2022 Best Schools with Gifted and Talented Programs in the San Diego Area

Canyon Crest Academy

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.28 out of 5  588 reviews

Senior: Canyon Crest Academy is honestly the best school I could’ve chosen to attend. Despite the culture that is curated and the stigma there is around failing, CCA provides amazing opportunities to its students. This includes programs like Quest, etc. The 4x4 schedule is also so beneficial since it allows students to take so many classes and even finish their language by sophomore year!
Read 588 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,533 Students
• 28:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Torrey Pines High School

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.05 out of 5  461 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 461 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,479 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Westview High School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.01 out of 5  657 reviews

Senior: Westview is a VERY academically competitive school, and there are a multitude of classes for every interest. This competitive stigma of the school puts a lot of pressure on its students, and while some use this to challenge themselves, it can cause a lot of students anxiety from comparing themselves to others taking harder classes. If I could change one thing about Westview, it would be the stigma around taking so many AP or advanced classes. But as long as you take classes based on your abilities and challenge yourself for solely the purpose of growth and learning, you will get an amazing academic and college-prep experience!
Read 657 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,376 Students
• 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Del Norte High School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.03 out of 5  404 reviews

Senior: This school is very academically driven. The teachers and faculty push students to not only be at grade level standards, but above them. The school culture tends to be a bit competitive, making academic pressure an issue for some students. Diversity, isn't much of an issue for the school, as students have no problem intermingling with peers of different backgrounds. However, students of certain ethnicity tend to outnumber others, which is mainly because of the organization of the 4s Ranch community. The school provides many academic resources for students, with time set aside for students to ask questions outside classtime. Overall, a great school!
Read 404 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,459 Students
• 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Sage Creek High School

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.37 out of 5  68 reviews

Senior: The thing I liked the most about Sage Creek High School was its community. I found that most students had an easy time forming good relationships with their peers and staff through clubs, sports, and classes. ASB contributed greatly to the lively school culture by setting up dances, spirit days, and other events. Clubs like Black Student Union, Asian Student Union, and LGBTQ+ club definitely provided helpful resources and a safe place for their communities as well. In general, all the programs contributed to the great community at the school, which can be attributed to the students and staff that are generally kind and accepting to all. One thing I would like to see more of are the student support services that the school provides. While the counseling department and other activities that were implemented to assist the students were helpful, I think it would be great to see them more common and accessible, especially during the pandemic and possibly after the schools open completely.
Read 68 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,326 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Helix Charter High School

• Public School
• LA MESA, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.22 out of 5  780 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 780 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,449 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

San Dieguito High Academy

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.3 out of 5  464 reviews

Senior: I'm a senior at San Dieguito Academy, and I've absolutely enjoyed my time there. The teachers really care about their students and love to get involved in clubs, events, and student's lives (in an appropriate way). The students, generally, are very welcoming and friendly, and made a new, scary experience pleasant. SDA also has a very large variety of classes, and the schedule allows for students to participate in a lot of them. No matter who you are, you'll find your niche here in SDA's wild and welcoming culture. Keep SDA funky!
Read 464 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,959 Students
• 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Grossmont Middle College High School

• Grossmont Union High School District, CA
• 11-12
• Rating 4.18 out of 5  143 reviews

Junior: Grossmont Middle College High school is an excellent program that allows students to dual enroll in both high school and college courses. I am currently a junior in high school, doubling as a freshman college! I plan on getting my associates degree by the time I graduate my high school classes, and have been greatly exposed to various college opportunities. This school does an amazing job at preparing students for a 4-year university, and I am so happy I am able to attend it! This program is perfect for hard working, driven students who hope to get ahead!
Read 143 Reviews

• grade A+

• 67 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mt. Carmel High School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.11 out of 5  378 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 378 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,898 Students
• 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Park Village Elementary School

• 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+

• 582 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Rancho Bernardo High School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 3.9 out of 5  541 reviews

Freshman: I am a Freshman student and due to the pandemic I am currently attending online school but I have visited the campus before a few times because my sister graduated from RBHS last year. So far, I am having a good experience, the teachers are attentive and peer tutoring help is available.The school has a 4 by 4 schedule that is beneficial to overachiever students but not so much for regular students like me. The campus is large and it has an Arts Center, an indoor gym, a Library and a Football Field. I wish I could tell more about the Culture but i have yet to experience that. Hope my review was helpful!
Read 541 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,352 Students
• 28:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

La Costa Canyon High School

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 3.94 out of 5  482 reviews

Senior: La Costa Canyon High school is an amazing school overall! The school spirit is great, very pretty and safe campus, super fun football games, theater department does an amazing job with their performances, I've had good experiences with teachers, and it is a wonderful community overall. Despite distance learning being a hardship to staff, teachers, and students, I believe LCC has done a great job with online classes and keeping students learning in the safety of their own homes. On the downside, there isn't a ton of diversity and the food is not the best. Other than that it is an amazing school and I really enjoyed my high school experience there!
Read 482 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,827 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Rolling Hills Elementary School

• 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+

• 433 Students
• 23:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Mission Vista High School

• Vista Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 4.12 out of 5  543 reviews

Senior: At Mission Vista students are guaranteed an excellent education. Mission Vista offers advanced placement classes that will teach you as a student to learn challenging problems and how to face them. As a current student at Mission Vista, my experience has been amazing! I have learned so many things and learned how to manage my time as well as how to challenge myself.
Read 543 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,653 Students
• 22:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Scripps Ranch High School

• San Diego Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 3.57 out of 5  620 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 620 Reviews

• grade A+

• 2,131 Students
• 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

La Jolla High School

• San Diego Unified School District, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 3.61 out of 5  300 reviews

Junior: La Jolla High school has a friendly community with supportive teachers. The beach isn't far from the school so it's a nice place to hang out and relieve stress before or after school. At La Jolla High people tend to be cliquey but during class time everyone is usually friendly. Mostly everyone is very competitive so if you sign up for hard classes make sure that you are capable of them or else you might see yourself in trouble. Overall, La Jolla High is a nice place to be and enjoy your high school experience!
Read 300 Reviews

• grade A+

• 1,331 Students
• 25:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Escondido Charter High School

• Public School
• ESCONDIDO, CA
• 9-12
• Rating 3.98 out of 5  193 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 193 Reviews

• grade A+

• 879 Students
• 17:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Willow Grove Elementary School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• K-5

• grade A+

• 805 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Del Sur Elementary School

• 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+

• 1,008 Students
• 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Creekside Elementary School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• K-5

• grade A+

• 566 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Los Penasquitos Elementary School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• K-5
• Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade A+

• 535 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Monterey Ridge Elementary School

• 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+

• 950 Students
• 26:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Oak Valley Middle School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• 6-8
• Rating 3 out of 5  16 reviews

• grade A+

• 1,518 Students
• 27:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Adobe Bluffs Elementary School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• K-5
• Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: This. Little school with a big heart is a little gem in the big Poway Unified school district. They have the best , caring teachers and staff at AB. I have 2 kids and a niece that attends AB. They are starting a Mandarin Immersion program that my niece will be attending. My kids missed it but are doing the FLES program (Foreign Language in Elementary School) and they have Mandarin twice a week. They love it, and have learned so much. The most important factor are the great teachers at AB, they really are excellent and very caring and dedicated. If you get a chance to go to AB , GO!!! The PTA and Foundation parents are so welcoming too . The office staff is friendly and helpful. We are lucky to go to such a wonderful, caring little school. Hope it doesn’t grow bigger too fast.
Read 1 Review

• grade A+

• 463 Students
• 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio

Westwood Elementary School

• Poway Unified School District, CA
• K-5

• grade A+

• 817 Students
• 24:1 Student-Teacher Ratio