Skip to Main Content

2019 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles CountyAbout this List

The 2019 Best Public High Schools ranking is based on rigorous analysis of key statistics and millions of reviews from students and parents using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Ranking factors include state test scores, college readiness, graduation rates, SAT/ACT scores, teacher quality, and high school ratings. Read more on how this ranking was calculated.

1 – 25 of 533
Best Schools
533 results

  1. Palos Verdes Peninsula High School

    • Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 571
    1 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Freshman: Great school! I currently go here and really enjoy it. The teachers are very enthusiastic and kind, and the students are nice too. One thing I would add is that its a huge school with very academic and determined students, so if you’re not an all A’s student who’s only activities are studying, then you might not love it so much. Homework is, of course, a mandatory part of your grade. After around 8 hours of school, depending on the classes you choose to take, you’ll definitely have at least 3 hours of homework per day. It’s a lot. Also, its hard to stick out to potential colleges in a school this huge and academic. Otherwise, its a great school with an awesome spirit. I would definitely recommend going to PVPHS.
    Read 571 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,519 Students
    • 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  2. California Academy of Mathematics & Science

    • Long Beach Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 390
    2 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Sophomore: There are a lot of high schools out there that don't have that many resources for kids to interact with besides textbooks and a few tools. Other high schools are very competitive in academics and sports which leads to not having a
    very outstanding teamwork-base when it comes to group projects and teamwork in general.

    CAMS, however, is a very different environment. Everyone, not only teachers but EVERYONE helps. You'll always get the help you need, and they'll go out of their way just to lend a hand and encourage. You also build up your self-confidence as all your classmates and teachers cheer on for you in student presentations. We even advance to robotic-building competitions around the nation and invent ways to improve technology and biomedical tools!

     The only downside is no football for football players and other sports are minimized as well. But overall, it's an amazing, one-of-a-kind school and I recommend to try to apply. You never know where it takes you.
    Read 390 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 681 Students
    • 30:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  3. Granada Hills Charter High School

    • Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 1,204
    3 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Sophomore: Throughout my two years at Granada Hills Charter High School I have enjoyed the friendly and safe environment. Not only does this school offer 29 AP and 38 IB courses, but offers college courses provided by Pierce College as well. The diversity in these classes ensure that every student is encouraged to take a course that best fits their interests. There are also many programs at GHCHS that tend to different needs such as STEM and Humanitas. All students are encouraged to try their best, even when coming from a difficult background. The teachers here at GHCHS care about their students and fellow co-workers alike. Teachers often spend hours after classes helping students study, prepare for future exams and answering important questions. With this being said, the teachers also help their fellow co-workers by sharing classroom ideas, worksheets, and exams so that they can later discuss what students and missing or need more guidance with. I hope this helps!
    Read 1,204 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 4,650 Students
    • 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes
  4. Sponsored

    Roanoke Catholic School

    • Private School
    • Roanoke, VA
    • PK, K-12
    • 52

    Senior: Roanoke Catholic is a school that teaches students belong the classroom and prepares them for either college. In the past years, 100 percent of Catholic seniors have attended college and this year the seniors have received over 2.5 million in scholarships. I started Roanoke Catholic two years ago and it was a big change coming from public school. In public schools you could slide by without doing your homework, but at Roanoke Catholic all work is required and graded as a test grade. Roanoke Catholic does not let you fall through the cracks. I also must say the food is outstanding!!
    One thing I really did not like were the uniforms. In public school you basically wore what you want, but not in private school. My first year the gentlemen had to wear a shirt and tie during the winter and in the summer a polo shirt with the school’s logo and khaki pants or shorts. This year they changed the dress code to where gentlemen could wear the polo shirt and khaki pants all year around.
    Read 52 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 516 Students
    • 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  5. San Marino High School

    • San Marino Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 243
    4 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: I've been at SMHS for the past four years, and overall, I've had a good experience here. Most of the teachers are great - helpful, very knowledgeable, and readily available. However, there are definitely a few that are on the opposite end of the spectrum, but, luckily, I haven't encountered many of those! The environment is rather competitive and somewhat stressful, especially if you're in all or mostly AP and honors courses, but if you ever find it too overwhelming, counselors are easily met, and I've heard there are other resources you can turn to as well!
    Read 243 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,200 Students
    • 21:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  6. La Canada High School

    • La Canada Unified School District, CA
    • 7-12
    • 305
    5 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: This school has amazing academics and wonderful teachers and administrators! All who graduate from here say that this school goes above and beyond in preparing you for college, and students get really high test scores. It does have a strong atmosphere of academic competition and stress, and for many people the pressure that this school puts on them proves to be too much. But for others the pressure pushes them to do their best and they excel!
    Read 305 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,075 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  7. Arcadia High School

    • Arcadia Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 971
    6 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Amazing community with large amounts of opportunities. However, it's not very diverse so there is some cultural ignorance. Highly competitive both in academics and sports. The teachers are absolutely amazing!
    Read 971 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,424 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  10. Whitney High School

    • ABC Unified School District, CA
    • 7-12
    • 329
    7 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Whitney High School is a place that challenges their students to excel in their academic careers. Although the workload can be really overwhelming, most teachers always strive for the success of their students. Some things that have cone to my concern are the classes that are offered to students. Many of the fine arts or cultural classes have been cancelled and in turn have introduced many science/ technology-based classes or classes that further limit the diverse academic endeavors of our students. Otherwise, I believe that the community of Whitney follows their title of a college-prep school and offers a lot of opportunities for their many students to succeed.
    Read 329 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,011 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  11. Walnut High School

    • Walnut Valley Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 526
    8 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Alum: The thing that stood out to me about Walnut HS was the teaches that mentored us beyond the classroom and gave us the opportunity to grow and mature outside of the academic setting that really prepared us for success in college. One of the best experiences for me was running track, which taught me the skill of interacting with others and dealing with and motivating people both directly and indirectly. This was such an amazing quality that cannot be taught in books but was given to me and has stayed with me throughout college and into the workforce. Walnut HS has allowed me to push myself to be the best version of myself!
    Read 526 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,675 Students
    • 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  12. Academy of the Canyons

    • William S. Hart Union High School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 202
    9 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Junior: I transferred to Academy of the Canyons at the beginning of my junior year in high school, and it was one of the better decisions I ever made in high school. I have learned to push myself to extents I never knew I could reach and made so many new friends that made me feel proud of who I am and where I come from. I love the diversity found in the school and all the kind teachers that help the students through anything they ask. Another positive experience I gained from attending AOC is the opportunity to enroll in community college, since AOC is a Middle College High School. I have adapted to the college life extremely well and will be receiving my Associate's Degree in Psychology around the time I graduate high school! Overall, Academy of the Canyons has provided me with so many opportunities and lessons that I would not have learned elsewhere.
    Read 202 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 395 Students
    • 33:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  14. South Pasadena Senior High School

    • South Pasadena Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 384
    10 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Junior: South Pasadena High School has its strengths in its community. The student population is rather diverse and generally very friendly. We have several notable high achieving groups in school, including Tiger Newspaper, Virtual Business, and Academic Decathlon which have received state or national recognition. However, the district could use some improvement with its new academic program. Because the district received significantly less funding towards the school this year, South Pasadena High School had to make a lot of cuts towards its academic and elective programs. It's very unfortunate.
    Read 384 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,528 Students
    • 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  15. Diamond Bar High School

    • Walnut Valley Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 689
    11 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Alum: School had excellent academic rigor, extracurricular opportunities, and utilization of technology. Most educational aspects felt very up to date, but had strange allocation of resources. It seemed ironic that we had carts full of laptops while the band door was missing a door handle for several months, or bathrooms were very low quality. Most teachers put thought and creativity into their lesson plans and actively tried to engage students with few reading off powerpoint slides and depending on rote memorization. Music program was amazing and really strived to achieve top quality performance and practice. USB events were mostly beneficial but some were trite and expensive.
    Read 689 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 3,061 Students
    • 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  16. Mira Costa High School

    • Manhattan Beach Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 493
    12 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Mira Costa is a public school in Manhattan Beach, California. While the majority of the students are Manhattan Beach residents, there are a fair amount from surrounding cities. The administration is open to any problems or concerns, and in my experience has been very responsive. Most teachers are more than willing to assist students, including before or after school for help. There is a variety of extracurriculars, from sports to the award-winning technical theater and drama department. Like most other public schools, no one will be making sure you are maximizing your potential, however students have the resources to explore many academic pursuits if they make a conscious effort.
    Read 493 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,437 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  19. Beverly Hills High School

    • Beverly Hills Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 293
    13 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Alum: My parents moved myself and my siblings to the Beverly Hills Unified School district to obtain the highest quality education, communal experience, and academic and life resources that public secondary education in California could grant. I had taken 8 AP courses throughout high school, partook in theater and theater productions, and received an unmatched college-level education from highly credentialed and talented teachers at Beverly. The communal experience and school resources were useful and rewarding, and the freedom to select courses equalled value of the existing course requirements.
    Read 293 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,589 Students
    • 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  20. Crescenta Valley High School

    • Glendale Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 544
    14 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Great community, safe environment and awesome teachers! The counselors are very welcoming and helpful. Athletics is a huge deal in CV, mostly in every sport league champs. Coaches are amazing they want the win
    Read 544 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,670 Students
    • 29:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  21. Cerritos High School

    • ABC Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 518
    15 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Cerritos High School has strong academics. The classes are challenging with plenty of Advance Placement classes, and the school's ranking helps with college acceptance. Sports are popular, I participated in two of them, cross country and basketball. I loved the Sports Med class the teacher. I am taking my second year of Sports Med. Counselors are very helpful with the college application and selection process. They provide plenty of resources for gathering information about all of the colleges and several college representatives visit our campus. The counselors have help me with my class selection to ensure that they meet the standards of the universities that I am interested in.
    Read 518 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,132 Students
    • 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  22. Santa Monica High School

    • Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 671
    16 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: Samohi is a great public school. They truly care for their award-winning art and music department. Parents are deeply involved with the school, commending a strong PTA. There are plenty of opportunities here, with multiple international trips sponsored by the arts and music department and language department. There are even dedicated clubs that take overnight trips, whether if it's in-state, or across the country.
    The food really needs improvement, many of the options taste outdated, but luckily there are other options, like buying snacks, fresh snacks, and good pizza, and actually leaving the campus at lunch to buy food at local food chains and stores, such as El Pollo Loco, Yogurtland, Fatburger, Subway, Dominos, Nico's Tacos, 7-Eleven, Starbucks Coffee, Jack in the Box, Food Trucks, and about three gas stations.
    Read 671 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,950 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  23. High Tech Los Angeles

    • Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 116
    17 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Junior: I love it because it provides me with a great education, and I know I am prepared for college! It may be small, but I feel like that is what makes the school stand out. I have closer interactions with my teachers, and they can get to know me well, which is a great resource for recommendation letters. I have learned a lot in the past few years at High Tech, and I could have not been thankful for this wonderful education. I recommend this school to any high schooler who is willing to do their best to get to college. This really is the number one best college readiness school in Los Angeles! It is a safe environment with plenty of resources to easily contact teachers. You get to meet new people from wonderful, interesting backgrounds that you may not have thought about coming across.
    Read 116 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 390 Students
    • 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  26. Palos Verdes High School

    • Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 346
    18 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: amazing teachers, schedule, and support. I think that the PVIT program is a rare gem in our public school systems. I had the opportunity to work hands on in engineering since my freshman year. The teachers in the program truly inspire and I have experienced a connection to learning and teachers throughout my time on this campus. I also think the block schedule is good for my health...on Wednesdays we have late start and I am on the surf team...so we can go surf before school and or go to competitions. On days with no surf, I get the luxury of sleeping in- something all high-school students need!
    Read 346 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,716 Students
    • 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  27. Redondo Union High School

    • Redondo Beach Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 543
    19 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Niche User: I recently graduated from Redondo Union High school. I went there for 4 years and overall it was a beautiful big campus. I loved the teachers that worked there and all the courses were amazing! I definitely recommend trying out for a sport. Sports at Redondo are really competitive so it is best if your child does camp before trying out. I wish that when I was attending Redondo, I took AP. The AP classes at redondo are not that hard but sure challenging from what I have heard. Overall I am very pleased with how organized the school was. The staff and principle are very kind and if needing any type of help they are always there to make sure you have all the help.
    Read 543 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,755 Students
    • 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  28. Temple City High School

    • Temple City Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 388
    20 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Alum: Temple City High School is an academic-oriented high school that are filled with academic-focused students. There are various AP courses for students to enroll in; however, most of them are only limited to juniors and seniors. The APs that are open to sophomores, or in special cases to Freshmen, are AP World History and AP Art History. The school is super safe and friendly. Sports needs some improvement, but coming from an athlete that graduated from there, students always gave it all in practices. I enjoy my time at the school, and wouldn't do anything differently. GO RAMS!
    Read 388 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,076 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  29. West Ranch High School

    • William S. Hart Union High School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 574
    21 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: My old school closed when I was a Junior in high school. So for my last year of high school, I attended West Ranch High School. At first I was scared since it was my first time attending a public high school as before I went to a small charter school of around 500 students. But at the end, my experience with the school was wonderful! I met amazing teachers who helped me through my academics and helped me through my college application essays, by telling how to make my essay better and what to put in my portfolio. My counselor was great with guiding me through how their school worked and what I would have to do for college as well. Their education system is wonderful and they had so many classes that my old school didn't have. I took the advantage and took all the classes that interested me for my senior year in high school. I mostly took a lot of art electives and the teachers are awesome and come from great artistic background.
    Read 574 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,455 Students
    • 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  30. Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies

    • Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
    • 6-12
    • 370
    22 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Alum: I really enjoyed the teachers there that were well-versed in how they could maximize their teaching for the students. However, like everything else, there are teachers on the "lower bar" whom I wonder how they ever learned their teaching certificates. The school always pushed its students to go beyond in every aspect, one example being the amount of AP classes. Students were recommended to take several after the 9th grade. LACES and its endeavour of excellence is instilled in students who are willing to accept its heavier workload because it is worth it in the end. The school definitely prepares you for college; there is a reason why the school is considered a high performance school with its name up among the elite educators.
    Read 370 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 1,648 Students
    • 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes
  31. Review Your School

  32. Palisades Charter High School

    • Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 548
    23 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Junior: My high school years at PCHS encompassed some of the greatest memories of my life. PCHS is my second home. The PCHS community is always there for its students. The best thing that happened to be at Pali was bridging connections with such a diverse range of wonderful people. The faculty are what really make PCHS. Also, my friendships are deep and life-lasting. Because I attended Pali, I feel that I have grown to be a strong and confident scholar and person. PCHS creates world leaders and want to be extraordinary in this world. I am so proud to come from the School!
    Read 548 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,970 Students
    • 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  33. South High School

    • Torrance Unified School District, CA
    • 9-12
    • 377
    24 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: South has many Honors and AP courses, which allowed me to really discover which subjects I could excel at and could not. Personally, I met three teachers that significantly influenced not only my personality but also my future career interests. I am glad I chose South High School. Also, their band is great!
    Read 377 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 2,069 Students
    • 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes

  34. New West Charter School

    • Public School
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • 6-12
    • 23
    25 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles County

    Senior: I really love this school, and I feel that I am college ready! I am a girl who loves science, an I appreciate that they encourage girls to take advantage of all the science classes that they have including coding. I have had the privilege of winning student of the semester for the last two year in both chemistry and physics and am hoping to win a third year for environmental science.
    Read 23 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 823 Students
    • 21:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes
  35. Sponsored

    St. Bernard's Academy

    • Private School
    • Eureka, CA
    • PK, K-12
    • 6

    Alum: It has a very family oriented feel. Teachers are amazing, and go out there way to help you succeed! AP courses are offered and honors classes. The faculty and staff goes out of their way to personally know you, help you and put you on the right track to graduate. The academic courses prepare you for college and keep you on track to graduate high school with extra credits than required.
    Read 6 Reviews

    • A
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 234 Students
    • 14:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes
  36. Sponsored

    Notre Dame Academy Girls High School Los Angeles

    • Private School
    • Los Angeles, CA
    • 9-12
    • 125

    Sophomore: I absolutely love Notre Dame Academy! Everyone is so kind and is always with such a positive attitude. Notre Dame Academy has teachers that are absolutely amazing and you are able to receive high quality one-to-one attention. My experience has truly impacted me and shaped me into the young woman I am today and has definitely taught me to always help others and try new things. Although I was a very timid and shy student at first, I was definitely able to get out of my comfort zone and try new things such as sports and new clubs that I never thought I would join. I want to use everything I have been taught to go out there and have the opportunity to make a difference in this world as a young woman and definitely make a difference in someone else’s life.
    Read 125 Reviews

    • A+
      Overall Niche Grade
    • 380 Students
    • 9:1 Student-Teacher Ratio
    View Nearby Homes
  • 1 of 22