These Are The Top 20 High Schools In San Diego County: U.S. News & World Report

SAN DIEGO, CA — 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 20 public high schools in San Diego County are:

1. Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego (San Dieguito Union High School District)
2. Preuss School UCSD, La Jolla (Preuss School UCSD District)
3. Del Norte High School, San Diego (Poway Unified School District)
4. Mt. Everest Academy, San Diego (San Diego Unified School District)
5. Westview High School, San Diego (Poway Unified School District)
6. Sage Creek High School, Carlsbad (Carlsbad Unified School District)
7. Scripps Ranch High School, San Diego (San Diego Unified School District)
8. Chula Vista Learning Community Charter, Chula Vista (Chula Vista Learning Community Charter District)
9. Torrey Pines High School, San Diego (San Dieguito Union High School District)
10. University City High School, San Diego (San Diego Unified School District)
11. La Jolla High School, La Jolla (San Diego Unified School District)
12. Del Lago Academy - Campus of Applied Science, Escondido (Escondido Union High School District)
13. Rancho Bernardo High School, San Diego (Poway Unified School District)
14. Mission Vista High School, Oceanside (Vista Unified School District)
15. San Dieguito High Academy, Encinitas (San Dieguito Union High School District)
16. Coronado High School, Coronado (Coronado Unified School District)
17. Eastlake High School, Chula Vista (Sweetwater Union High School District)
18. Mt. Carmel High School, San Diego (Poway Unified School District)
19. River Valley Charter, Lakeside (River Valley Charter District)
20. Mira Mesa High School, San Diego (San Diego Unified School District)

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 (Virginia)
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