Many California charter public high schools earned top rankings from U.S. News & World Report and Niche in 2024. In addition, the California Department of Education honored a whole host of charter public high schools with the prestigious California Distinguished School Award.
Find out which charter public high school received state and/or national recognition this year in the lists below.
California's Top Ranked Charter High Schools in 2023-2024
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report publishes annual rankings for elementary, middle, and high schools in America. Below are the top-ranked charter high schools in California based on U.S. News state-by-state analysis:- Ranked #8 – Pacific Collegiate Charter (Santa Cruz)
- Ranked #12 – University High School (Fresno)
- Ranked #18 – Western Center Academy (Hemet)
- Ranked #27 – Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
- Ranked #28 – Preuss School UCSD (La Jolla)
- Ranked #31 – University Preparatory Academy Charter (San Jose)
- Ranked #35 – KIPP King Collegiate High School (San Lorenzo)
- Ranked #41 – Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy (Lennox)
- Ranked #47 – Hawthorne Math and Science Academy (Hawthorne)
- Ranked #57 – Kipp Navigate College Prep (San Jose)
- Ranked #59 – Northcoast Preparatory and Performing Arts Academy (Arcata)
- Ranked #63 – KIPP San Jose Collegiate (San Jose)
- Ranked #69 – Alliance Ted K. Tajima High School (Los Angeles)
- Ranked #72 – Stockton Collegiate International Secondary (Stockton)
- Ranked #74 – Western Sierra Collegiate Academy (Rocklin)
- Ranked #86 – Pacific Law Academy (Stockton)
- Ranked #87 – Summit Public School: Denali (Sunnyvale)
- Ranked #93 – Alliance Marc and Eva Stern Math and Science (Los Angeles)
Niche
Niche is an online platform offering in-depth profiles on every school and college in America, as well as over 140 million reviews and ratings. Below are the top-ranked charter high schools in California based on Niche's data sets and surveys in 2024:- Ranked #6 – California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley (Duarte)
- Ranked #7 – University High School (Fresno)
- Ranked #8 – Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)
- Ranked #22 – High Tech Los Angeles (Lake Balboa)
- Ranked #26 – Granada Hills Charter School (Granada Hills)
- Ranked #28 – Preuss School UCSD (La Jolla)
- Ranked #29 – Helix Charter High School (La Mesa)
- Ranked #37 – University Preparatory Academy Charter School (San Jose)
- Ranked #44 – Pacific Collegiate Charter School (Santa Cruz)
- Ranked #46 – Da Vinci Science (El Segundo)
- Ranked #82 – Western Center Academy (Hemet)
- Ranked #93 – Larchmont Charter School (West Hollywood)
- Ranked #97 – Summit Public School - Shasta Campus (Daly City)
- Ranked #99 – Palisades Charter High School (Pacific Palisades)
California Distinguished Schools
Every year, the California Department of Education honors exceptional schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Below is a list of charter high schools that received the distinction in 2024:
High Schools (Grades 9-12)
- AIMS College Prep High (Oakland)
- Alliance Collins Family College-Ready High (Huntington Park)
- Alliance Judy Ivie Burton Technology Academy High (Los Angeles)
- Alliance Leichtman-Levine Family Foundation Environmental Science High (Los Angeles)
- Alliance Margaret M. Bloomfield Technology Academy High (Huntington Park)
- Alliance Patti And Peter Neuwirth Leadership Academy (Los Angeles)
- Animo Inglewood Charter High (Inglewood)
- Animo Jackie Robinson High (Los Angeles)
- Animo Leadership High (Inglewood)
- Birmingham Community Charter High (Van Nuys)
- Camino Nuevo High #2 (Los Angeles)
- Central City Value (Los Angeles)
- Da Vinci Science (El Segundo)
- Ednovate - Brio College Prep (Los Angeles)
- Ednovate - East College Prep (Los Angeles)
- Ednovate - Esperanza College Prep (Los Angeles)
- Environmental Charter High (Lawndale)
- Gateway High (San Francisco)
- Grover Cleveland Charter High (Reseda)
- Harmony Magnet Academy (Strathmore)
- Health Careers Academy (Stockton)
- High Tech High (San Diego)
- Inspire School of Arts and Sciences (Chico)
- Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy (Inglewood)
- Luis Valdez Leadership Academy (San Jose)
- Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts (Marysville)
- Math and Science College Preparatory (Los Angeles)
- Port of Los Angeles High (San Pedro)
- Reedley Middle College High (Reedley)
- School for Entrepreneurship and Technology (San Diego)
- Stockton Early College Academy (Stockton)
- Taft Charter High (Woodland Hills)
- Ted K. Tajima High (Los Angeles)
- WISH Academy High (Los Angeles)
Middle/High Schools (Grades 6-12 or K-12)
- Magnolia Science Academy 2 (Van Nuys)
- PUC Triumph Charter Academy and PUC Triumph Charter High (Burbank)
- University Preparatory (Redding)
- Vox Collegiate of Los Angeles (Sylmar)
- Western Center Academy (Hemet)
What is a Charter School?
California's charter schools are tuition-free, public, and open to all students. California charter public schools have rigorous curriculum programs and unique educational approaches. In exchange for operational freedom and flexibility, charter schools are subject to higher levels of accountability than traditional public schools. Charter schools offer high-quality education options to communities. Learn More >>
