CA's Best High Schools: New Rankings Released

CALIFORNIA — Several schools in California are among America’s best, according to rankings released Tuesday by the education platform Niche.

The new 2023 Best Schools and Districts rankings provide insight for parents on 92,743 public schools, 30,112 private schools and 11,820 school districts nationwide.

Here are the top 25 public high schools in the Golden State, according to Niche:

1. Henry M. Gunn High School - Palo Alto

2. Troy High School - Fullerton

3. Canyon Crest Academy - San Diego

4. California Academy of Mathematics & Science - Long Beach

5. Orange County School of the Arts - Santa Ana

6. Palo Alto High School - Palo Alto

7. Riverside STEM Academy

8. Saratoga High School - Los Gatos

9. University High School - Irvine

10. Los Altos High School - Los Altos

11. Torrey Pines High School - San Diego

12. La Cañada High School - La Cañada Flintridge

13. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School - Palos Verdes

14. Northwood High School - Irvine

15. Lynbrook High School - San Jose

16. Whitney High School - Cerritos

17. Academy of the Canyons - Santa Clarita

18. Campolindo High School - Moraga

19. Lowell High School - San Francisco

20. Westview High School - Poway

21. Del Norte High School - Poway

22. Mountain View High School - Mountain View

23. Mt. Everest Academy - (Online)

24. South Pasadena Senior High School - South Pasadena

25. Foothill High School - Pleasanton

Here are the top 25 private high schools in California, according to Niche:

1. Harvard-Westlake School - Los Angeles

2. The College Preparatory School - Oakland

3. The Nueva School - Hillsborough

4. Stanford Online High School - Redwood City

5. Crystal Springs Uplands School - Hillsborough

6. Castilleja School - Palo Alto

7. Flintridge Preparatory School - La Canada Flintridge

8. The Bishop's School - San Diego

9. The Harker School - San Jose

10. Polytechnic School - Pasadena

11. Head-Royce School - Oakland

12. Cate School - Carpinteria

13. The Quarry Lane School - Dublin

14. The Thacher School - Ojai

15. Sage Hill School - Newport Coast

16. Windward School - Los Angeles

17. Marborough School - Los Angeles

18. Westridge School - Pasadena

19. San Francisco University High School - San Francisco

20. Lick-Wilmerding High School - San Francisco

21. The Branson School - Ross

22. Menlo School - Atherton

23. The Webb Schools - Claremont

24. Chadwick School - Palos Verdes Peninsula

25. Francis Parker School - San Diego

You can view the full rankings here.

Niche said its rankings 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.

Niche named the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham, North Carolina, the top public school. Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, is the best private school.

Niche 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.

Check back with Patch this week for coverage on California's best school districts.