South OC High Schools Ranked Among Best For 2025-26: U.S. News & World Report

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — U.S. News & World Report has released its latest rankings on the best high schools in the country, and dozens in Orange County made the list.

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.

The top 25 public high schools in Orange County are:

1. Troy High School, Fullerton.
2. Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana.
3. University High School, Irvine.
4. Portola High School, Irvine.
5. La Quinta High School, Westminster.
6. Northwood High School, Irvine.
7. Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton.
8. Woodbridge High School, Irvine.
9. Arnold O. Beckman High School, Irvine.
10. Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach.
11. Fountain Valley High School, Fountain Valley.
12. Irvine High School, Irvine.
13. Pacifica High School, Garden Grove.
14. Aliso Niguel High School, Aliso Viejo.
15. San Juan Hills High School, San Juan Capistrano.
16. Tesoro High School, Las Flores.
17. Corona Del Mar High School, Newport Beach.
18. Capistrano Valley High School, Mission Viejo.
19. Foothill High School, Santa Ana.
20. Bolsa Grande High School, Garden Grove.
21. Cambridge Virtual Academy, Anaheim.
22. Cypress High School, Cypress.
23. Marina High School, Huntington Beach.
24. Canyon High School, Anaheim.
25. San Clemente High School, San Clemente.

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)