2024 Best High Schools in the Bakersfield Area

• Bakersfield, CA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  82 reviews

Parent: As a whole, it's a wonderful school! It's probably the best high school experience a parent or student could ask for compared to other high schools in our town. The amount of activities and clubs really helps keep kids engaged. There are however, some downfalls. Communication can be lacking at times and certain clubs tend to be a little unorganized. Some sports certainly take precedence over others and it feels like being an athlete is more highly sought after with the administration than having good grades. Those that focus more on the study aspect tend to get overlooked or glazed over, which is quite unfortunate. An example of this would be a student playing, say soccer, getting a scholarship to cover most, if not all the tuition costs, whereas a 4.0+ student gets very little to no tuition assistance.... Read 82 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 508

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  596 reviews

Senior: I have thoroughly enjoyed my learning experience at Stockdale High School. I am grateful for all the support and guidance from teachers, staff, and peers on and off the campus.... Read 596 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,298

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Bakersfield, CA•

• Private School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.46 out of 5  105 reviews

Senior: My experience with BCHS has been very good overall. There has been many teachers that I have really connected with and have felt as if i will take more than just knowledge from my subject from them. However some teachers do not do the same, furthermore I think that the counselors need to be more engaged and evolved in the student life. We as student need more guidance and more assertive behavior from the counselors to get us ready for college and scholarships. The security needs to be better as well, there is way to much profanity and drug problems for a private christian highschool.... Read 105 reviews

• grade A

• Students 632

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.98 out of 5  378 reviews

Senior: As a Liberty High School senior, I loved my tenure here at Liberty High. Something that stands out to me about this school is the inclusivity and kindness of their students. I've never witnessed any showcase of bullying or shaming of that sort. Everyone here either minds their own business or is compassionate towards other students. The sports are a must-attend here, it's a huge part of the school experience and culture, especially football. Though I wish they put more money into other sports, I understand why football is funded more than other programs. The only things that I find are substandard for Liberty are some of the teachers, classes, and food. I don't each school lunch that much, so my opinion shouldn't be strongly considered, but it was pretty subpar from what I had. There are certain teachers here who just make it hard to learn and there are too few college-level courses such as AP or Dual Enroll in my opinion. On the contrary, some of my favorite teachers were here.... Read 378 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,358

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Bakersfield, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: Over the years that I've been at Bethel Christian School, it's been a very good experience. My teachers are always concerned about my education, and they find new ways of of helping us clearly understand the topics we study in class. Since the pandemic, our band and choir class have taken a toll. Other than that, there is nowhere else where I would want to go to school.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 59

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  372 reviews

Senior: Centennial has given me many opportunities and has taught me what I want to do with my life in the future. My Freshman year, I took the opportunity to go to a different school, away from my friends, to be involved in the PLTW biomedical science class offered at Centennial. I have continued my involvement throughout my entire high school career. The PLTW Biomedical science class taught me more about my deep curiosity about the brain. I have learned about many different fields and studies through this class. I gained lab and problem-solving skills, taught me to think outside the box, and gained many life skills. Taking the opportunity to involve myself in this class was one of the best decisions I've made. It has influenced my career choice and made me feel more prepared and confident in choosing my career. It taught me the subjects I enjoy and thrive in.... Read 372 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,175

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  467 reviews

Senior: I have, overall, had a good experience at Frontier High School. I am heavily involved in the Drama program at Frontier and am thankful for the many opportunities that have been available to me though theatre. The Drama program has lacked stability though, as in my four years of high school, I have had three different theatre teachers. I noticed that Frontier also struggled with the challenge that was distance learning in 2020. Online schooling wasn't so bad, but the resources connecting these new freshmen who have not yet experienced high school to how to make friends and navigate the next four years was extremely underwhelming. Counselors also make a big impact on one's high school experience. I personally had an issue with the counselor I was assigned and was told that there is no way to change your counselor, which seems absurd, as counselors are assigned by last name and now my siblings will also have to go through dealing with a specific, not so great, counselor.... Read 467 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 2,072

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Delano Joint Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  363 reviews

Senior: Overall I feel like this school is a very nice school compared to places I have been. It is hard to say that it is amazing or that it is not the best because I have some teachers that I would say really care about the students. My Calc BC teacher, I feel, is almost like my dad. I feel like he really cares about us. But then I have teachers like my English teacher, who should not be in a classroom. The sports teams are also interesting because we have very athletic and good players and a couple of good coaches, but my varsity basketball coaches had no idea what they were doing and should not be coaching. The actual campus is fairly clean and nice and the administration is always making sure the students are safe. Overall my school is not a bad place to be, there are just people that make the experience a little harder than it should be.... Read 363 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,377

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Kern County Office Of Education, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.23 out of 5  53 reviews

Junior: I have been attending Valley Oaks Charter school since I was in kindergarten and have enjoyed every single day the campus. I think the best moment for me was being able to sign up for Karate. I was so happy and I am still currently enrolled in my Martial Arts as a first degree black belt. I think the worst parts of my experience at Valley Oaks is probably the school food. The food is not the greatest but the staff and education is amazing and I definitely feel prepared for my after high school education.... Read 53 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,108

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  422 reviews

Senior: Best part of school is the fact you have tons of information available to the students as long as you ask for information. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable connects you to the the right people. Teachers are always there to give a helping hand to students. Campus is huge. The school is always looking to make it easier for student when it comes to having the proper resources available. The school offer a lot of different ways for students to fit in and be comfortable. Lots of clubs. Ton of ways to be involved in community outreach programs. Tutoring option and college readiness through local program offered by school . One thing that I would like to see more of is meaningful electives i.e. home economics class, drivers Ed, variety of different languages class like French, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese just to name a few. Second thing while it's not necessarily a bad thing but I wish they would have kept campus open for lunch. I understand why they closed it but still it was open .... Read 422 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 3,004

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Bakersfield, CA•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  3 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 117

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  434 reviews

Junior: Ridgeview HighSchool is a well know school for the arts. This school has many students whom are apart of the Preforming Arts, Music , and Art program who are going to pursue this outside of high school. Although they have great resources for creativity, self expression, and learning the educational resources are very few. When a child of color coming from a low income family is trying to find resources for their financial future needs they have very little help. The college readiness class are up to date with teachings including the endless amounts of science/ technology offered within Ridgeview Highschool.... Read 434 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 2,688

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Delano, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  138 reviews

Senior: This school lives up to its name. It is an incredibly "wonderful" school. This school not only has all grades from Kindergarten to seniors but they strive to give each grade level the utmost education available. This school also has the best lunch, not simply being healthy but also tasty. One thing that has to be acknowledged is its openness to feedback. A couple of years ago, the students came together and helped develop a new meal plan for the school that opened more kids up to eating there. What makes a school great is the support system. The students are friendly and are extremely educated. They are taught great presentation skills and quickly develop the ability to ask for help. The teachers have come to show that they truly love their job. Multiple teachers can testify to the fact of comfort and a true sense of community in this school. The administration provides an immense amount of support by sending students on field trips both educational and fun. The majority agree 100%.... Read 138 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,900

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.73 out of 5  410 reviews

Junior: As a student who entered Highland as a Freshman, knowing no one. Highland is a great school to make new friends. Yes, there are cliques, but I personally feel one can find at least one friend/group setting that they feel they will belong to. As far as teachers, I personally haven't had a negative experience. I feel that most teachers do want to help you succeed. Lunches are very crowded because we had a recent change from 2 lunches to 1. And I feel like it wasn't a good decision because there are more fights than usual and it is extremely crowded. We also have tardy sweeps everyday and yes I do understand why, but if it has become this much of a problem, clearly nothing is being done to fix it. I think it is awesome how we are now getting a pool built. It should be done by fall next year. I really enjoy the sports, whether it's going to the games/being in the games. Overall highland is a pretty good school and I am happy here.... Read 410 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 2,599

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.84 out of 5  444 reviews

Senior: I went to this school for my senior year. The first week I was there I heard the fire alarm every period. It stopped after a while but it was just very different because at my old school I never heard the fire alarm. The teachers were very nice and welcoming. The counselor there was also very nice and helpful. She let me change my schedule around so that I could be with my friends and said that she would let me because she wanted me to feel comfortable since it was my first day. I played soccer while I was there and it was good for a while but the coach was also very annoying. He never really made subs and didn’t give anyone trust. He mainly played the people he knew and when they would make mistakes he still wouldn’t sub them out. We lost a few games due to his poor subbing. He had great players and let them go to waste. Something I would like to change about this school is the food. They had a lot of the same food everyday and I feel like they needed more of a variety.... Read 444 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 2,394

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Delano Joint Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  343 reviews

Senior: Delano High School prepares students for college and takes pride in college readiness. The majority of students are on the A-G track for college. Moreover, students are offered dual enrollment with college classes. The school will often have guest speakers from colleges and field trips to universities/colleges. The school staff generously gives out incentives for good test scores and grades. The school environment is comfortable and suitable for learning. I have taken advantage of many opportunities provided by the school. I have joined sports, different clubs, taken college classes, and Career Training Education (CTE) classes. The CTE class has provided me with the most opportunities, as they provide internships for teaching and hands-on experience.... Read 343 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,290

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Tehachapi Unified, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  186 reviews

Senior: Tehachapi High provides a decent high school experience. There are many teachers and staff that are easy to confide in, ask for additional support (academically and emotionally). Although there is a amazing group of teachers there is also some that aren't as great. Some of these teachers lack empathy for their students and are prideful in being a demanding and rigorous teachers. Overall the campus had a vibe that isnt over or underwhelming. Participation is a key point to having a successful experience at Tehachapi High.... Read 186 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 1,254

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Delano Joint Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  188 reviews

Senior: My experience with school was very challenging and overcoming my personal struggles was not an easy feat. I started Kindergarten with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and I’m thankful that my preschool teacher recognized my learning challenges and encouraged my parents to have me evaluated. We found out that I had ADHD and learning disabilities that would make academic achievement a challenge for me. More specifically, I had difficulty decoding words and pronouncing some letter sounds such as “R’s” and “W’s”. As a result, excelling in school was a challenge due to my disability and the reaction of other students to my disability only made it more difficult. Despite my challenges, I thrived in school. While I struggled in English …show more content… Overall, I pushed myself to be better and better. To where I am now... Read 188 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,367

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  296 reviews

Senior: South is the only school in Bakersfield that counts with an EAOP college site coordinator. Thanks to Ms. Ramos, I have been guided through the stressful college applications and financial aid applications. At my school, my teachers care about me, are interactive instructors, and some of them are even my mentors. Overall I've loved my time at South, there is a club/activity for everyone. And if you feel there isn't, you could always start one. South can be a school where you excel as long as you are a hard worker. I would, however, love to see more AP courses for future generations of Spartans.... Read 296 reviews

• grade B

• Students 2,176

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.69 out of 5  342 reviews

Senior: The best part of attending Arvin High School would be the opportunities available at the school. I took advantage of the Early Bakersfield College Program which allowed me to receive my associate's degree in Communications to acquire transferable college credit and save money. In addition, the culture and school pride is prevalent. There are multiple dress-up weeks in which me and my friends enjoy participating.The worst part of my experience would be the lack of accountability for staff. I had a bad experience with a science teacher who would pressure me to stand up to the flag and did many instances of intimidation tactics. Unfortunately, it was not just me who was being harassed. Whenever someone reported them nothing was done. They ended up shaming someone for what they were wearing and there was no response. I would like to see the school take more action in serious problems such as overdoses and problematic staff.... Read 342 reviews

• grade B

• Students 2,786

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Maricopa Unified, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Senior: My experience at Maricopa High has been mostly pleasant, I have been in this school since my 2nd grade year and it was been perfectly fine for a small town school. My best moment is this year recently because the school has many teachers that aid me towards my push to college likely more than any other large school would. My worst moments were freshman year where COVID hit and the school seemed to be very unprepared. I also disliked the constant change of our science teachers, with one in specific during my Sophomore year which was widely hated for her unprofessionalism, she wasn’t as bad as everyone else said but we rarely learned anything with her.... Read 5 reviews

• grade B

• Students 84

• Student-teacher ratio 9:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.59 out of 5  228 reviews

Senior: The best part of my high school experience from north high is the teachers! the teachers are always helpful and always there if i ever need to talk to them about anything. The new principal is very supportive, she always goes to all the sports game also any activities out side of school. She been one of the best principal Ive had. Worst part is probably the other students. Ive had problems with some other students but the others are nice and friendly.... Read 228 reviews

• grade B

• Students 2,214

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Kern High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  458 reviews

Senior: My experience throughout my 4 years as a student at Golden Valley Highschool was amazing! I really enjoyed my classes, my teachers, and my friends. I feel that it was very social because it was easy to make friends in all my classes and clubs I was apart of. I had the most wonderful teachers who really prepared me and pushed me to do better as a student.... Read 458 reviews

• grade B

• Students 2,533

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Wasco Union High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  224 reviews

Senior: My overall experience at Wasco High School has been wonderful. I have faced many academic challenges throughout my academic career. I would say the most challenging classes would be the dual enrollment program. I think everyone should enroll in this to get a better academic opportunity. Although some changes that may need to be made would be the food selection as well as the staffs attitude towards students.... Read 224 reviews

• grade B

• Students 1,733

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Taft Union High, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  80 reviews

Senior: Taft Union High school can't be rated overall because of the diversity. Some teachers excel at grabbing our attention while teaching, on the other hand other teachers are very bad at teaching and lead to the students failing. There is a lot of room for the school to grow but that's if it allows itself to grow.... Read 80 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 1,102

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1