2023 Best Schools with Gifted and Talented Programs in the San Diego Area

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.28 out of 5  610 reviews

Senior: I loved the experience that Canyon Crest Academy offers. the four by four schedule provided my peers and me with an exciting challenge that has prepared us exceptionally for our futures. Most of the teachers were so dedicated to the emotional, mental and physical well-being of their students, and they have imparted so much wisdom upon who I am as a person and student that will be crucial as I continue my education at the college fit for me!... Read 610 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,503

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.06 out of 5  476 reviews

Senior: Torrey Pine High School is all about participating in school spirit! Everyone gathers together at all of the games and fills the chaos section with so much energy. It is a very sports-minded school, but luckily they do offer many clubs to those who aren't sporty. The teachers are all amazing and want the best for each of their students. The campus is beautiful! Almost everyone there is college driven, and will only encourage others to want the best future for themselves.... Read 476 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,547

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  685 reviews

Alum: Westview high school was a pretty good school. The teachers were good, and motivated to provide their students with the best education possible. The students were also academically focused, and motivated to succeed, allowing for an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. The administration also made sure to impact as many students in various different means, including presentations to individual classrooms, counseling, and many other support systems. Academically, Westview’s quarter system helped me prepare to encounter a rigorous, fast-paced schedule in college and beyond, and the material was taught by the teachers with great detail. The teachers also did what they could to make the material easier to understand, by making use of study games, songs and other devices in order to make learning as seem less and fun as possible. Overall, going to Westview was a great experience which helped shape the person I am today, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to attend this school.... Read 685 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,395

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  420 reviews

Senior: Really great school overall! Only negative thing about it is the academic pressure. We have a ton of great programs that allow you to study what you're interested in, but there's some stigma around AP courses and it's easy to feel left out or not smart enough if you're not taking a ton of APs. Academics are rigorous and fast-paced, but it makes it super easy to get all of the required graduation credits and have time for fun electives as well.... Read 420 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,481

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.42 out of 5  78 reviews

Alum: I loved Sage creek! This school is great for many things and the first and most profound to me was the family of inclusivity and family. The admin on compute weren’t just there to watch and teach us, they genuinely wanted to know the students and be there for them when needed. You could reach out to your teachers if you were struggling or overwhelmed and they would help get you back on track which is very important for high school students. Sage creek was also great with their class sizes since it was a small school of only a maximum of 1500. We had one on one interaction with our teachers and plenty of time to ask questions. We also had all of the equipment or supplies we needed in order to get a full education.... Read 78 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,379

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.12 out of 5  389 reviews

Freshman: As a freshman in high school and starting school virtually, a lot of things can be confusing. However, I got straight on track with the help of seniors and teachers. They gave me the best tips that they wished they knew as a freshman, and the teachers gave us plenty of time to get adjusted to virtual school. I learned about the amazing clubs, electives, and what it means to be a Sundevil. If people have a positive attitude through Zoom, imagine when we get back on campus. To be honest, I was worried that the older kids would pick on the freshmen, but I saw how welcoming they were during the orientations. I also thought that everyone would just barely do enough to pass their class, but that all went away when I saw how motivated everyone was and trying their best to exceed expectations. I said it once and I will say it again. It's great to be a Sundevil!... Read 389 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,888

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• La Mesa, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.23 out of 5  807 reviews

Senior: I love Helix! There are so many opportunities to get involved and engage in leadership and character-building activities. The campus is well taken care of and updated and the teachers and staff are all nice and supportive. In addition to the wide variety of clubs, sports, and extracurriculars, Helix is very strong in the academics. I truly feel like the classes I have taken at Helix have helped me prepare for a college workload, with the right balance between challenging work and expectations, and fun projects and easy access to teacher support.... Read 807 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,469

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.31 out of 5  486 reviews

Senior: San Dieguito Academy is an incredibly diverse and tolerant school. The school's motto is "keep SDA funky" and it certaintly lives up to that - the school separates itself from others in creating an environment that is inclusive and feels safe. It also has great academics by offering a wide range of classes and APs to choose from. It offers tons of electives that other schools don't, such as autoshop, woodshop, and other unique artistic and applied science classes. Unlike other schools, it also has a 4x4 schedule, meaning you only take 4 classes per quarter, but switch classes every semester. This means the classes are fast-paced, which challenges students and brings about the best in their academic rigor. My one complaint with SDA is the fact that they don't have a football team. I feel that SDA misses out on the school spirit and unity that having a football team brings, and it is something they should definitely try to add to their program in the future. All in all, SDA is great.... Read 486 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,059

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  630 reviews

Senior: Amazingly outstanding theatre program! The best of the best! Other than that, teachers can assign a lot of homework, classes can be stressful... But the Scripps Ranch Falcon Playhouse puts on incredible shows and has a community-based theatre that involves all students who are a part of it and inspires others to pursue their career goals and dreams. Out of the other high school theatre programs in San Diego, Scripps Ranch has the best one by far, demonstrating dedication, professionalism, and inspiration.... Read 630 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,050

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  564 reviews

Senior: This a wonderful school for college prep. There are so many opportunities through clubs and activities offered on campus. There are many resources to improve education through the counseling staff and peer counselors. Multiple AP classes are offered that prepare you well for the AP tests, with consistent scores of threes or higher. Teacher and student bonds are strong at the school. School spirit is a focal point at our school with many events and strong representations at sports games. The school is pretty diverse allowing for more expansive outlooks on different subjects. Overall the school is extremely good for college prep and has a great on campus community.... Read 564 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,408

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Works Here: Park Village is an excellent elementary school. The teachers ,staff and parents ( volunteers) work together to make learning a special experience for our students. The parent involvement PTA & foundation have provided support thru fundraising that has added Art, Music, Science and Physical education. Its a great place to work.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 550

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Rolling hills elementary is a great small school in a great community. We are a fairly tight nit and family friendly community tucked away in the San Diego suburbs.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 419

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Vista Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  554 reviews

Alum: As a Mission Vista High School alumni, I hold very fond memories of being a captain of the D1 field hockey team, being enrolled in the four-year biomedical course way, and being a vice president to Peer Leaders Uniting Students. The school's consistent and empathetic counseling team fostered my success day one of freshman year to graduation; especially when it came time to apply for college. The counseling center provided mental health support, scholarship resources, and working-student assistance. Every student could develop genuine friendships through sports, clubs, and collaborative class work. I cannot forgot the beloved janitor, Jaime, wearing his cowboy hat, joking with students during lunch, and honking his cart horn at every sporting event cheering us on.... Read 554 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,660

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 522

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Parent: Amazing school--teachers and faculty. My kids are thriving--being taught to show kindness for others, in addition to being taught to achieve academic excellence. Can't say enough good things. Period.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 935

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  504 reviews

Alum: Overall UCHS TEACHERS taught me a lot and i would always thank them for all the hard work and dedication they give to us the students. I also liked that I could trust my teachers and with almost anything. It felt good to study in an environment like that! I would like to change the way staff works and how sometimes they treat people. And also give those disadvantage kids more opportunities to play sports. And push kids to do them more often so that they follow a path that’s good for them!... Read 504 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,742

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade A+

• Students 522

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  16 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,566

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 764

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 788

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  200 reviews

Senior: Escondido Charter High School is an excellent school for individuals who are more focused on their education and their future careers. The environment is wonderful, nice campuses, multiple courses, and most importantly a caring administration. I would give the school a five rating score but I believe ECHS lacks some chances students could experience in. I think the school needs some more arts classes for students who are interested in the arts, more clubs for students who want to be in one or create one, and more honors and AP classes. Overall, I HIGHLY recommend this school if you live in the Escondido region. From my knowledge, ECHS is the best school for students who are really wanting to pursue in a well-provided career. I believe ECHS is the BEST school in the county region and I hope you have a chance to check it out. Go Tigers!... Read 200 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 929

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Mandarin program is rigorous. Community is friendly and well kept school. Many opportunities for parent/school functions.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 475

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Amazing school with amazing staff and extra curriculum activities. Every day my kids go to school with a smile on their face!... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 404

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: My kids have had a great experience at MRES. They have amazing teachers who truly care about your kids.... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 866

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A+

• Students 411

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1