These 2 South Bay High Schools Are Among The Best In The Nation

U.S. News & World Report has released its latest rankings on the best high schools in the country, and two South Bay institutions were among the top 50.

The 2025-2026 Best High School Rankings, released Tuesday, includes specialized STEM and charter rankings alongside the traditional state, district and metro area categories.

Nearly 24,000 public high schools were evaluated, and nearly 18,000 were ranked.

Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington made the list, coming in at No. 29. The California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS) came in at No. 38 in the national rankings.

Across California, the former was ranked No. 4, while the latter came in at No. 5 in the rankings.

Whitney High School in Cerritos took the No. 1 spot in California, while coming in at No. 16 nationwide.

The 2025-2026 Best High Schools national rankings identify top public schools based on six key performance indicators, including student achievement on state-required assessments, strong graduation rates, and college readiness measures.

Schools are evaluated on how effectively they serve all students, including underserved populations, with college readiness specifically measured through student participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.

The rankings consider curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes as well. U.S. News worked with RTI International, a global research firm, to implement the comprehensive ranking methodology, using the most current data from the 2022-2023 school year.

National Ranking - Top 10

1. BASIS Tucson North (Arizona)
2. Signature School (Indiana)
3. Central Magnet School (Tennessee)
4. Davidson Academy (Nevada)
5. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (Virgina)
6. Albuquerque Institute of Math and Science (New Mexico)
7. Hass Hall Bentonville (Arkansas)
8. Julia R. Masterman Secondary School (Pennsylvania)
9. The School for the Talented and Gifted (Texas)
10. Aiken Scholars Academy (South Carolina)