2023 Best Public High Schools in San Mateo County

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.97 out of 5  283 reviews

Senior: My experience at Aragon High School was one of the best experiences of my life. I was able to make lifelong friends, learn valuable lessons, and develop a strong sense of self. The teachers at Aragon High School were some of the best I have ever had. They were always willing to help and answer any questions I had. They also provided a safe and supportive environment for me to learn and grow. I was able to take challenging classes and push myself to do my best. The extracurricular activities at Aragon High School were also great. I was able to join a variety of clubs and sports teams. The social atmosphere at Aragon High School was also great. I was able to make friends with people from all different backgrounds and cultures. Overall, my experience at Aragon High School was one of the best experiences of my life. I am so grateful for the time I spent at Aragon High School and the memories I made there.... Read 283 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,734

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  244 reviews

Senior: I am half American and half Brazilian; I came to Burlingame High School knowing basic English and I left speaking fluently. BHS does not have a dELD program like the one in San Mateo High School, but they have an amazing group of positive and empathetic teachers and staff that pushes you to become your best self and overcome your barriers. The school offers a lot of resources for you to succeed, from wellness counselors to tutors, and also access to a library and online database. They offer everything you need, now it is your choice to take it!... Read 244 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,537

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  322 reviews

Junior: Carlmont High School is a pretty good school. Academically, I think it is a great place with high standards and plenty of opportunities to learn. The campus itself is also pretty cool, although the walk from one end of the campus to the other is pretty long. It's a fairly diverse place too! The teachers are reasonable for the most part, I've gotten fairly lucky with teachers. I think that CHS has definitely prepared me and my peers for college. The college and career center has lots of resources for college. The clubs and activities are all really inclusive!... Read 322 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,309

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  276 reviews

Senior: Mills High School in Millbrae, California is an exceptional institution that offers a top-notch education for high school students. One of the standout features is the diversity of the student body. Students have the opportunity to learn about and appreciate different perspectives and experiences. This environment also fosters a sense of inclusion and acceptance among students, which is essential for creating a positive school community. Academically, Mills High School is known for its rigorous curriculum and dedicated teaching staff. The school offers a range of AP courses, which allow students to challenge themselves and earn college credit while still in high school. In addition, Mills High School has an impressive record of sending graduates to top colleges and universities across the country. Overall, Mills High School is an outstanding institution that provides students with a quality education, a supportive community, and opportunities to explore their interests and talents.... Read 276 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,180

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  260 reviews

Senior: While the school I attended had strong academics and a supportive environment, it was unfortunately in poor condition both visually and in terms of infrastructure. This was particularly noticeable in some of the older buildings on campus, which had visible signs of disrepair and seemed to be in need of renovations or upgrades. Despite this, the school did its best to provide a high-quality education to its students, and I was able to receive a solid foundation in my field of study. However, it was also clear that many of the students at the school were there primarily for the purpose of earning college credits, rather than truly engaging with the material and seeking a deeper understanding. This seemed to create a somewhat superficial atmosphere on campus, as students were more focused on achieving good grades and meeting requirements than on truly immersing themselves in their studies and pursuing their passions.... Read 260 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,671

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  280 reviews

Alum: My experience in high school was alright. Teachers are great and staff is very helpful. However, the lunch area is not adapted for students to eat, we have a lot of students and it would be great to have more indoor seating. Classrooms are well organized but lockers are unpractical due to the row layout of the school. Go M-A Bears!... Read 280 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,368

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  299 reviews

Senior: This school is a super spirited, positive, and welcoming community environment. The administration, staff, teachers, and students are supportive and work to build stronger connections & education! This school really cares about it's students and has amazing opportunities! There are many athletics, extracurriculars, and activities students are involved in which help them strive in their academics, team work, and overall self development/growth. With small learning communities, students have lots of attention & assistance on their overall academic experience. Hillsdale is super spirited with lots of rallies, dances, outside community events, and so much more! This place really cares about its students and cares so much that the community becomes such a tight knit community. The campus is also beautiful as it is outdoor with lots of grass and nature. There's lots of parking available and street parking, along the street there's also the Hillsdale mall & the Laurelwood Shopping Center... Read 299 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,689

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Daly City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.12 out of 5  77 reviews

Junior: As an incoming Senior at the school, I must say the school has changed throughout the years. Starting from freshman year I absolutely loved the admin, classes, culture, and extra curricular. However, after doing a year through zoom and now coming back in person for my junior year, there have been many teachers and faculty that I loved who have left. The school academically is great in my opinion, classes are challenging as they should be and we have lots of time to do work and take college courses. However, I wish we had more classes like art and music, a class where students could creatively express themselves. Athletically, our school has really great basketball, volleyball, track, and baseball programs that have all won some type of title. But, we don't offer sports like football or swimming. About our campus, students have street parking and walk a block or two but it is annoying when you have to deal with the people that live in the area who take majority of the parking.... Read 77 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 469

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.94 out of 5  324 reviews

Alum: Sequoia’s TRC (teen resource center) program for mental health has an amazing team! Curriculum and academics are decent, the STM program is top notch and offers a variety of advanced classes. The school has caring and devoted teachers who create impactful experiences for the students. Great gyms and fields. The music and arts program is beyond advanced. SHS has all types of clubs that hosts a ton of school activities and parents are highly involved! The environment is fairly diverse but very obviously segregated. The programs SHS offers for college prep was/ is very effective. Though, school culture has work to do regarding equality and security. Sequoia high school is an amazing academic investment for students and parents who want to experience growth.... Read 324 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,019

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  231 reviews

Junior: My experience at Woodside High School has overall been a good one. It has given me the opportunity to make friends, join clubs, participate in sports, and go to exciting dances (homecoming, formal, prom). We have good school spirit, with frequent spirit days and sizeable attendance at the football and basketball games. This school offers a good variety of AP and honors classes, such as AP English, AS English for sophomores, AB/BC Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Physics, AP Bio, AP Environmental Sci, AP Computer Sci, AS Chem, AP Spanish, AP French, AP Latin, AP Mandarin, AP Art, AP 3-D Art, AP World History, and AP US History. Most teachers care about the students and are willing to support them when needed.... Read 231 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,909

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Redwood City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.52 out of 5  182 reviews

Junior: I love Everest because it is highly a small school! It gives me the opportunity to reach out to my teachers, getting one on one help, and overall create relationships with them. It is definitely a college prep school where we are surrounded by my technology and playlists that help us independently study on our own. We have a tradition every year where all freshman, sophomore, junior, and seniors go on a camping trip and create community bondings! It is diverse which makes me feel more like at home since I am from East Palo Alto and not Redwood City. They give the best elective classes that are UC Approved, for example, Ethnic Studies, in which a few schools don't really include. I am in my Junior year and had spent the last 2 in a half years has an unweighted GPA of a 4.0. Everest gives all students the opportunity to be in AP classes to give them the challenge of their education. Overall, it is a great school and can't believe I am leaving in less than 2 years!... Read 182 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 361

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Cabrillo Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.3 out of 5  164 reviews

Senior: I like the schools overall spirit into pushing students to their goals and giving them resources to help them get there. One thing they can change is managing meetings with counselors a little better because when a student makes a meeting, it takes a little while for a counselor to meet with the student... Read 164 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,060

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  324 reviews

Senior: Overall, my experience with El Camino High School has been great, but not the best. Throughout my time here, there have been teachers who have been a great help in my learning and teach in an engaging way. However, there have been some teachers who weren’t as good. There were instances where this one teacher would straight up insult their students’ work instead of giving them ways to improve. Despite that, everyone from the staff to the students are friendly and generally very open-minded. Most people don’t care what you do as long as you aren’t hurting anyone.... Read 324 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,231

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Redwood City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.27 out of 5  85 reviews

Sophomore: My experience has been really good with d.tech. It gives you the space to achieve what you want to and start your own projects/pursue your own interests. However, if you aren't self-directed, d.tech may not be for you because you can just as easily not do anything with the opportunity and waste your time. If you decide not to do anything, a normal high school may be better for you because then at least you will have super hard classes. The classes at d.tech don't have a ton of homework, but everyone is involved in at least 1 community college class, weighted as an AP, a club or two, sports or extracurriculars, and a project of some sort. Because we don't have as much homework, we have the time to pursue other things.... Read 85 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 557

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  290 reviews

Senior: With all my four years at Westmoor, I feel as though it's better than the other schools in the Jefferson Union District, due to the high level of diversity and safety. Westmoor is located at Daly City and while it is not the best funded school, I would say that it's not shy of being the better school of all the five compared. There are so many great club and volunteer opportunities at Westmoor, that it's only a matter of looking around and reaching out. However, it should definitely be brought up that while Westmoor is a safe school, it doesn't guaranteed absolute safeness. Fights in high schools are bound to happen and I think that is something Westmoor needs to do better in preventing/watching out for, when it does happen.... Read 290 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,396

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.78 out of 5  365 reviews

Junior: My high school experience was nothing short of remarkable. It was a time of growth, learning, and countless unforgettable moments that have shaped me into the person I am today. From the very first day, I was greeted by a community of welcoming peers and supportive teachers, which set the tone for the rest of my journey. Academically, my high school offered a wide array of courses and extracurricular activities that catered to diverse interests and talents. The curriculum was well-rounded, providing a balance between core subjects and elective options. Whether it was literature, mathematics, science, or history, the dedicated teachers went above and beyond to make learning engaging and meaningful. They encouraged us to think critically, ask questions, and explore topics beyond the textbooks. Their passion for their respective subjects was contagious, igniting a love for learning within us.... Read 365 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,187

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Redwood City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  128 reviews

Alum: My overall experience at this charter high school was like watching the continuation of a tv show that started off good but got more and more boring after the second season. Unlike a typical high school, we don't have pep rallies, football, a cafeteria, exams nor finals, or even a proper office. But we do have exactly 18 classrooms, about 400 students, and everyone has about 80 10-question quizzes to complete every year because we don't have exams or finals. This school is meant to prepare students for college, so we get a lot of help throughout the four years of high school. High school drama here isn't too crazy, but because it's such a small building, rumors get around quickly which eventually just gets annoying. Mostly all of the teachers of assistant teachers at this school are very intelligent, young, and passionate about their careers! This to me is great because I noticed it motivated us to achieve our goals and is easy to communicate with them!... Read 128 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 436

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.34 out of 5  278 reviews

Alum: There were many sports that were offered, perhaps the most out of any school nearby, and that was a huge plus. The amount of pride is astounding, and the theater is gorgeous. Good staff, ease of learning information, and in a pretty nice location being all nestled in the mountains. Good amount of APs offered. It does get a star removed because of its lack of renovation inside the halls and classrooms, and even the gym, which could do with some repainting. There also isn’t much emphasis on clubs, I wish they were more talked about and encouraged.... Read 278 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 746

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  132 reviews

Senior: What I liked about Jefferson High School is the fact that I met so many friends that I was able to connect with and share my ideas about classes, our social life, and etc. I appreciate how all my teachers at Jefferson High School we're always willing to help me and always striving to make sure that I succeed in providing me support. I admire the staff and teachers who we're always very polite and generous towards me especially when I started a conversation with them. I really appreciate all the people like the janitor and custodian who always dedicated to make sure that our campus like classrooms, bathrooms, and etc we're always clean and sanitized. The main changes that I feel need to be taken into consideration is opening more programs that would be beneficial for students whether it being mental or any issues that they feel like they are facing in their lives. Also, lunch lines should be taken into consideration because its unfair to have to wait in line for 20 minutes to get food.... Read 132 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,325

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  441 reviews

Senior: I love the community the school has developed between students and staff. However I believe the school doesn’t pay teacher enough which is causing many teacher to leave South City after only a few years. The constant shift of teachers has caused inconsistency in the curriculum of student. It’s important that students and staff develop can create relationships but it is impossible to do if teacher keep leaving because they are not being paid enough. As a current student at south city I would like to see teachers start getting paid more. A good thing about south city is that it has a diverse community and students are always willing to talk about their experiences allowing for a more empathetic and inclusive environment. As far as academics, south city has a strong biotech program for those who are interested in furthering their career in that field. Besides the biotech program the other science classes are not well taught.... Read 441 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,303

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  19 reviews

Alum: My experience at Pescadero High School was awesome! The small school vibes were really cool and helped me get ready for college. Another great thing was that there weren't any gang problems like you might see in bigger schools. Some of my classmates even went on to schools that are super hard to get into like UC Berkeley and UCLA. Lots of other PHS graduates have gone to Cal-Poly SLO, San Francisco State, CSU Monterey, San Jose State University, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego. I definitely think going to Pescadero High School gives you more pluses than minuses when it comes to getting ready for college.... Read 19 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 81

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.28 out of 5  197 reviews

Senior: The community at oceana is really welcoming and I didn't have to change myself in order to fit it. It's a very small school and our campus runs through a small hallway, however, the classrooms are outdoors which makes it easier to have fresh air now and then. Academically, Oceana has such creative curriculums like the humanities program that helps students learn more about the arts and history of our world all into one. The amount of support Oceana offers demonstrates how much they care about the student body's wellbeing. It's really unique and personally I wouldn't go to another high school than Oceana.... Read 197 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 596

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 2.86 out of 5  7 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 203

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Recent Alumnus: Coming into Baden wouldn't be any other way than i asked. It's helped me prepare and open my eyes to opportunities in college, more wide and critical thinking to my own of what i want to study and major in, which is the Administration of Justice. Baden is a small continuation school that allows me to finish with all criteria met and start my academics for college at my own time, pace and level.... Read 1 review

• grade B minus

• Students 129

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade B minus

• Students 172

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1