California is home to many high-performing schools, and several trusted sources highlight their achievements. U.S. News & World Report ranks the best schools in each state and in the nation, Niche evaluates schools on academics, culture, and community, and the California Department of Education’s Distinguished Schools program honors outstanding performance across the state.

Charter public high schools often stand out on these lists. Here are some of the top-ranked schools.

Top-Ranked Charter Public High Schools
in California 

U.S. News & World Report

Each year, U.S. News & World Report publishes rankings of elementary, middle, and high schools across the country. Based on its state-by-state analysis, the list below highlights California’s top-ranked charter high schools for the current academic year.

• Ranked #7: University High School, Fresno

• Ranked #9: Pacific Collegiate Charter, Santa Cruz

• Ranked #16: Western Center Academy

• Ranked #19: Preuss School UCSD, La Jolla

• Ranked #26: Western Sierra Collegiate Academy, Rocklin

• Ranked #28: University Preparatory Academy Charter, San Jose

• Ranked #33: Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana

• Ranked #40: Hawthorne Math & Science Academy

• Ranked #41: Lennox MST Academy, Inglewood

• Ranked #45: Stockton Early College Academy

• Ranked #52: AIMS College Prep, Oakland

• Ranked #69: Chula Vista Learning Community

• Ranked #73: Redwood Academy of Ukiah

• Ranked #74: KIPP King Collegiate, San Lorenzo

• Ranked #78: Stockton Collegiate International

• Ranked #80: Alliance Ted K. Tajima High, Los Angeles

• Ranked #85: Animo Inglewood Charter, Inglewood

• Ranked #90: KIPP San Jose Collegiate, San Jose

• Ranked #98: Alliance Marc & Eva Stern Math and Science, Los Angeles

Niche

Niche is an online platform providing detailed profiles for every school and college in the U.S., along with over 140 million reviews and ratings. Based on Niche’s 2025 data and surveys, the following list shows the top-ranked charter high schools in California.

• Ranked #6 – Orange County School of the Arts, Santa Ana
• Ranked #7 – California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley, Duarte, CA
• Ranked #28 – Granada Hills Charter 
• Ranked #31 – Helix Charter High School, La Mesa
• Ranked #42 – Da Vinci Science, El Segundo
• Ranked #50 – University Preparatory Academy Charter School, San Jose
• Ranked #51 – The Preuss School UC San Diego, La Jolla
• Ranked #72 – High Tech Los Angeles, Lake Balboa
• Ranked #78 – Pacific Collegiate Charter School, Santa Cruz
• Ranked #86 – Escondido Charter High School
• Ranked #90 – Larchmont Charter School, Los Angeles
• Ranked #93 – Palisades Charter High School, Pacific Palisades

California Distinguished Schools 

The California Distinguished School Award, announced annually by the California Department of Education, recognizes outstanding schools for their excellence in academics, equity, and school climate. High schools that earn this distinction hold the title for two years, highlighting their sustained commitment to student success. In 2024, several charter high schools received this honor, showcasing their dedication to excellence and achievement.

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 Public 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 >>