2024 Niche Standout High Schools in the Los Angeles Area

• Long Beach Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  498 reviews

Parent: After sending our son for a year, we are happy to tell that the school is filled with wonderful people. CAMS students are kind, friendly, supporting each other across grades, and caring younger students very well. Parents are very nice and supportive, too. Most teachers have decent backgrounds/careers. It's easy to communicate with teachers and school staffs. Minimal donation/volunteer requests. The school is for students like Engineering, Computer Science, or Bio-technology. Required courses include manufacturing with CNC machines & industrial 3D printers, computer programming, CAD designing, and college level Bio-tech curriculum. Located on CSUDH campus, junior/senior students may take the college classes at reasonable cost. More than 50 clubs to choose from. 1/5 students join FRC or VEX Robotics teams. While sports teams are limited, good players compete at tournaments. Dancing teams actively perform at various school events. A lot of fun and exciting opportunities at CAMS!... Read 498 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 667

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Free or reduced lunch 34%

• 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

• Free or reduced lunch 62%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  381 reviews

Senior: As a student of Downtown Magnets High School some of the best parts of my experience have been with the friendly community that is fostered at this campus. It was way different from all my previous schools allowing for flexibility and prioritizing the students. Here many of our students are concerned with pursuing further education after high school and as a student it allows for a welcoming community where learning is encouraged. My favorite memories are usually made during lunch when I get to play volleyball with my friends and we laugh hysterically when something random occurs. However it does come with caveats, being the intense amount of work you receive if you are taking various AP's. As a student who has taken 9 AP classes so far I've had some difficulty in maintaining a balance between my academic responsibilities and extracurriculars. Something I would like to see change is just giving more feedback to students because sometimes students struggle to identify their weaknesses.... Read 381 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 903

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Free or reduced lunch 84%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  451 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 451 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,463

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 51%

• Newport-Mesa Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.97 out of 5  144 reviews

Niche User: This school is amazing! It has no sports, very few clubs, music, and arts, but it is still great. All the teachers and students here are so nice. I feel so comfortable with all of them. The school is small and there is about 50 people in my grade which I like because you can get to know everybody. ECHS has good academics and good people and the people make the experience make the high school journey so much better. Literally everyone is so nice I can not stress that enough and I just love it there. This place is like a safe place for people who did not fit in or were bullied at other schools. Cons: No sports and not many clubs, the school food is not the greatest, challenging academics for some. Pros: Prepares for college excellently, very nice people, mean people are socially unaccepted, lots of college resources, great school counselor who will help you through confusing college stuff, lots of internships, scholarships, and programs to help you on your college journey.... Read 144 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 212

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Free or reduced lunch 38%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 4-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  422 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 422 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,901

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Free or reduced lunch 52%

• Garden Grove Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  674 reviews

Senior: My experience at La Quinta High School was amazing! The best parts of my experience are all the sport support at games and the school spirit. We are known for an academic-heavy school, and the stress when learning at such a competitive school is worst part of my experience. Even though our school is very competitive, the support that I got from my teachers, my counselors, and my friends really help lessen the stress. Overall, my experience at La Quinta was memorable and the 4 years of high school were truly the best years.... Read 674 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,122

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Free or reduced lunch 68%

• San Gabriel Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  503 reviews

Freshman: The experience at my high school is so far very enjoyable. It's beyond anything that my middle school self could have imagined. The community is kind and welcoming as well as diverse. Upperclassmen are a great help at making new freshmen feel welcomed. They also help new students adjust to the school quickly. The teachers are so considerate with helping students with any troubles that they could have. Whether students need help with tutoring, mental health, etc. They go above and beyond to make the atmosphere as comforting and accepting as possible. Counselors are a big help too! Counselors are cooperative with students who are struggling in certain subjects by giving them many opportunities to adjust their grades. But one thing that definitely makes gabrielino high school stand out above the rest would be how they go out of their way to make sure that every student has a voice. The school allows students to make important decisions to make gabrielino better for future generations.... Read 503 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,585

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Free or reduced lunch 65%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.87 out of 5  151 reviews

Sophomore: In my experience at Middle College High School, I've come across nothing less than admirable students and staff alike. I have been given immense opportunities with college and other aspects to prepare students like me for college. The teachers in the school are understanding and cater to the student's needs. Teachers provided tutoring hours after school that allow students to achieve extra help outside of school. The school is a dual enrollment school. The courses are rigorous, but they allow students to achieve AA degrees and IGETC degrees while in high school. This school is challenging even though students who should apply here know what the school entails, but counselors provide mental health resources for students struggling. There is also great diversity throughout the school. Resources for student minorities are provided. Overall, the school accepts and allows students to be prosperous and achieve outstanding college-level courses and degrees while in high school.... Read 151 reviews

• grade A

• Students 383

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 92%

• Alhambra Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  676 reviews

Senior: To begin with, I am a highschool senior at San Gabriel High. I have atteneded San Gabriel my whole highschool career and I am about to graduate in a month or so. The Academics and teachers are splendid and have no other value than to make sure you are successful in all of your classes and beyond. They offer various AP classes and in my personal experience, the teachers hard work to prepare the students pay off in the end. The school in general is very neat and tidy and although very large, it is always great to see the green scenary and clean hallways. It not only adds to the happy student life but also adds to the great experiences made with friends. The adminstration is always ready to help with a great smile, not only you but also any questions your parents may have. It is truly the highschool experience as it prepares you in the classroom but also with the athletics and clubs outside of it. Friday night lights on the football field are a great way to spend you friday night!... Read 676 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,767

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 67%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  718 reviews

Senior: Bravo is an extraordinary institution that embraces a diverse community. The students who grace its halls are not only remarkable but also driven by healthy competition, and it is this very dynamic that contributes to the school's exceptional essence. Bravo consistently challenges and propels each student to strive for their personal best, fostering growth and transformation. Within its walls, there are a multitude of teachers, ready and willing to extend a helping hand, providing guidance and support on your academic journey. Yet, amidst the abundant virtues of Bravo, one hurdle remains to be overcome—the scarcity of funds necessary to expand the school. This limitation impacts the school's potential. For I firmly believe that with adequate resources, Bravo would leave an even more profound impact on the future, as the exceptional alumni who emerge from Bravo are destined for greatness, molded by the school's commitment to instilling excellence.... Read 718 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,714

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Free or reduced lunch 87%

• Granada Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  1,529 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 1,529 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 5,675

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Free or reduced lunch 41%

• Glendale Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  223 reviews

Senior: In key metrics of college and job preparedness, this school outperforms the state average. This school's test results are well above the state average, indicating that the majority of its students are performing at or above grade level. The staff is also kind and always has a smile on their face. An overall clean environment for the students to study hard was provided as well.... Read 223 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,191

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Free or reduced lunch 53%

• Anaheim Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  629 reviews

Senior: The best experiences that I have during high school at John F. Kennedy High is the V.A.P.A, English, and language classes. I may feel a little biased, but I really enjoyed these classes compared to the other courses like history and math. With VAPA, I enjoyed Broadcast Media and Journalism. With language, I really enjoyed Korean. Although I only finished 3 years, I really enjoyed the class and the teacher (Mrs. Lee) was really great. When talking about English, it was the teachers that made it the most enjoyable. I had the joy of having English teachers who are fun while still focused on English. I could say that the way my English teachers taught me, made me really like English than other subjects. Now to explain one of my worst experience at Kennedy. I feel like some teachers end up having favorite students, and the teachers can be a little biased at times. There is nothing wrong with having favorites, but I believe every person should be treated the same way academic wise.... Read 629 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,162

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 56%

• San Bernardino City Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  180 reviews

Senior: I've gone to Middle College High school for all four years of high school. I'm currently a senior applying to universities. Attending this school has helped me gain an advantage to my applications and starting my major. I have taken required AP classes since my freshman year and taken college courses since my sophomore year. If you really want to get ahead in earning college credits and completing all your A-G courses it would be a perfect school. I've received so much help navigating my way through college courses and applying to college. There is never a student left in the dark, the teachers and faculty are great at helping students. Although the downside to this school is that they don't have sports and electives, there is a way around that. To get into a sport a student could go to their home high school to take it and for electives they can be taken in the college. The food isn't the best but that's not something only found in this high school but in many others.... Read 180 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 249

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Free or reduced lunch 83%

• El Monte Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.6 out of 5  524 reviews

Other: Just like any other school, you will have your difficult moments, and moments where you feel like you don’t know what you are doing. However once you’re past all of that you see that being there and creating memories with your friends is awesome and just overall amazing. The teacher are like your friends and they care about each and everyone of their students they are the best and are simply awesome! My experience there was great, and I hope new and incoming students find it to be that as well.... Read 524 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,704

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 79%

• Hacienda la Puente Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  480 reviews

Senior: Glen. A Wilson High School has developed me into a knowledgeable young adult that is prepared to move onto college life. Their plethora of classes make it impossible for a student not to be involved in something they enjoy. Aside from the variety of classes you can take, there is also a variety of clubs and sports you can enroll yourself in to become more immersed in the Wildcat life. I am currently in the Spanish Honors society and Dude Be Nice, a club inspiring for kindness throughout campus and the community. Go Wildcats!... Read 480 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,458

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 60%

• Alhambra Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  703 reviews

Alum: As a previous Mark Keppel High student, I felt there was a large importance placed on academics. Throughout my high school career I felt that the provided resources and the various role models pushed us - the students, to really aim for our goals and to thrive in an environment that mocked that of a workplace one. It felt fast paced at times, but it also felt thorough, with numerous facilities all aiming to help its students. Although its resources did not fall short of its reputation, I felt as though it lacked many facilities for their students. The crammed hallways had a lack of passion within its students, and many of the facilities we did have were subpar or inadequate; Between the dirt track that athletes ran on to the uneven ground and potholes that were rampant throughout campus to a seemingly not uncommon lack of capable teachers in some courses, Mark Keppel High certainly had their downsides. Albeit, the staff and faculty did their best to provide us with a path to success.... Read 703 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,208

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Free or reduced lunch 50%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  462 reviews

Junior: The campus is amazing, the staff are really nice and try their best to teach, and the students make the place a much more decent environment than it actually is. The school has a lot of potential as it is a really big space, just near the Santa Monica Pier. Although there are a handful of teachers that make certain subjects feel like a foreign language, the teachers that actually do teach well leaves an impact on the student, like me!... Read 462 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,448

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 68%

• Garden Grove Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  507 reviews

Senior: Garden Grove is a decent school. Compared to other schools in the district, there's definetly others that arent taken care of as well as Grove does. My best experience would probably, just in general, attending and taking classes that arent offered anywhere else in Garden Grove Unified School District, like criminal justice. If it weren't for me taking that class, i wouldn't have found the passion for criminal justice, so it definetly was life changing. My worst experience would probably be that i missed about 2 years at Grove, due to COVID, but that's nothing that anyone could've done to stop it but i wouldve loved to see how my freshman year would've played out at Garden Grove.... Read 507 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,265

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 68%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  690 reviews

Senior: I have enjoyed my 4 years of high school in John Marshall! I have been able to grow a community and build a family around me. My best experiences have been, being able to participate in the Music concerts that Marshall hosts, being part of a club and becoming Vice President of the club. The only bad experiences I have had are having my schedule messed up every year. Although, it may not seem like much, but when taking a higher skilled class like AP it can cause one to fall behind since it is a faster paced class. The only change I would like to see is Counselors reviewing the schedules of the students, and being more involved with the students specially the freshman since they are newcomers and can be shy sometimes.... Read 690 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,004

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Free or reduced lunch 68%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.72 out of 5  923 reviews

Senior: One of my favorite things about King Drew is the amount of opportunities they give to students. Whether you're a freshman looking into socializing in clubs and participating in sports, it seems they've got everything you would look for in a high school. Teachers are willing to stay afterschool for tutoring to further assist students, and the effort most faculty workers put in to make a difference is heart-touching. I enjoyed how most events are student-led to help make themselves stand out. The only few issues I've had would be the bathroom policy and strict dress code. Bathrooms would be limited to the first and third floors, and the dress code only allows white, bumblebee gold and black colors for clothing such as shoes, shirt and sweaters, but that didn't make too much of an impact during my four years here.... Read 923 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,380

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 89%

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  44 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 44 reviews

• grade A

• Students 587

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Free or reduced lunch 84%

• Garden Grove Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.56 out of 5  657 reviews

Sophomore: Although I am still a Sophomore and have many more years to complete at Bolsa Grande High School, this school has already provided many great opportunities for students like me. The school provides many activities and makes great efforts to help students participate. Lip Sync is one of the best highlights of my current Highschool career because it allows school to not just be a place to study, but also a place of entertainment and fun. The only experience at Bolsa Grande that I dislike is the bathrooms that have students who vape. Though, Bolsa Grande Highschool is already starting efforts to change this by having supervisors for restrooms, which I see is working.... Read 657 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,731

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Free or reduced lunch 78%

• Long Beach Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.1 out of 5  1,101 reviews

Junior: Polytechnic Highschool is a really good school when it comes to giving school students a variety of opportunities. They have pathways designated to your future interest such as the medical pathway which opens opportunities to learn about different careers in medicine and get chances to get certifications in different aspects such as cpr. Polytechnic Highechool gives so many opportunities to earn college credit and highschool credit. They give many opportunities to practice your studies and expand your knowledge. They also support mental health practices which I believe is a major thing to focus on, especially when working with teenagers, which is why I appreciate Polytechnic Highschool. They have wellness weeks where students can come together after school and do different activities and learn about themselves more. They also have a care center which is a safe place for students to go relax and get advice if needed. Polytechnic Highschool is a safe and fun environment to learn in!... Read 1,101 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 4,083

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Free or reduced lunch 54%