Top 20 High Schools In San Diego County: U.S. News 2024 Ranking

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Diego County public high schools are among the best in the country, according to a new ranking released Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

In the 2024 Best High Schools list, California ranked seventh among U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Among the 1,652 schools ranked in California, 121 landed in the top 5 percent nationally, and 579 were in the top 25 percent.

Seven schools in the San Diego area ranked among the top 100 schools in California, according to the list. Five ranked among the top 500 in the U.S.

Canyon Crest Academy in San Dieguito Union High School District was the top-ranked high school in San Diego County. The school also ranked as the 15th best high school in the state and the 140th best high school in the country.

Preuss School UCSD in Preuss School UCSD District ranked second in the county, while Del Norte High School in Poway Unified School District ranked third.

Here are the top 20 public high schools in San Diego County in 2024, according to the report:

1. Canyon Crest Academy, San Dieguito Union High School District, San Diego (No. 15 in state, No. 140 nationally)
2. Preuss School UCSD, Preuss School UCSD District, La Jolla (No. 28 in state, No. 231 nationally)
3. Del Norte High School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego (No. 42 in state, No. 329 nationally)
4. Westview High School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego (No. 54 in state, No. 401 nationally)
5. Mt. Everest Academy, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego (No. 65 in state, No. 489 nationally)
6. Scripps Ranch High School, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego (No. 71 in state, No. 524 nationally)
7. La Jolla High School, San Diego Unified School District, La Jolla (No. 100 in state, No. 754 nationally)
8. Sage Creek High School, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad (No. 102 in state, No. 765 nationally)
9. Del Lago Academy - Campus of Applied Science, Escondido Union High School District, Escondido (No. 118 in state, No. 840 nationally)
10. Rancho Bernardo High School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego (No. 121 in state, No. 868 nationally)
11. Torrey Pines High School, San Dieguito Union High School District, San Diego (No. 122 in state, No. 901 nationally)
12. Coronado High School, Coronado Unified School District, Coronado (No. 128 in state, No. 966 nationally)
13. San Dieguito High Academy, San Dieguito Union High School District, Encinitas (No. 137 in state, No. 1,033 nationally)
14. Mission Vista High School, Vista Unified School District, Oceanside (No. 152 in state, No. 1,118 nationally)
15. University City High School, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego (No. 159 in state, No. 1,188 nationally)
16. Mira Mesa High School, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego (No. 174 in state, No. 1,277 nationally)
17. Eastlake High School, Sweetwater Union High School District, Chula Vista (No. 176 in state, No. 1,291 nationally)
18. Mt. Carmel High School, Poway Unified School District, San Diego (No. 183 in state, No. 1,331 nationally)
19. Olympian High School, Sweetwater Union High School District, Chula Vista (No. 238 in state, No. 1,683 nationally)
20. Henry High School, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego (No. 255 in state, No. 1,802 nationally)

The U.S. News Best High Schools ranking included data on nearly 25,000 public high schools in 50 states and the District of Columbia.

State-by-state performance was based solely on which states had the largest proportion of schools in the top 25 percent. Massachusetts once again led in the ranking, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida, respectively.

The top high schools have students who scored exceptionally high on math, reading and science assessments, as well strong performance among underserved students. High school graduation rates and college readiness among graduates were also measured.

See the full report.