List of Best Public High Schools In California

You will find here a list of the best public high schools in California. Generally, California state has some of the best high schools in the country. Some of these schools are ranked the top 10 best schools in the country.

The States has some really great private high schools in California but the focus of this article is on the top private schools in California. And so without any further delay, let’s look into the list of the top 10 private high schools in California.

What are the top 10 public high schools in California?

I have carefully compiled this list of the best public high schools using data from niche (an educational blog) alongside Wikipedia. Below are the best public high schools in California;

1. Henry M. Gunn High School

best public high schools in California
Henry M. Gunn High Schoo is one of two public high schools in Palo Alto, California, the other being Palo Alto High School. Established in 1964, Gunn High School was named after Henry Martin Gunn, who served as the Palo Alto superintendent from 1950 to 1961.

The school has about 1936 students with a student-to-teacher ratio of 19:1. 87 percent of the students are proficient in English and 82 percent are proficient in maths.

2. Troy High School

best public high schools in California
Troy High School is a public high school in Troy, Michigan, United States. It enrolls approximately 2,000 students in grades 9–12. It is one of four high schools in the Troy School District, along with Athens High School, Troy College and Career School, and International Academy East.

It has 2,614 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 23 to 1. 79 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 87 percent in reading.

3. Canyon Crest Academy

best public high schools in California
Canyon Crest Academy is a public high school in San Diego, California. Founded in 2004, the school is a member of the San Dieguito Union High School District and is located in Pacific Highlands Ranch, a residential suburb of San Diego.

It has 2,503 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 28 to 1. 80 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 88 percent in reading.

4. California Academy of Mathematics & Science

best public high schools in California
The California Academy of Mathematics and Science is a public magnet high school in Carson, California, United States focusing on science and mathematics. Its California API scores are the fourth-highest in the state.

It has 669 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 27 to 1. 95 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 92 percent in reading.

5. Orange County School of the Arts

best public high schools in California
Orange County School of the Arts, is a 7th–12th-grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in performing, visual, literary arts, culinary arts, and more.

It has 2,277 students with a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1. The school has an average graduation rate of 97 percent.

6. Palo Alto High School

best public high schools in California
Palo Alto Senior High School commonly referred to locally as “Paly”, is a comprehensive public high school in Palo Alto, California. It has 2,085 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1.

It has 2,085 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 18 to 1. 75 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 83 percent in reading.

7. Riverside STEM Academy

best public high schools in California
Riverside STEM Academy is a public school located in Riverside, California. It has 655 students in grades 5-12. The school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1. And a minority enrollment of 70.2 percent.

According to state test scores, 90 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 94 percent in reading.

8. Saratoga High School

best public high schools in California
Saratoga High School is a public school located in Saragota, California. It has 1,159 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 21 to 1. The full-time teachers in the school are 66.

The total minority enrollment is 79 percent, and 3 percent of the students are economically disadvantaged. The school has a minority enrollment of 78.7 percent with 48 percent female and 52 percent male.

9. University High School

best public high schools in California
University High School is a public school located in Irvine, California. It has 1,708 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 26 to 1. The school has 20 full-time equivalent Teachers.

With a minority enrollment of 63.4 percent, 48 percent of the students are female while 52 percent are male. 75 percent of students are at least proficient in math and 78 percent in reading.

10. Los Altos High School

best public high schools in California

Los Altos High School is a public school located in Los Altos, California. It has 2,209 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 19 to 1. The school has 115 equivalent full-time teachers.

The school has a minority enrollment of 63.9 percent while 50 percent of the students are male and the other 50 percent female. 85 percent of students scored above proficiency levels on their state reading/language arts assessment test.

71 percent of students scored above proficiency levels on their state math assessment test.

Summary

This is all on the best public high schools in California.

Let me put before you a summary. The 10 best public high schools in California are;

  1. Henry M. Gunn High School
  2. Troy High School
  3. Canyon Crest Academy
  4. California Academy of Mathematics & Science
  5. Orange County School of the Arts
  6. Palo Alto High School
  7. Riverside STEM Academy
  8. Saratoga High School
  9. University High School
  10. Los Altos High School

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