South Bay Schools Dominate List Of Best Districts In LA County: New Ranking

One of the most important considerations of Los Angeles County parents when choosing a place to live is the quality of the school district. And in the South Bay, they have many to choose from.

According to the 2026 Best School Districts in America list recently released by the education ranking service Niche, Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District is the third-best district in the county.

"PVPUSD is truly exceptional, offering top-tier academics, competitive athletics, and unmatched community support," one parent wrote in a Niche review.

Here are the other highly ranked South Bay districts, along with their countywide ranking:

• Redondo Beach Unified School District (No. 5)
• El Segundo Unified School District (No. 8)
• Manhattan Beach Unified School District (No. 9)
• Torrance Unified School District (No. 14)
• Wiseburn Unified School District (No. 19)

Niche also released its best public high schools and best private high schools rankings.

READ MORE:

• Best Public School Districts In LA County
• Best Public High Schools In LA County
• Best Private High Schools In LA County

Niche said its rankings, now in the 11th 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.