2024 Best School Districts in Los Angeles County

• Arcadia, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.3 out of 5  123 reviews

Junior: I love the people I meet on campus, and the wide array of activities and extracurriculars provided for students. I also think it’s really cold how easy it is for students to get involved in clubs, organizations, and teams. The worse part of the experience is the teachers. I feel that not all the teachers have the same level of commitment to their job and I believe teachers shouldn’t be employed based on how long they’ve been at the job, but rather by their performance. I had an amazing math teacher freshman year who was let go because she was new and the school needed to budget cut. However her entire class loved her and I always understood everything in that class. Sophomore year I had a horrible math teacher who had been at the school for a long time, but was hard to understand and didn’t seem committed to helping students along the way.... Read 123 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 11

• Students 8,669

• Redondo Beach, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.47 out of 5  30 reviews

Senior: RBUSD has amazing education and compassionate support. Administration, staff, students and parents create an inviting and supportive community. Even throughout the Covid-19 situation, we had tremendous direction from the district representatives (phone calls, texts, emails providing consistent and encouraging communications). Best district in the South Bay, by far!... Read 30 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 13

• Students 9,607

• Palos Verdes Estates, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  77 reviews

Junior: The worst part is the stress involved. The competition mixed with the overall expectations of this school make life here stress-inducing. Having this loom over your head can get to me sometimes. However, the good part is that the reputation gives you respect from others and pushes you to become a student you thought you couldn't ever achieve. The community is always nice and you have so many support options and opportunities. I would like to see a change in the funding for certain areas. For example, the band does not get nearly enough money to get instruments that are of proper quality and that need to get replaced. Another change I want to see is in maintenance. For example, the fire alarms go off randomly and at this point, no one cares if they go off. This could pose a problem if a real emergency is happening. Overall, this school is lovely with a huge reputation and a paw full of pride.... Read 77 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 18

• Students 10,432

• San Marino, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.45 out of 5  31 reviews

Parent: San Marino Unified School District provided my children with a private school experience in a public school environment. In addition to a highly rigorous academic program, the District provides excellence in athletics, arts, and activities that distinguish the District as a premier provider of K-12 education. My children had a wonderful experience and as a parent, I enjoyed being a part of such a caring and engaged community of volunteers who continuously come together in support of the schools!... Read 31 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 4

• Students 2,703

• La Canada, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.8 out of 5  20 reviews

Parent: My kids both went through the La Canada school system and I think it’s the best public school system I’ve ever seen. Great teachers, lots of parental involvement, and highly motivated students. Most importantly, La Canada High is big enough to offer many extracurricular and sports but not so huge that a kid has to be a future Broadway star to get a part in the school play. A really great experience for our family.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 4

• Students 3,921

• Santa Monica, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.32 out of 5  68 reviews

Senior: Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is a community in which people from all diverse backgrounds enjoy community events. Whether this be the annual Cinco De Mayo festival at Will Rogers Learning Community or the Jog-A-Thon school fundraiser. This community is great but not perfect. As of recently, safety within this school district has been questionable. Such as the violent attack on a student on the first day of school at Santa Monica High School. Additionally, the countless threats this school faces.... Read 68 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 17

• Students 9,129

• El Segundo, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.46 out of 5  37 reviews

Parent: Wonderful programs, excellent teachers and administrators. Truly thankful for the educational experience my children have had in ESUSD!... Read 37 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 5

• Students 3,458

• Manhattan Beach, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.19 out of 5  36 reviews

Junior: Since attending Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, I have been able to meet some of my closest friends. The school has also provided me with various opportunities for growth through programs like Model United Nations, American Sign Language, and various Advanced Placement (AP) programs like Environmental Science, Human Geography, etc. On the other hand, as a Jewish student, recent anti-Semitic graffiti has caused some uneasiness among the Jewish community. The school has done a fine job at expressing concern but the administration could definitely do more to make sure that the Jewish community is respected as this event has occurred multiple times in my past two years at the school.... Read 36 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 8

• Students 5,927

• Beverly Hills, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.09 out of 5  22 reviews

Senior: I really liked that it functions just as a private high school, even though it is a public high school. There are a lot of academic opportunities. There are so many AP and honors classes that I wanted to take but did not have the time. There are also many student-led clubs, which allows the students to discover new interests outside of class. All of the teachers are well educated and are very qualified to teach their classes. However, I feel like I have to criticize the administration because of its decision to change grading platforms in the middle of the school-year. The process was very inconvenient, unreasonable, and costly for the school district and students. Furthermore, the food is terrible and is full of unhealthy fat. It really needs a change in my opinion. My overall high school experience was positive, considering that I got to meet great teachers and to take very challenging courses during my pathway towards college.... Read 22 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 6

• Students 3,160

• Walnut, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.24 out of 5  94 reviews

Middle School Student: I liked Walnut Unified School District. I was here since first grade to sixth grade and I loved my elementary school. We had great teachers and in Middle school the middle school also had great teachers. The facilities are great they are clean and pretty new. Also have good materials being taught but I am not sure after 7th grade if they are good. Also good club activities, middle school had many variety of clubs. Arts are pretty good.... Read 94 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 15

• Students 13,311

• Santa Clarita, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.3 out of 5  189 reviews

Senior: Hart High School is remarkable because of the staff. Many of the teachers work closely with students for their ultimate success. The school also has a strong support system for mental health. From personal experience, I was helped by my counselors, and the wellness counselor a well. The wellness counselor worked closely with me to make sure I was okay. She would call me in for weekly checkups and let me vent to her. As for academics, Hart High School offers limited AP classes in comparison to high schools nearby. However, Hart High does have lots of career readiness academic programs. These programs showcase to a lot of students how life can be after high school. While the academic aspect of the school is great the social aspect is not. Many of the activities the school plans are expensive, so not many low-income students attend. The school's student body is also largely made up of white individuals. It would be nice to see some diversity in leadership roles.... Read 189 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 16

• Students 21,485

• El Segundo, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.5 out of 5  46 reviews

Senior: The staff is fairly helpful, however the facilities and diversity are exceptional! There is an ample amount of clubs an activities to choose from, there is definitely something for everyone. The academics are held to a high standard, I have not found another school yet that teaches and applies knowledge like this yet.... Read 46 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 5

• Students 2,478

• Cerritos, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.38 out of 5  198 reviews

Alum: My experience was great! I first enrolled in the district in sixth grade before I became an alum of Gahr High. My experience over the eight years was pleasant and engaging. The amount of opportunities this district brought me is unmatched. The teachers deeply care about their student’s education. I left the district with skills in decision-making, collaboration, listening, critical thinking, and commitment.... Read 198 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 30

• Students 20,535

• Temple City, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.13 out of 5  52 reviews

Senior: The Temple City Unified School District has been my home ever since I was 6 years old. It is one that I am proud to be a part of, primarily because of the community, peers, and staff. The community in Temple City Unified School District puts a great emphasis on the importance of academics. My peers and I are always pushing each other to strive for the best, which seriously motivates me to do better. However, I wish that the heavy focus on studying and schoolwork could be complemented by more high school activities. Compared to other school districts, our spirits for a typical high school experience are diminished. For example, Friday night football games could definitely use some work, or our dirt track and field could be turned to rubber and turf.... Read 52 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 8

• Students 5,282

• South Pasadena, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.12 out of 5  25 reviews

Junior: The teachers at SPHS (the only high school in the district) from grades 9-10 are not very good, and there are some mediocre teachers sprinkled throughout the district. However, the other teachers are all excellent, and campuses are always pristine in terms of cleanliness. Many AP classes are offered and most sports teams are in Division 3 or higher.... Read 25 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 5

• Students 4,649

• San Gabriel, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.15 out of 5  27 reviews

Alum: One thing I liked about the San Gabriel Unified School District is how diverse and inclusive the schools are, especially the high school, who would, for example, raise pride flags every June to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, the high school, this year, would produce videos that honored communities during their respective months, which I also really appreciated. Another thing I liked was how the district beside from inclusiveness, also focused on mental health; there was a wellness center at my high school and a dedicated embedded time to destress from the hard workload.... Read 27 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 8

• Students 4,689

• Torrance, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.12 out of 5  176 reviews

Senior: Torrance is an excellent school district for multiple reasons, but my favorite has to be the opportunities it sets for students to show their creativity. All of my schools in TUSD promote artistic creativity via visual arts, whether that be in elementary or high school. There is always an annual competition that requires students to write or draw art that represents certain important principles and themes. This year, I participated in a district-wide writing competition that discusses community diversity and resilience from discrimination. Students not only could communicate their unique experiences, but also they could read others' and learn more about their diverse Torrance community.... Read 176 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 32

• Students 21,935

• Glendora, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.36 out of 5  45 reviews

Senior: Glendora Unified School district provides children with a good education and gets them ready for college. Glendora Unified also has many opportunities for their students to participate in clubs, sports, and other extra cirricular activities. The sports facilities at Glendora High School should be upgraded. The school does not have a rubber track or a stadium for their athletes. Cross country, football, soccer, track, and field do not have the ability to host a home game. The district must rent out Citrus College stadium in order for the school to have any type of home competition.... Read 45 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 10

• Students 6,671

• San Dimas, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.23 out of 5  79 reviews

Senior: I have been extremely fortunate to have attended schools within the Bonita Unified School District. The District has a clear vision that was established roughly three years ago of 80/70. Meaning, the District has a goal that all students will reach a minimum of 80% proficiency in English and 70% proficiency in mathematics when taking State exams every spring. Since implementing the 80/70 goal, schools have continued to improve in both categories, ranking our schools in the top 10% in the state of California. Moreover, the Bonita Unified School District has created a reading literacy program that serves as a model for other districts within the nation as it has been ranked #1 in the State! One area that I would like to see the Bonita Unified School District improve is in the area of equity. As many Districts experience, there are schools that are heavier in economic disadvantaged students than others, thus major gaps in proficiency scores in English and mathematics.... Read 79 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 15

• Students 9,599

• Claremont, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.07 out of 5  101 reviews

Senior: I do like and enjoy being a part of this school district. I have great relationships with the teachers, staff and students. Though there would be things that I would like to see change. Such as the promotion on other sports. We have great sports teams on campus that don't get the promotion they deserve. Football here is promoted very well, even though the team isn't at all the best. But we have amazing soccer teams, basketball, volleyball and track teams. I would also say the treatment from the boys and girls teams are extremely different as well. An example of this would be the boys and girls basketball teams. The boys basketball team was promoted more and praised more during this school year, even though they didn't have the greatest season. But the girls team was amazing! They even made it to CIF, I do wish the promotion for girls sports was uplifted because I would have enjoyed supporting the team at games.... Read 101 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 11

• Students 6,616

• Burbank, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.16 out of 5  142 reviews

Senior: Overall, Burbank Unified School District is fairly diverse and offers strong academic programs and opportunities for students interested in various fields. However, the district's administration can be difficult to work with, especially for school clubs, which often have to go through unnecessary bureaucracies when trying to access their finances, coordinate trips, etc. The majority of administrators within schools are also not interested in working to improve the school in any way. Administrators are often impatient, unresponsive, and difficult to coordinate with. Additionally, most teachers (especially those who teach high school) do not go above or beyond in their roles and simply do the bare minimum required, which impacts their students' performances in the classroom. There is also a shortage of well-trained teachers, which has left several classes in recent years saddled with substitute teachers who do not have adequate training to teach the grade levels they are assigned to.... Read 142 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 21

• Students 14,331

• Culver City, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.29 out of 5  48 reviews

Senior: What I like the most being in the Culver City Unified District is the diversity (teachers, clubs, etc) and I think that Culver High especially needs better and more bathrooms, re-consideration of dress codes, more funding towards other sports teams (not only football), more funding towards certain clubs, especially the Robotics team, more "life readiness" programs, classes, etc, and a bunch of other things that the District needs to work on.... Read 48 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 9

• Students 6,876

• Calabasas, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.51 out of 5  43 reviews

Parent: Chaparral Elementary School has been wonderful for our daughter who is in Transitional kindergarten. The administration and teachers have been so supportive and knowledgeable as she has made the jump into elementary school. It is a fun, warm, and exciting school and I feel in the loop and comfortable with my daughter spending her days there. They have and awesome library, visual and performing arts center, physical education, and more. So many awesome activities! We can also volunteer with the class, which is such a nice experience. 10/10 would recommend!... Read 43 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 17

• Students 10,064

• Whittier, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.29 out of 5  157 reviews

Senior: As I am now entering my senior year as a Whittier Union High School District student, I have experienced much of what the district has to offer. I make this statement as the district consists of 7 high schools in total; each high school has something different to offer but gives each student many opportunities to find their hobbies. School staff are truly out of this world, they are always there whenever we need any help. I had the opportunity to view how the district would solve unexpected issues that effected the way of teaching as Covid entered the picture; although a worldly issue affected interactions and teaching among students, It has no effect on the Whittier Union High School District. They were able to provide students with laptops and internet connections for families who were low income. With many positives comes along a negative; one down side are the classes given in each school, for example one school might not have a course you're looking for but the other school will.... Read 157 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 7

• Students 10,808

• Alhambra, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.85 out of 5  212 reviews

Junior: I've been in the district since elementary, so I basically started my journey here. I did learn a lot from the district and is actually very happy about the environment and friends I've made. I wished that I could've been more exposed to other resources about college, since I was really passive the past few years until I realized that I need to start planning my life. It really taught me a lot, I've really just been to this one district, sometimes the foods are nice, but only sometimes.... Read 212 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 18

• Students 15,262