U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026-27 Best High Schools rankings, and one California school landed in the nation's top 10.
Science Academy STEM Magnet in Los Angeles earned the No. 10 spot, making it the highest-ranked public high school in California.
To identify the nation's top high schools, U.S. News & World Report assessed nearly 18,000 public high schools across six factors: college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, underserved student performance, and graduation rates.
The rankings considered student performance on state math, reading and science assessments, participation and success in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, graduation rates
and outcomes for underserved students. Schools were graded on a 100-point scale.
In addition to the national rankings, the publication released a list of the top public high schools in California.
Here's what to know about the state's top 10 public high schools.
What are the top 10 public high schools in California?
No. 1: Science Academy STEM Magnet
With an overall score of 99.94, Science Academy STEM Magnet in Los Angeles is ranked No. 1 in the state and No. 10 in the nation in U.S. News & World Report's rankings.
The Los Angeles Unified School District school, which has 260 enrolled students and a 23:1 student-to-teacher ratio, offers Advanced Placement coursework. There are 42 students enrolled in the 12th grade.
"Additionally, 36% of students in the school are economically disadvantaged," U.S. News & World Report said.
Here is a breakdown of Science Academy STEM Magnet's additional rankings:
- No. 1: Los Angeles, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Los Angeles Unified School District high schools
- No. 54: STEM high schools
No. 2: Whitney High School
Whitney High School in Cerritos landed No. 2 in California and No. 11 nationally in U.S. News & World Report's rankings, with an overall score of 99.94.
The school, which has an enrollment of 696 students and a 26:1 student-to-teacher ratio, offers honors and Advanced Placement courses, including computer science, physics and foreign languages.
"Admission to Whitney High School is selective and is based on state and district assessments and class rank," the publication said.
Here is a breakdown of Whitney High School's other rankings:
- No. 2: Los Angeles, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: ABC Unified School District high schools
- No. 13: STEM high schools
No. 3: Oxford Academy
Oxford Academy in Cypress earned a score of 99.91, making it the No. 3 public school in California and No. 17 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
"Oxford Academy runs an intensive honors curriculum that requires students to take a minimum of four Advanced Placement courses to graduate," the publication said.
Students in ninth and 10th grades choose from "four career pathways to supplement their core courses: biomedical science, engineering, business/entrepreneurship, and software systems and development," according to the publication.
Oxford Academy has an enrollment of 817 students and a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Additional rankings for the school included in the report are:
- No. 3: Los Angeles, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Anaheim Union High School District high schools
- No. 57: STEM sigh schools
No. 4: Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy
Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington had an overall score of 99.87, ranking it No. 24 in California and No. 24 nationally in U.S. News & World Report's roundup.
The school, which has 452 students enrolled and a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio, has a 100% Advanced Placement participation rate.
Here is a breakdown of Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy's additional rankings:
- No. 4: Los Angeles, California, metro area high schools
- No. 2: Los Angeles Unified School District high schools
- No. 462: STEM high schools
No. 5: Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy
U.S. News & World Report ranked Dr. T.J. Owens Gilroy Early College Academy, which earned an overall score of 99.79, as No. 5 in the state and No. 37 nationally.
The Gilroy high school has an enrollment of 304 students, a 27:1 student-to-teacher ratio, and a 100% Advanced Placement participation rate.
Additional rankings for the school included in the report are:
- No. 1: San Jose, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Gilroy Unified School District high schools
No. 6: University High School (Fresno)
University High School earned an overall score of 99.64, ranking it No. 6 in California and No. 64 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
"University High School is a liberal arts high school that offers a unique curriculum with courses such as zoology, Latin and musicianship," the publication said.
The school, which has 498 enrolled students and a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio, is nestled on the California State University, Fresno, campus, where "juniors and seniors enroll in classes at the university, often earning college credit in the process," according to the publication.
Admission is selective, but the school does use a lottery system if applications outnumber available seats.
"Applicants must have at least two years of musical experience to be considered, and every student at UHS is required to participate in band, orchestra or choir for all four years," U.S. News & World Report said.
Extracurricular activities offered at the school include chess, sailing, basketball, soccer and cricket.
Here is a breakdown of University High School's other rankings:
- No. 1: Fresno, California, metro area high schools
- No. 17: Charter high schools
No. 7: California Academy of Mathematics and Science
California Academy of Mathematics and Science ranked No. 7 in California and No. 69 in the nation, with an overall score of 99.62 in U.S. News & World Report's roundup.
The Carson high school has an enrollment of 673 students and a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio. The school offers Advanced Placement coursework and has a 91% AP participation rate.
Other rankings for the school include:
- No. 5: Los Angeles, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Long Beach Unified School District high schools
No. 8: Pacific Collegiate Charter
With an overall score of 99.54, Pacific Collegiate Charter landed at No. 8 in the state and No. 82 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The Santa Cruz school has an enrollment of 336 students, with an 18:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
The school has a 100% Advanced Placement participation rate.
Here is a list of the school's additional rankings:
- No. 1: Santa Cruz, California, metro area high schools
- No. 22: Charter high schools
- No. 168: STEM high schools
No. 9: Lynbrook High School
Lynbrook High School, which earned an overall score of 99.49 in U.S. News & World Report's roundup, ranked No. 9 in California and No. 92 in the nation.
The San Jose school has 1,702 enrolled students and a 23:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Some of Lynbrook High School's other rankings include:
- No. 2: San Jose, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Fremont Union High School District high schools
- No. 23: STEM high schools
No. 10: Mission San Jose High School
Mission San Jose High School earned an overall score of 99.45, ranking it No. 10 in California and No. 98 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The Fremont school has 1,794 students enrolled and a 25:1 student-to-teacher ratio.
Here is a breakdown of Mission San Jose High School's additional rankings:
- No. 1: San Francisco, California, metro area high schools
- No. 1: Fremont Union High School District high schools
- No. 29: STEM high schools
What are the top 10 high schools in the nation?
Here are the top 10 public schools in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report.
- Central Magnet School, Tennessee
- Signature School, Indiana
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School, Pennsylvania
- Davidson Academy, Nevada
- School Without Walls High School, District of Columbia
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, Virginia
- Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, Georgia
- The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG), Texas
- Nikola Tesla Stem High School, Wahsington
- Science Academy Stem Magnet, California
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: These are California's top 10 high schools, according to US News
