2022 Best public high schools in San Mateo County

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  274 reviews

Alum: Overall, Aragon High School was a great high school for me. I originally desperately wanted to go to Aragon because of their GSA club. In the end, I cried about leaving their dance program. Both the club and their dance program have made me a better version of myself, and I definitely owe my thanks. But also, the school just loves forgetting to tell you important information. From my freshman year to graduation day. They need to disclose information rather than pushing it aside.... Read 274 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,716

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  273 reviews

Senior: Mills High School is very competitive academically with how high the standards are for students to achieve good grades along with engaging in diverse extracurriculars. Some classes have teachers that suck the fun out of learning, causing students to disengage from the subjects. However, many classes, notably the music and science departments, feature teachers that have a deep love for their subjects, causing students to learn more than what they could have anywhere else. The facility is well maintained, although certain hallways always seem to be dirty. The math hall in particular (the newest buildings) are great environments for learning, unlike some of the joyless boxes with no windows that certain English and history classrooms feel like. The student body is incredibly diverse, but this does not prevent acts of racism or hate to occur. While the school does make active efforts to stop these occurrences, there is still work to be done. Overall, I'm glad I attended this school.... Read 273 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,180

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  240 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 240 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,528

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  315 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 315 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,309

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  256 reviews

Junior: San Mateo High School is the most welcoming, inclusive, and safe zoned high schools there is to offer in my opinion. The community is very diverse there, and everyone is very supportive of each other, from the peers to the staff and teachers!... Read 256 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  277 reviews

Senior: It was a fun experience! I played Varsity football all 4 years. Friday Night lights were the best! Our football games brought the whole community together. Also, the teachers were very helpful. They always reached out whenever they would think something was wrong. Rallies would be full of laughter and good memories. Lunch was also fun. Just spending time with friends. It was a big school so you could literally meet someone new everyday. Menlo Atherton was very fun!... Read 277 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,368

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  296 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 296 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,689

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Daly City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.1 out of 5  71 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 71 reviews

• grade A

• Students 469

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  316 reviews

Junior: Sequoia is a great school with a wide variety of resources offered to students making them stand out in college applications. Overall the students and staff are welcoming and the campus is great. There is a lot of student involvement and a great environment in general with teachers pushing you to be the greatest version of yourself. The clubs and classes offered are amazing with something there that will get the attention of every student at Sequoia High School wether it’s science, literature, or visual arts!... Read 316 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,019

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• 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

• Students 361

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  224 reviews

Sophomore: Overall I have loved my experience at Woodside High school! Transitioning from middle school to high school brought me great fear and worries but with the help of the kind and caring staff, I was able to make the best of the many resources offered on campus! I wake up every morning and look forward to school, and am proud to say woodside high school will be the high school i will be graduating from in 2023. They offer a variety of clubs and sports, fit for people of all cultures and beliefs. Teachers do an amazing job of making all classes enjoyable and as a whole an amazing learning experience. The environment is comfortable, accepting, kind and I feel as though everyone is supportive of one another.... Read 224 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,922

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Redwood City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.51 out of 5  71 reviews

Senior: Design Tech High school is a decent school. The biggest draws are the intersession system, the concurrent enrollment system, and the excellent campus. The intersession system is a two week period that happens 4 times per school year. During this time, the student takes half their day for a design thinking course and the other half for their elective course. The concurrent enrollment system allows students to freely take courses at the three local community colleges, Skyline, CSM and Cañada. The school has some flaws mainly pertaining to student voice in the school's administration, and the lack of organized sports. Overall the teachers are passionate and provide a good explanation of their respective topics. In order to thrive at this school, it requires a good deal of self direction and motivation. If you are active and passionate, then this is a place where you can go as far as you want, just be invested in your own education and you will thrive here.... Read 71 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 557

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• Cabrillo Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.31 out of 5  161 reviews

Senior: Love the teachers here, they’re all enthusiastic about being great mentors to the students and aren’t afraid to have some fun while they’re at it! Nestled atop a small hill overlooking the ocean, I couldn’t ask for a better location.... Read 161 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,060

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  316 reviews

Alum: My experience at El Camino High School overall was a positive experience. I expected going from a small middle school to a high school with tons of kids was going to be difficult, however, high school was enjoyable for the most part. There were many opportunities available for students to succeed such as extra tutoring hours, clubs, and sports. I chose to participate in Badminton and Tennis which I learned teamwork. In addition, becoming Animal Club president showed me what leadership is like. I had some helpful teachers throughout my years, however, there were certain ones that negatively impacted my personal experience. Every school has their flaws, however, El Camino High School could have handled certain situations better. Safety did not seem like their top concern by any means.... Read 316 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,231

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  360 reviews

Junior: Granted there were a few really caring and passionate teachers, but there was absolutely no educational representation for the small Black population in the form of teachers, counselors, or other academic staff. There needs to be anti-racist training for the teachers and students. Many of them need to also be more understanding of the teenagers they teach. Otherwise, Capuchino is a very accepting community.... Read 360 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,187

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Redwood City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  125 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 125 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 442

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.64 out of 5  284 reviews

Junior: I am currently a student at Westmoor High School. I have attended this school for the last three years and have grown to love it. The faculty are dedicated to helping students grow and develop as not only students, but also people. However, as excellent as our teachers and staff members are, we don’t have enough resources or money for our students to have the best experiences they can in their departments. For example, our music and science departments get nearly no funding for the entire year and must rely on donations and fundraisers to maintain them. In my few years here, I’ve learned many things from these two departments and I can only imagine how many more students could develop and grow if all our departments had adequate funding as well as equal resources. Overall, Westmoor is an amazing school with incredible potential to become a place for students and others to become outstanding human beings!... Read 284 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,432

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  276 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 276 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 746

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.47 out of 5  17 reviews

Middle School Student: This is a beautiful school will excellent teachers, administrators, and close students. We’re all a family at Pescadero.... Read 17 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 81

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  131 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 131 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,325

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.31 out of 5  193 reviews

Senior: I attended Oceana for 4 years, and I have to say it is a wonderful school to send your student to. We have a pretty small indoor-outdoor campus with one main hallway. The view of the ocean is beautiful as well. The teachers are wonderful, though the school is a little underfunded. Despite that, it is great. Teachers are deeply involved and invested in student success. You may even find yourself becoming friends with the teachers that teach you. Students are on the lower end of school spirit. The student government works very hard to get things done and throw fun dances and events for the students. Our campus is very diverse in terms of faculty and students. Oceana is a great college preparation school that even offers free PSAT and SAT testing. One downside is the school does not have many sports team, but it most likely has the one you are interested in. Parent involvement is low and I find that to be a good thing as parents should not be too involved at such an age.... Read 193 reviews

• grade B

• Students 596

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  437 reviews

Freshman: The time I have spent at South San Francisco High School has been an experience. Making friends with the students and the friendly faculty members has been a joy. The class selection for each semester has many great options to choose from. The teachers of these classes help keep the classes engaged with fun activities while still learning. The school is very active in teaching and learning about different cultures, like offering a folkloric class for students of any grade to take and many cultural clubs to learn from. Many extracurricular are offered to every student, with many sports, performing arts, and clubs to join. Unfortunately, we have not received our funding for our sports teams and programs, so many of the members have to fundraise to be able to compete and have equipment for their activity. This may be an inconvenience, but it helps bring our communities together Overall, I have enjoyed attending South San Francisco Highschool.... Read 437 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,303

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• East Palo Alto, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  14 reviews

Junior: East Palo Alto Academy is a school where students are able to get a good education and be helped by not only teachers but those within the school community. Advisory in East Palo Alto Academy is a class of students who are see each other as a big family. The school culture brings positivity into the campus and keeps students motivated to do better in their classes. Along with clubs and activities, it helps bring students, teachers, and staff members together to enjoy events and have a fun time.... Read 14 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 369

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• 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