2024 Best Public High Schools in Los Angeles

• Duarte, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.74 out of 5  154 reviews

Parent: I absolutely love CSArts! I couldn't imagine sending my children to any other high school. The teachers and staff are amazing, and the students are the icing on the cake! This is such a diverse, accepting, supportive student body. I feel very comfortable sending my children to school here, knowing they will be safe and cared for. The education is top-notch and the conservatory classes, I can't say enough incredible things about them. I HIGHLY recommend this high school!... Read 154 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 962

• Student-teacher ratio 10:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  17 reviews

Senior: The Science Academy STEM Magnet is a perfect school for students interested in STEM. With a rigorous curriculum filled with college, AP, and honors level classes, attending this school will give students one of the best STEM-focused educations they could possibly receive. Unfortunately, the school lacks in the arts and humanities department, with little opportunity for electives and a lack of freedom in choosing courses. As someone who has realized they don’t want to go into a STEM field, and instead want to pursue film, this makes me wonder if attending this school was the right decision. Especially, because the social life is nothing like “the typical high school experience” that incoming students have seen in films and may desire to have. There is also not much school spirit or participation in sports, though I’ve been working to reverse that this year holding the new position of Commissioner of Athletics. With state-of-the-art technology and facilities, STEM kids will love it here... Read 17 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 443

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  60 reviews

Sophomore: Academics are truly great! Many teachers are excellent, but some are definitely not great. Some school spirit is lacking in high school due the widespread consensus among GALA high school students and parents that more resources and energy are put towards middle school students. Great counselors and college counselors! Many opportunities for AP classes! Students' opinions are not always considered in certain imported decisions.... Read 60 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 735

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lake Balboa, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.3 out of 5  181 reviews

Alum: High Tech Los Angeles is a High school which focuses on its technology and provides students with opportunities to engage in project-based learning and innovative educational experiences. Its focused aim is to prepare students for success in college and into further careers for a variety of fields. While being a student here I had access to modern technology and tools that helped me learn through a variety of experiences. The school's focus on project-based learning, helped me and my friends stay engaged while experiencing real-world situations. HTLA using technology with a focus on project-based learning helped me as a student develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which have proven valuable during my college. Being in this environment which encouraged innovation and creativity helped me grow a passion for learning and exploring new ideas.... Read 181 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 372

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Granada Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  1,515 reviews

Sophomore: Granada Hills Charter High School has an intellectually enhancing curriculum that is unique to any other LAUSD or charter school that allows students to succeed further in life. From things such as the STEM program (which I am in) allowing opportunities for AP Physics and Honors Chemistry in freshman year, to increased amounts of extracurriculars from service hour opportunities to endless amounts of successful sports!... Read 1,515 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 5,675

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.77 out of 5  283 reviews

Sophomore: Since I am a student at the school, I get to see the everyday events that occur. I enjoyed the teachers who knew that we were more than just teenagers and would push us to think about our future. They were actually worried for us and would help us achieve more than we thought we could! Overall, this school is amazing and I would recommend it.... Read 283 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 443

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• El Segundo, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.06 out of 5  309 reviews

Alum: The school community is what made the school years very enjoyable. The environment this school created is beyond great. They make sure you’re on the right track to college, making sure you’re taking all classes needed to graduate while helping seniors with applications and the whole process of it. Even though the work may seem a lot it prepared me for college. I found the workload to be the same in college which help make the transitions much easier than expected. Additionally, the school prepares students with their public speaking skills without them even knowing. Having multiple presentations, speaking in front of a panel of teachers, speaking in front of people in the medical field such as doctors and more! The school has a very big emphasis in the STEM field holding activities in which their own students help expose the different careers STEM offers to the younger kids. Lastly the hands on experience the teachers provide are what makes each class enjoyable.... Read 309 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 566

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  452 reviews

Senior: It's not as big as other LA high schools, so it's a tight-knit community. Everybody knows everybody, so it's nice to always have people to talk to in my classes. With most of the teachers, it's easy to tell they care about their subject, but sometimes you might end up with a few that don't so much. Our sports programs have been colossally improving over the past few years, and it's so easy to join any team that interests you. LACES is diverse and inclusive, and dozens of student-led clubs dominate. The campus is small and easy to navigate. There are color coded buildings for different subjects! There's also a quaint garden where we're starting to grow vegetables and herbs. A big loss at LACES is school spirit. It's hard to come across with no football team, so cheerleaders step in on basketball games and tennis matches. The leadership team does a great job of organizing fun events for the whole student body to participate in.... Read 452 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,463

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  378 reviews

Alum: The best part of that school was that the staff and administrators actually cared about their students education and their future. Our assignments were more complicated yet the teachers did their best to help us understand the curriculum. Our college counselors made sure everyone completed their fafsa and tried their hardest for the students to apply in colleges. The worst part of our school was that because of our new location (moving from one school to another; making it two schools in one building), the lower staff members had to be let go without a proper notice. Another negative effect from switching locations was that our school was not allowed to have the privileges of the other school. The other school had a football field, a baseball field, a soccer field, a dance room, and musics rooms; we were not allowed to enter those rooms because “it was a short notice and there wouldn’t be time to properly get those rooms”. I would like to see our students be allowed to use those rooms.... Read 378 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 903

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  808 reviews

Alum: Teachers were always engaging and helpful. Lots of clubs and activities to join. Very large and diverse school with people from all backgrounds. I would love to see more counsellors who encourage students to challenge themselves, rather than telling a student not to take an honours or AP class because the counsellor personally does not think the student will do well. I had an experience with a counsellor like that who did not think I would do well in an AP Psychology class in my junior year, and told me to take regular Psych first and then AP in my senior year, only for my psych teacher in my junior year to ask why I was not taking AP Psych because I was so good at it! Other than that, a majority of the staff is very kind and helpful, and even go out of their way to learn new things about their students.... Read 808 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,806

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  92 reviews

Parent: Our child has been at Larchmont since kinder and has thrived. He went to the elementary Fairfax campus, a smaller campus with spacious classrooms, and he has loved the bigger Selma campus too. The leadership works hard to create an accessible and friendly atmosphere for the students and parents so there is a strong sense of community. The admin is collaborative and value parent input. The teachers are nurturing and attentive and know when to give students more help or more of a challenge. There are many enrichment classes (art, music, gardening, sports teams, band), a social-emotional curriculum and clubs. Most kids eat the (optional) lunch prepared in the Fairfax kitchen and is SO good. At Selma, our child has delved deeper into academics and developed new interests like government and digital media in clubs. We have seen his intellectual curiosity and independence grow and we look forward to the La Fayette Campus!... Read 92 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,609

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Pacific Palisades, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  698 reviews

Junior: What I love about Palisades Charter High School is how they academically prepare you for college admissions as the offer only honors, college prep and AP classes. I also admire the variety in class from Clothing and Textiles to Hiking class. There is also a student body, ambassadors and link crew that helps new and current students settle into school. Every staff member there is more than willing to help you succeed in school and life. I also love how the staff members are open to new ways to improve the school, overall I rate the school a 5 out of 5!... Read 698 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,988

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  40 reviews

Junior: What I enjoy most is the fact that no boundaries are put between subjects or students. All students can explore the same subject and yet still learn something. They have done an excellent job at involving the arts in our academics, and it has made me understand certain topics more than I used to. What I would change would primarily be how we are prepared for college. The school does fulfill a lot of requirements for us, however we can't add much for extracurriculars, and resources are pretty rare.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 505

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 4-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  421 reviews

Sophomore: The best part about SOCES is that it is very diverse. There are many chances for you to start new friendships. I have built many relationships with teachers as well. There are also many chances for you to participate in school activities, like starting or joining clubs, doing a sport, or being involved in places like the robotics team, Academic Decathlon, or Speech and Debate. Something I think should change is giving students the preparation of choosing courses, especially for high school. As someone who just finished freshman year, I feel like if I had learned the requirements for high school earlier on, then I would have been more prepared. For example, counselors should talk about AP classes, summer courses, and electives.... Read 421 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,901

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  692 reviews

Alum: It's a good school that has many different opportunities for everyone. There's multiple academies/magnets that you can join and there's even more clubs that you can join (you can make your own clubs too! Clubs are a great way to make new friends who have things in common with you too). I was in the SAS academy (School for Advanced Studies) which would hold a lot of social school events and the teachers associated with that academy were amazing. Also, they're fully renovating the entire school as I'm writing this. One of the biggest renovations they're doing is re-building a completely new auditorium with a show choir room and a backstage area. As someone who was heavily involved in the performing arts at Noho and wished there was more, I'm really excited to see what's to come with that and I hope that more aspiring performing artists will consider Noho. Nonetheless, the school itself was great and if you're friends with the right people, it's a great school to join.... Read 692 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,555

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  122 reviews

Senior: During my stay at Rise Kohyang, I saw many great things within the students and faculty. Many teachers built great relationships with all of the students, which encouraged growth, work ethic, and enthusiastic attitude. I was able to make great friends and build long lasting relationships with my peers as well. Rise offers a variety of clubs for students to choose from, such as anime, book, guitar, soccer, student government, gaming and many more! Personally for me, being in student government helped me build cool friendships, learn about organizing events for our school, and obtain skills that will be of benefit for my future. Rise also provided so much valuable support during my college application process, which I am very grateful for. I am truly thankful for everything Rise Kohyang has provided me with, and all of the things I learned during my time there will greatly benefit me in the future. Go Tritons!... Read 122 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 505

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  43 reviews

Senior: As a current student who has attended Lake Balboa College Prep since 6th grade, I can say that this school is different from a typical high school. Starting off, the school starts from kindergarten and follows up to twelfth grade. I’ve attended this school since middle school, and now graduating from here next year. Lake Balboa has provided me with great opportunities. They offer college courses, Ap classes, clubs, and sports! Sure it’s a small school, therefore everyone knows each other which I love because it makes us feel like family. The community itself is welcoming and the staff is friendly. Teachers definitely care about their students and are in communication with their parents. Overall, some may argue that this school doesn’t offer much, but I disagree as I feel like this school has prepared me well enough to move on to the next chapter of my life which is college.... Read 43 reviews

• grade A

• Students 587

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Los Angeles County Office of Education, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  207 reviews

Senior: The LA County High School for the Arts has helped me grow immensely as an artist/dancer, and helped me make various connections within the dance world that I wouldn't have made otherwise. The academic classes are hit or miss, with some teachers that taught me loads of helpful information, and others that hardly taught at all. Also, it is very easy to become unmotivated at Lachsa because everyone is busy, tired, and forced to do their art every day, which leads many students to feel burnt out. Overall, though, I think my experience at Lachsa is far more enjoyable than at any other high school I know of. The fact that students can eat lunch on the Cal State LA campus is one of my favorite aspects, because there are so many seating areas and places to get food! I hope that Lachsa can find a way to hire some better teachers, and provide heavy arts training without causing excessive burnout among students.... Read 207 reviews

• grade A

• Students 527

• Student-teacher ratio 6:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  982 reviews

Senior: The AS (Advanced Studies) program, of which I was and still am a member at Cleveland Charter High School, had a significant impact on the growth of my writing abilities while juggling personal difficulties and such demanding classes. I am a person who genuinely despises when things are simple and appreciates challenges. I enjoy the sensation of taking my final breath after completing a particularly difficult task because it gives me the feeling of achievement knowing that I can always accomplish more. Cleveland has offered me the chance to push myself academically by enrolling in AP and honors programs as well as becoming involved in the school community. From first joining the ukulele club over Zoom freshman year, to teaching others how to play as I enter senior year. I truly believe that Cleveland is just the right place for me and I have all the opportunities needed to ensure an exceptional future for myself and my family.... Read 982 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,785

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  49 reviews

Junior: As I prepare for the upcoming school year and reflect on my sophomore year experiences, my heart can't help but feel overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. After completing my first year of high school in Honduras, thoughts regarding how welcoming the new environment I would encounter clouded my mind. As a first-generation student entering a traditional US high school, my hopes were that teachers and staff would aim to support me despite obvious academic differences between me and my classmates, the students whom I had difficulty connecting with at first. Nonetheless, my original expectations were completely surpassed once I began having meaningful interactions with the teachers and staff. Not only did they help me realize having a different background is an advantage when it comes to acquiring a unique perspective, but they also helped me embrace and show pride in it. New west has encouraged me to build a strong and empowering character, one where my differences stand out proudly.... Read 49 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,041

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Northridge, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.89 out of 5  9 reviews

Parent: This school is a gem. The teachers are enthusiastic, inspiring, and also really take the time to get to know the individual students. They encourage curiosity and love for learning instead of focusing on scores, memorization, and busy work. In addition, the emphasis on college advisory makes college planning less daunting. They get to know who your students are, help to find them schools that would be a good fit, as well as provide structured, practical guidance during the college application process. One of my children, who graduated from VIPHS, is now a sophmore in college who is thriving. Another special thing about VIPHS is that it provides the students with opportunities to study with teachers in other countries. The students here seem to value learning, tend to think outside the box, and appreciate being part of a close knit community. The only suggestion I have would be to offer more electives geared towards sports/physical fitness.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• Students 263

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Woodland Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  690 reviews

Junior: ECRCHS promotes student engagement by organizing various extracurricular activities and events. From dances and talent shows to football games and spirit weeks, these activities foster school spirit, camaraderie, and a sense of belonging among the student body. Engaging in these events allows students to develop social skills, build lasting friendships, and create cherished high school memories. ECRCHS provides students with the opportunity to earn a capstone diploma, which represents a culmination of their academic achievements. The capstone diploma signifies a rigorous and well-rounded high school education, highlighting students' accomplishments across different areas of study. This achievement reflects their dedication to academic excellence and distinguishes them during the college application process. ECRCHS offers an extensive range of clubs, catering to the diverse interests and passions of its students.... Read 690 reviews

• grade A

• Students 3,624

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  559 reviews

Senior: At Taft Charter High School, the environment and academic setting are there to help you succeed. The teachers at the school are supportive and will help their students with whatever they need. Extra resources are also offered to students who may need extra help. The student life is vibrant with weekly sporting event games and an active student body that presents spirit weeks and on-campus events for everyone to enjoy. Other students will help keep each other motivated and constantly striving to do better in the countless AP and extracurricular classes offered on campus. Students also have access to engineering and computer science courses designed to help passionate students learn and develop their skills in their respective fields. Although there are many great things about the school, it is quite large, with over 2000 students, and sometimes students may find it hard to fit in. However, students do have the ability to create clubs to find like-minded peers.... Read 559 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,208

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  678 reviews

Senior: My experience at John Marshall High School has been like no other. I have been able to express myself around my peers who are nothing but encouraging. At this school, there is people from all over the world who are interested in many different things. We are all exposed to new things to learn about many topics due to friendly interactions with others. To top it off, 75% of the teachers are impeccable. They're not only great teachers but they're also amazing people. I have multiple teachers that I consider as my close friends and I tell them everything that goes on. The trust level with teachers at John Marshall is different with others. We are the teachers eyes and ears, we inform them about the miscommunications and altercations at our school. With that being said, I am a proud student of John Marshall High School. I would recommend this school to mothers who are searching for a safe and healthy environment for their children to thrive in.... Read 678 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,004

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Pedro, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  471 reviews

Senior: One notable aspect of Port of Los Angeles High School is its commitment to academic excellence. The dedicated and experienced faculty members strive to provide quality education and support to students, helping them achieve their full potential. The school also offers me and my peers a range of extracurricular activities, clubs, and sports teams, allowing students to explore their interests and develop well-rounded skills. Furthermore, Port of Los Angeles High School fosters a strong sense of community and encourages students to engage in community service and leadership opportunities by requiring a 40 hours of community service in order to graduate. The school's emphasis on character development and community involvement helps students become responsible and compassionate individuals.... Read 471 reviews

• grade A

• Students 975

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1