2023 Niche Standout High Schools in Contra Costa County

• West Contra Costa Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.57 out of 5  183 reviews

Sophomore: Overall, I love it! The academic rigor is a great challenge for me, but it can get a little too much sometimes. I wish that there were less graduation requirements (or they were less rigid, i.e a specific chem class cannot be substituted for another), but other than that my experience is pretty positive.... Read 183 reviews

• grade A

• Students 297

• Student-teacher ratio 30:1

• Free or reduced lunch 57%

• West Contra Costa Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  299 reviews

Senior: El Cerrito High is an amazingly diverse school full of students from all backgrounds. Similar to the student population, the teachers cover a wide spectrum of ability. At this school, I have experienced both the best and worst teachers I believe I will ever have. While El Cerrito High's bathrooms are a mess and its school spirit is lacking, it has many notable redeeming qualities. Many people that I know chose to attend this school because of its excellent band program. The band at El Cerrito has won multitudes of awards and has been able to go on many trips around the world to perform at places such as Disneyland, Carnegie Hall, and even locations in Europe. El Cerrito High also has some amazing clubs that are dedicated to a wide variety of purposes, such as tutoring other students struggling in math, helping the community or the environment, and getting students involved in sports. Despite its flaws, there is a lot to love about this school.... Read 299 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,596

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Free or reduced lunch 39%

• John Swett Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  86 reviews

Alum: A small community where the teachers and staff become family. A place where education is heavily implied and being the best is motivated. This school has extracurricular activities to help build a student's application. The teachers work side by side with students and aid them in any help or advice that they mad need. This school is also under construction and is remodeling the area to make it look more appealing. However throughout the construction, it does not impose a distraction to a student’s learning. The diverse community also helps create a loving environment where everyone is welcomed and loved despite where they come from! A true gem in the contra costa county!... Read 86 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 415

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Free or reduced lunch 46%

• Antioch Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.35 out of 5  522 reviews

Senior: Deer Valley High School doesn't have a great reputation, but overall is a great school. I've learned many life lessons and continue make new friends. I love and grew close to my teachers, and I'm not afraid to ask for help. Deer Valley offers many clubs, sports, scholarship clubs, college knowledge, and tutoring from the teacher you have or counselors that volunteer to help you. The campus is also very diverse. The college advisors have given me support since I was a freshman. As a first-generation college student, I wasn't told where to apply or what to do for college. I also was given continuous opportunities for scholarships, trips to colleges, and college knowledge in general. They helped through the college application process and financial aid. For that I'm extremely thankful. Over the years, more security has been added and students aren't allowed to leave campus during school hours unless they have off campus. Overall, Deer Valley is a great school.... Read 522 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,908

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 55%

• Pittsburg Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  551 reviews

Senior: There are lots of events geared towards student harmony and diversity. They also provide many workshops for students and parents to support mental health, positive parenting and familial relationships, and the use of technology. Pittsburg Senior High School also offers a wide variety of clubs, covering almost every area of interest you can think of, so students can find their community and foster a sense of belonging. Clubs Carnival is an opportunity for clubs to earn money and share information about their organizations. The food they sell during these events is spectacular. This is the most culturally diverse school I have ever attended. There is almost an equal percentage of the major ethnic groups represented in the school of 4400 students, as it is the only high school serving two cities (Pittsburg and Bay Point). The best thing about Pittsburg High is the teacher care about the whole student (mentally, academically, socially, and behaviorally).... Read 551 reviews

• grade B

• Students 3,688

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 71%

• Richmond, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  144 reviews

Senior: The school in all has many resources for us as students. Every year they try to involve the students more in the school community. They make sure you are very well prepared for college and thy even take you through the whole process of applying. The teachers are amazing and they love socializing with the students every chance they get. They offer many programs for student to join. They also help you apply to summer programs and even give you a list of scholarships where you can apply to for financial aid. The overall vibe of the school is good everyone does their part. There's rarely any fights at all. The only thing is that there's a small shortage of teachers just like every other school so as for seniors we dont have an english teacher so we take our courses online.... Read 144 reviews

• grade B

• Students 600

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Free or reduced lunch 73%

• West Contra Costa Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  8 reviews

Junior: My experience at Vista High school is relatively good. It's a very small school with less than 300 students however everyone there is incredibly welcoming and supportive. Due to the small number of students and participants, there are many limitations, such as no AP classes, clubs, sports and few electives. Despite so, the teachers and staff do their best to make up for it, recommending taking college classes, offering tutoring and additional support.... Read 8 reviews

• grade B

• Students 216

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Free or reduced lunch 62%

• Richmond, CA•

• Public School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  7 reviews

Junior: Overall, the school is relatively small compared to many other public institutions. Because of that, the teachers provide much more time to their students, improving their ability to learn and grow.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B

• Students 521

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Free or reduced lunch 65%

• El Cerrito, CA•

• Public School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.43 out of 5  21 reviews

Alum: This is a new school preparing students for college. They do this by offering "Expeditions" a program where students are allowed to try out different classes related to what they would like to do in the future ex cooking, and soccer.... Read 21 reviews

• grade B

• Students 565

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Free or reduced lunch 68%