The Best Schools and School Districts in California

Niche has released its annual rankings of the best schools and school districts in the nation for 2023. The rankings are based on analysis of public data plus careful study of over 100 million reviews and survey responses from students, parents, and residents.

Niche’s lists can be filtered by state, district, and grade. While we’re focusing on public schools and districts, the website also ranks the best private schools.

Top 10 Public School Districts in California 

1. Palo Alto Unified School District 
2. Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District 
3. Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District
4. La Canada Unified School District 
5. San Dieguito Union High School District 
6. Acalanes Union High School District 
7. San Marino Unified School District 
8. Arcadia Unified School District 
9. Fremont Union High School District 
10. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District 

Top 10 Public Schools in California 

1. Henry M. Gunn High School (Palo Alto Unified)
2. Troy High School (Fullerton Joint Union)
3. Canyon Crest Academy (San Dieguito Union)
4. California Academy of Mathematics & Science (Long Beach Unified)
5. Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
6. Palo Alto High School (Oslo Alto Unified)
7. Riverside STEM Academy (Riverside Unified) 
8. Saratoga High School (Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union)
9. University High School (Irvine Unified) 
10. Los Altos High School (Mountain View-Los Altos Union)

See full rankings and methodology here.