2023 Best Online Schools in California

• Redwood City, CA•

• Online School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.65 out of 5  160 reviews

Sophomore: Stanford OHS is a rigorous academic environment that promotes curiosity through every academic subject. The courses offered at the school are fascinating and so unique, especially the Core track classes (interdisciplinary courses) that are required for every full time student. The teachers have an amazing curriculum for every class, and a flipped classroom method helps classes be much more engaging and enjoyable. Students prepare before class with readings, homework, and bigger projects, and class time is used more as a discussion space for diving deeper into the material. The community at the school is also very good. All of my peers are so interested in our classes and excited to learn, which is something I’ve found very different from other schools. It is really refreshing to be around people who share my love of learning. Overall, OHS creates an amazing learning environment through every course.... Read 160 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 923

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Online School•

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  44 reviews

Senior: Mt. Everest Academy is an exceptional school that offers a unique learning experience for each student. The teachers and faculty at Mt. Everest are very caring and truly look out for the students best interest. Being that Mt. Everest Academy is an alternative, independent study school, working in that environment provides the students with better time management and communication skills than at your typical high school. In a way you get that college experience of having different classes on different days and times; having to balance your class time, homework, and extracurricular schedules is all a part of it. That might seem intimidating to some but fortunately you still have the guidance and help from teachers and counselor who will help you make the best decisions for your goals and needs. At Mt. Everest Academy, you have the opportunity to make a connection with each of your teachers, which adds to the overall experience. Enroll at Mt. Everest Academy, you won’t regret it!... Read 44 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 291

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Ojai, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.34 out of 5  220 reviews

Alum: Really great communication from both teachers and school administrators. I still talk to some of my teachers! The academics were good and I got into several prestigious institutions. The only potential downside for some people is the lack of group work since it is a mostly asynchronous school. However, there are dual-enrolment programs that allow students to take synchronous classes over Zoom. My guidance counselor and teachers were super supportive throughout my time here, while I was applying for college, and after I had been accepted and graduated!... Read 220 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 4,325

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Online School•

• Capistrano Unified School District, CA•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 274

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Online School•

• William S. Hart Union High School District, CA•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  29 reviews

Senior: I had a bad experience in middle school. We had just moved, I was failing classes, and I wasn't making friends. I begged my mom to home school me. We found Learning Post and enrolling ended up being one of the best decisions I've ever made. Learning Post allows its students to learn at their own pace. The classes may be online but you can work one on one time with any of your teachers. I am far less stressed and my grades have gone from failing to straight A's. despite being an online school there are still plenty of opportunities to make friends. Learning Post has made me far more independent, I'm no longer afraid to ask teachers for help, and I've become much more active in my academic decisions.... Read 29 reviews

• grade A

• Students 264

• Student-teacher ratio 29:1

• Online School•

• Twin Hills Union Elementary School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.8 out of 5  10 reviews

Senior: I love Orchard View! I've been a student here since fourth grade. I love the one-on-one personal instruction and how the school caters to each individual student's needs. It's unique hybrid home school/independent study program both allows students time in the classroom collaborating with peers, and teaches important time management and self sufficiency skills. This structure provides me more free time to pursue extracurricular activities while also getting a robust education. The teachers at Orchard View are amazing. They are passionate about what they do, and truly care that each student succeeds. I feel that they have prepared me very well for college. In high school, students are encouraged to take classes at the Santa Rosa Junior College. This experience gave me the confidence that I could perform at the college level, and served as a bridge from high school to college.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A

• Students 248

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• San Juan Capistrano, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.19 out of 5  181 reviews

Senior: California Connections Academy is one of the best homeschooling programs I've been in since I was in my sophomore year. The teachers genuinely influence students and keep the scholars on track. I've received so much help! One thing I truly love is how patient the teachers are. There are times where I wanted to give up and go running back to public school, but I'm glad I stuck to Connections. I would've been ahead of everyone and waisted my years. My grades and participation have truly excelled these past three years. Although, one thing that has been ticking me off for the last years is the links on their slides. I would highly recommend them fixing the glitches and bugs other than that their a perfect school.... Read 181 reviews

• grade A

• Students 4,328

• Student-teacher ratio 30:1

• Online School•

• Capistrano Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.54 out of 5  13 reviews

Alum: A great online learning environment to prepare for college. There are on campus meetings with teachers to check progress and ask questions every month. Councilors are helpful and want to see you succeed. Does require a measure of discipline to complete assignments by oneself, as teachers will not be hovering over your shoulder to do so. Highly recommend if you are looking for the college experience!... Read 13 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 257

• Student-teacher ratio 37:1

• Online School•

• Redlands Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  9 reviews

Parent: eAcademy is an excellent option for self motivated, mature students who can excel at their own pace, desire dual enrollment in college, and have other interests outside of a traditional HS school experience. It is rigorous and teacher/ studio ratio is great. Extremely individualized and the environment is supportive and welcoming.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 121

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Temecula, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: Elite was a very good school to go through, because they introduced me to going to college classes when I was 14, so I was ready when it came time to actually go to college. Also, because of this program that they went through with me, I am now able to transfer to my dream college with two years off.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 614

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Online School•

• Tustin Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: I came to this school due to personal struggles with public education during my senior high school year. I told Tustin Connect I wished to graduate early, and they formulated a personal plan how I would my goals. Within six months I had a high school diploma. At the same time, my teachers were helping me with college letters of recommendation. This school truly wants what you want. You get what you put in here, and I was so thankful to find this educational community. Thank you Tustin Connect!... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 348

• Student-teacher ratio 32:1

• San Marcos, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  7 reviews

Parent: Our daughter is one of those children thrives in a self-paced environment. We decided on Cal-Pac after Covid hit and her regular school scrambled to develop an online curriculum that just wasn't up to par. Cal-Pac has so much more experience in online education that choosing them was a no-brainer. My daughter loves the whole experience of online classes. She has much more time to do other things, even volunteering at a preschool! It made us realize how much time is wasted at regular schools, like snack, lunch, time in between classes, dealing with disruptions in class, going at a slower pace for half the class while the kids that can keep up end up bored or frustrated. Cal-Pac teachers are top-notch and requesting one-on-one time with them is easy to schedule. The counselors gave us plenty of help with her college application process. There is not much in the way of clubs, sports, music and arts, but it's so easy to find that elsewhere.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 308

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• Redlands, CA•

• Online School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: My EA was amazing! The charter school funds gave me an opportunity to take classes that I never could have afforded otherwise, like music and classes at a private online school.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,648

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Simi Valley, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.23 out of 5  13 reviews

Alum: The IVLA community is very warm and welcoming! Attending online high-school (senior year) here was wonderful; I'm very happy I had the chance to. The teachers and success coaches are super helpful, and there are plenty of clubs and activities to be a part of outside of online class!... Read 13 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,012

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Ripon, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.35 out of 5  46 reviews

Parent: Our daughter enrolled in the 7th grade, at the beginning of the pandemic. We were pleasantly surprised that the online learning platform - once we got the hang of it - was even better than anticipated. The BEST feature is the fact that we can see ALL of the lessons and assignments for the ENTIRE semester! This allowed us to get ahead if we took a vacation or had another extracurricular project we were working on. The curriculum is more advanced (even compared to our highly rated district). In the 7th grade, our daughter was learning a combination of 7th and 8th grade math. By the next year, she was able to take Honors Algebra I. And just like that - she jumped a math grade without the testing or the dreaded summer 'bridge' programs consisting of pre-recorded videos. CAUTION: CCA is based on an independent study model so if your child learns best in person or there is not one to serve as a Learning Coach, your learner will have a hard time being successful.... Read 46 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,421

• Student-teacher ratio 35:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.53 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: I enjoyed my last year at this school. I was able to finish my work earlier than those who attend physical school and on my own pace. The teachers are very supportive and helpful! None of the teachers were ever rude and they all showed extreme patience with me. I got to work individually but ask for help when i needed it.... Read 17 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 433

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Online School•

• Conejo Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.71 out of 5  17 reviews

Alum: I liked Century Academy for the flexibility it allowed students. After being given my assignments for the week, I could pick and choose which days I wanted to work on school from home and which days I wanted to go in/ take an exam. This is a super convenient option for any student with a little self-discipline and decent time management skills. I would like to see Century Academy expand to the size of a regular high school with a comparable student population; this would allow for greater sociability. Overall great school with dedicated teachers and faculty, rigorous coursework, and a flexible academic schedule. I highly recommend Century Academy!... Read 17 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 260

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Las Vegas, NV•

• Online School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.71 out of 5  139 reviews

Niche User: A wonderful program to use, would highly recommend it to anyone. The courses allowed me to work at my own pace and provided a dense amount of material that was also straightforward and easy to understand. The resources they provide also cover everything you need to know. I loved that they added a mix of videos and articles, giving you the opportunity to pick your preference for learning. The assignments were varied, and I appreciated how there were no curveballs thrown during unit tests on content that was not provided in the sources they had given to us. I have been advertising this program to friends of mine who are interested in clearing courses online. Big time saver and educational!... Read 139 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 11,361

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Susanville, CA•

• Online School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Niche User: I loved this school. The atmosphere was great, the teachers for the most part were great.... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 211

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Thousand Oaks, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Alum: I was able to balance all aspects of my life with these classes that follow your own speed. Feedback from teachers are always consistent and helpful... Read 1 review

• grade B+

• Students 822

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Simi Valley, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.22 out of 5  32 reviews

Senior: I first decided to go to CAVA at San Joaquin because I felt like continuing to attend an in person public school would not benefit my learning experience at all. Once I switched to CAVA I saw how civil the students were in the chat of our class calls. My teachers don't have any problems when teaching other than the occasional technology issues. My class work is self paced so I could proceed in my own time without having to stress about not being ahead in my class. I am more organized now and I rarely feel stressed when skimming at deadlines. My homeroom teacher even sends scholarship opportunities! However my only problem is that the teacher to student connections aren't very good but that is to be expected considering my teachers have so many students. It's hard to get one on one time with any of your mentors and it can get a bit lonely at times but there are clubs to help with that. But besides that it is an amazing school for those who prefer working in their own environment.... Read 32 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 2,559

• Student-teacher ratio 31:1

• Acton, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  8 reviews

Senior: Becoming a part of a homeschooling organization has been amazing, and honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made. My time is more flexible, I have more time to participate in other extra-curriculum activities, that I wasn't apart of before, and I'm able to learn more about myself, by enjoying the thing I love to do (all while keeping up with my studies and maintaining a 3.74 GPA.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 3,670

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Online School•

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.38 out of 5  29 reviews

Senior: My experience with iHigh virtual has been very good. I enjoy learning very independently so online school was a very good option for me. I very much enjoy the opportunity to learn a lot of material myself and the opportunity to do work alone. The only downside to online learning is that some teachers aren't able to provide the support that some students need. For example when I need help with a subject or concept, I figure it out on my own. Although some teachers offer tutoring, many times I find that our office hours do not line up. Overall my experience has been mostly positive.... Read 29 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 39

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Redding, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Senior: The teachers and staff at PCA are amazing. It is clear that they have their students' best interest at heart and want them to succeed. They are also very flexible - I am able to do only college classes this semester, but still go through the school and they pay for all my textbooks and they also give $100 each month to go toward an extracurricular activity. I take piano lessons with the money they give. This is an awesome school!... Read 2 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 356

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• El Cajon, CA•

• Online School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  14 reviews

Senior: Transferred to online school here during the latter half of my freshman year as and have had an great experience! I found there are more opportunities to connect with teachers if you need the extra help (or you can totally have a more hands-off approach and less interaction) and they are flexible w/ curriculum: I've taken courses from my community college, BYU, and Edgenuity courses through this time, allowing me to have more breadth and intellectual stimulation in my education thanks to broader course offerings. One aspect I didn't quite find at Cabrillo Point was clubs of interest or much community with other students which is to be expected with online school and needs to be found elsewhere.... Read 14 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 4,415

• Student-teacher ratio 31:1