2020 Best Public High Schools in San Mateo CountyAbout this List

Burlingame High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 213 reviews

Senior: Burlingame High School gives each student the opportunity to improve their abilities. There are many resources, including but not limited to: wellness counselors and college advisors. The administration gives a safe space for the students and allow them to know that they are accepted. However, the students in general are not as satisfactory. There is little diversity in the school. Majority of the students are Caucasian and some of them are racist towards the minority in the school. Many say the n-word, and there was a past incident of racism towards the Asian community. Due to the fact that many of the students come from upper-class families, they can make the less fortunate students feel bad for considering community college. Over all, the administration is great.
Read 213 Reviews

• A+

• 1,425 Students
• 20:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Aragon High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 242 reviews

Senior: My experience at Aragon is extremely good. The constant help and support is definitely something I admire most throughout all the years being there. being able to communicate with teachers and faculty was definitely a plus. It made my experience more memorable and smooth throughout the years. Education and curriculum were also a plus. a very interactive and helping teaching staff to make learning as enjoyable and less stressful as possible. it also gave off a very safe and loving and diverse environment. It made me feel safe in a place where I would be for an entire day, days at a time. a great studying environment for all students. Athletics and other after school programs helped to create feelings of inclusion for every student. No feelings of discrimination against one or another
Read 242 Reviews

• A+

• 1,555 Students
• 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mills High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 249 reviews

Alum: Mills High School was an amazing four years that really prepped me for college at a four-year university. The curriculum can be fast paced and difficult but teachers and staff are always there for extra support.
However, the downsides of Mills is the lack of diversity, and everyone having a constant mindset of college and not doing extra curricular activities for their own enjoyment, but instead for their college applications. Which I am guilty of!
Read 249 Reviews

• A+

• 1,240 Students
• 21:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Carlmont High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 283 reviews

Senior: My experience at Carlmont High Shool was fulfilling. The teachers are very nice. The campus is getting bigger everyday. I enjoyed playing lacrosse.

My only suggestion would be is to divide the school into 4’s. For example, the lower part of the school senor classes. Next level up sophomores then next level juniors top level freshman. making the school class closer together. Instead of a having a class on the other one end and having to travel across campus to bio and be late everyday. Just a suggestion! Thank you.
Read 283 Reviews

• A+

• 2,152 Students
• 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Menlo-Atherton High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 241 reviews

Senior: As a freshman, I wasn’t at my best. I had life struggles that clouded my goals and my family was losing to the struggle. At that time, I had no support at home and was lost in a pool of 4000 plus kids with no one to notice I needed help. My dad thought it would be best to move me to the school that I am currently at now. Thank God! As much as I fought leaving it; that move was the best decision for me academically and mentally. The support at Menlo Atherton High School has been a huge part of my success in my high school life and education. I am so thankful for the tutors at at my school that have made themselves available to support me.
Read 241 Reviews

• A+

• 2,401 Students
• 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

San Mateo High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 228 reviews

Senior: San Mateo High School is an amazing high school. It has an incredible wealth of AP courses, art classes, and everything in between. San Mateo has an amazing Biotech program (the only such program in the entire district) which gives all students the chance to learn lab and biotech techniques. The spirit of San Mateo is great, San Mateo is extremely diverse, and teachers for most courses are excellent. In addition, San Mateo also has the only true marching band in the entire district, which competes across the Peninsula in Antioch, Cupertino, Santa Cruz, etc. I wouldn't have gone anywhere else. Go Bearcats!
Read 228 Reviews

• A+

• 1,670 Students
• 21:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Hillsdale High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 267 reviews

Senior: Hillsdale is unique in the way that it has small learning communities where students are divided into houses based on the classes they’re enrolled in. This system emphasizes culture (and virtues) and community and the Cusco house that I’m currently in is a great example, Cusco house teachers serve as role models to students-they act with integrity, the sense of community, and love or care.

Talking about unique, Hillsdale’s one-of-a-kind graduation requirement is perhaps the most unique character of the school. Hillsdale has this Capstone project (similar to Colleges’ Senior thesis) in addition to its academic requirements. Many people dislike this system and transferred to other high schools while others value this opportunity to make a small difference, but be it favorable or undesirable, those who managed to pass the defense will be ready for college and are ahead of the game.
Read 267 Reviews

• A+

• 1,418 Students
• 20:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Design Tech High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 45 reviews

Senior: I enjoy the environment because of the small size. The community is very accepting, and I rarely see bullying (and when I do, someone usually speaks up).

In terms of teachers, although there are times when we have bad teachers(as it’s a start up,) the others truly do care about the students and will always do their best to support us.

The main positive is the amount of opportunity at the school, considering it’s located at Oracle, and we have professionals who come in. Many students also take classes at community colleges.

The main issue is that there is so much constant change which can be overwhelming. They are trying to develop a more effective way of teaching that isn’t based on cramming information into us, but this can result in frequently changing the systems. The school tries to give us time to do independent projects, but the repercussions of the system is that many aren’t used to the workload in college.
Read 45 Reviews

• A

• 414 Students
• 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Sequoia High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 290 reviews

Senior: I will be graduating from Sequoia this year and have attended all four years of high school. The school has a great IB program for rigorous academics and an inclusive culture. It is a “place of friends”. Almost all staff are understanding of students as students, athletes, and people. Is great!
Read 290 Reviews

• A

• 2,182 Students
• 20:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Summit Public School - Shasta Campus

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 54 reviews

Senior: Honestly, I really loved Shasta the minute I arrived on campus my freshman year; however, things have changed in the three years since.

For the first couple of years, you really felt heard as a student if the vast majority agreed with you. Workshops? You got it. More study time? Mhm! Since the new head of Summit Schools took over, we as a community have not felt acknowledged or respected as students because of how ignored our complaints have gone. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE this school and everything it has to offer. The teachers actually listen to you and help you whenever and wherever possible, but the heads of Summit (all schools) don't help.

Academics are amazing and I feel I'm ready for college as a Senior. Here, I found many of my passions and have grown as a better, more confident individual. Every student can find someone they trust and something they love about the school.
Read 54 Reviews

• A

• 425 Students
• 33:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Everest Public High School

• Sbe - Everest Public High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 164 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 164 Reviews

• A

• 409 Students
• 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Woodside High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 196 reviews

Freshman: As a freshman, receiving such a warm welcome from administrators, teachers, and students is refreshing. Woodside High School is renowned for its sports, academics and arts programs. The administration is known for offering continuous and exemplary student support and is known for their continued efforts for community outreach and giving every member of the Woodside community a sense of belonging. Advanced Standing classes offer many opportunities to expand knowledge in specific classes for both Freshman and Sophomores, a preview to what's to come in Junior and Senior year when it comes to Advanced Placement classes. In conclusion, Woodside is the pinnacle of combing a rich cultured working environment and a motivation to do good.
Read 196 Reviews

• A

• 1,790 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Oceana High School

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 153 reviews

Alum: A lot of students do not like school, but Oceana taught me to love school. Not only do they offer innovative and critical thinking, but they offer ways to relieve stress. The counselors and some of the staff and teachers practice mindfulness in their classroom, which definitely shows that school is a safe learning environment. Mindfulness relieved my stress and also opened my eyes to a lot of other things in the world. Academic-wise, every class, from freshman to senior year, there are exhibitions that challenge the way students look and study about world issues or controversies. This school requires community service which encourages students to expand their community and give them more experience in certain things. Oceana also offers a variety of sports, it's not a lot but every sports team at Oceana eventually becomes a family. Oceana also started having festivals, which is a fun and inclusive event to attend. Overall, I believe that this is a great school for students to attend.
Read 153 Reviews

• A

• 597 Students
• 20:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Half Moon Bay High School

• Cabrillo Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• 156 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 156 Reviews

• A-

• 995 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Capuchino High School

• San Mateo Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 336 reviews

Alum: I really enjoyed my time at Capuchino High School. The campus is very beautiful, the teachers and staff were mostly all very friendly and helpful especially during senior year. I was active in Theater, Interact club, and French club out of the many clubs and extracurricular they had. The school improved, they let everyone wear red and blue after banning it for so long and they no longer charge students for any sports games or theater shows anymore. The reason why I rated it four out of five was because they need to improve where they spend their money or give their funds to. Most of it goes to maintenance but, they give the sports teams more money than theater and arts. Education wise, I think that IB isn't the best because it depends on too many factors that won't guarantee college credit or if it was worth two years of sleepless nights. Overall, I enjoyed my experience in Capuchino High School.
Read 336 Reviews

• A-

• 1,177 Students
• 19:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

El Camino High School

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• 287 reviews

Niche User: I like how El Camino High School maintains an excellent school culture in homecoming, dances, and student activities. I also like the diversity El Camino has from each student, and the teachers are really good with teaching STEM. Although, I think there could be better and more innovative teaching/learning, better administration, and better classes about college and career readiness. Also, the school lunch at El Camino is not very nutritious and fresh, and the facilities (especially the cleanliness of the classrooms and bathrooms) are terrible.
Read 287 Reviews

• A-

• 1,357 Students
• 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Westmoor High School

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 263 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 263 Reviews

• B+

• 1,598 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Summit Preparatory Charter High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 113 reviews

Parent: Summit Prep has been an amazing academic environment for my three children. I have a current Sophomore and two graduates. My older children have achieved a level of success that they would not have been able to attain had they gone to a larger public high school. My Sophomore admittedly struggles with the smaller school setting but has a lot of social interactions with kids from neighboring high schools. He receives unparalleled teacher and admin support in his studies. He plays on several different sports teams and is involved in a variety of extra curricular activities through school. If your goal is for your child to attend the best 4 year university, I would suggest taking a look at Summit. They have a proven track record of success.
Read 113 Reviews

• B+

• 428 Students
• 36:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Pescadero High School

• La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• 16 reviews

Middle School Student: This is a beautiful school will excellent teachers, administrators, and close students. We’re all a family at Pescadero.
Read 16 Reviews

• B+

• 98 Students
• 12:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Terra Nova High School

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 259 reviews

Senior: Terra Nova is a great school, some of the kids can take advantage of new teachers and be very distracting in classrooms. However, the amount of extracurriculars and sports that are offered here truly made my experience here bareable. Join clubs, meet new people, try new things, and push yourself to take harder classes than you think you can handle. Also, do marching band!
Read 259 Reviews

• B+

• 982 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Everest Public High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 12 reviews

Senior: Everest is a pretty good school overall, since coming here my freshman year I have built a very personal connection with the teacher and in doing so it has helped me by being able to trust them. The Everest community is very friendly and caring. Everest as prepared and helped me get ready for college pretty well by having mentors that help us and by having college readiness classes mandatory for all students during there junior year
Read 12 Reviews

• B+

• 404 Students
• 34:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

South San Francisco High School

• South San Francisco Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• 404 reviews

Senior: My experience at South San Francisco High School has been good overall because the teachers are always nice and positive and the learning environment is encouraging. Another thing I appreciate about South San Francisco High School is the cultural and ethnic diversity that exists and the welcoming atmosphere that is South City High. I also like the balance of extracurriculars or clubs with sports and academics because they all complement each other in some way. One thing that could be improved at South San Francisco is that there should be a class solely dedicated to teaching particularly seniors how the real world functions and this can include things like taxes and loans and all of that practical stuff that is useful for the students to know for the future.
Read 404 Reviews

• B

• 1,366 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Jefferson High School

• Jefferson Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 121 reviews

Alum: Being at Jefferson High School for a total of 4 years, I’ve been able to experience both the good and the ugly. For starters, the environment is decent — there were constant brawls, multiple faulty fire alarms going off, and there were lots of visible cliques, yet that is quite unavoidable. On the other hand, the teachers at this school are very supportive and are always there to give you the help that you need! The teachers do not want to see anyone fail, and it’s clear! One thing I would like to see change is the amount of AP classes that they offer. Sadly, they do not offered that many compared to others schools; however, they are beginning to grow! The sports teams are very lively, and they’ve had quite luck and success for the years that I’ve been there!
Read 121 Reviews

• B

• 1,107 Students
• 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Redwood High School

• Sequoia Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• 7 reviews

• B

• 190 Students
• 15:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School

• Ravenswood City Elementary School District, CA
• K-12
• 5 reviews

• B-

• 776 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio