AP Exam: 95%
• Graduation Rate: 97%
• Average SAT Score: 1270
• Average ACT Score: 29
• Total Enrollment: 289
• Senior Enrollment: 74
• Student-Teacher Ratio: 28:1

This high school enrolls a diverse student population, with 85.1% minority enrollment. Additionally, an impressive 100% of seniors chose to take an AP examination. Of those seniors, 92% scored a 3+.

In terms of subject proficiency, students ranked well and scored above expectations. In mathematics (91%) the score was 43% higher than the district average. For reading (96%) and science (83%), the school scored 27% and 37% higher than the district average, respectively.

Notable Universities Alumni Attended: Santa Clara University, UC Davis

Final Thoughts 

Preparing for college starts in high school. Whether it be joining a variety of extracurriculars or opting for advanced classes, students should be aware of how their high school career will translate into their colligate one.

It’s inevitable that debate will transpire about which is the better option—private schools or public ones. Between larger cities like Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and even smaller suburbs, public schools are equipped to provide rigorous academics.

At a public school, one of the best choices a student can make is opting to take an AP exam after studying the course material throughout the academic year. If a student scores a 3+ on the examination, they will earn college credit for the subject. This means they do not have to enroll in the course again in college. Not only does this save the student time, but also it can save them money.

Ultimately, there are many public high schools in California with shining credentials. As we can see, these public high schools come from many cities and suburbs across the state. For students looking at any major, there are a wide variety of public high schools that will prepare them well for the next step in their academic careers.