California's charter public middle schools earned top rankings in 2025 from U.S. News & World Report and Niche. Find out which charter public middle school received top recognition this year below.

Top Ranked Charter Schools of
California Middle Schools

California Distinguished Schools

The California Department of Education honors exceptional schools with the California Distinguished School Award. Below is a list of charter middle schools that received the distinction in 2026:

Middle Schools (Grades 6-8)

• Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle, Greater Los Angeles

• Animo Pat Brown, Greater Los Angeles

• Animo South Los Angeles Charter, Greater Los Angeles

• College Preparatory Middle, Southern California

• Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle, Greater Los Angeles

• George Ellery Hale Charter Academy, Greater Los Angeles

• Hickman Middle, Central Valley & Northern Central

• High Tech Middle North County, Southern California

• Hillcrest Middle, Northern California

• ICEF Vista Middle Academy, Greater Los Angeles

• Oakland Unity Middle, Bay Area

• Oxford Preparatory Academy – Middle, Southern California

• PUC Community Charter Middle, Greater Los Angeles

• PUC Triumph Charter Academy, Greater Los Angeles

• KIPP Summit Academy, Bay Area

Middle/High Schools (Grades 6-12, 7-12 or Grades K-12)

• Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy, Central Valley & Northern Central

• El Rancho Charter, Southern California

• High Tech High Mesa, Southern California

• Inspire School of Arts and Sciences, Northern California

• KIPP Navigate College Prep, Bay Area

• Magnolia Science Academy 4, Greater Los Angeles

• Magnolia Science Academy 5, Greater Los Angeles

• Magnolia Science Academy 6, Greater Los Angeles

• Magnolia Science Academy San Diego, Southern California

• Millennium Charter, Central Valley & Northern Central

• Samueli Academy, Southern California

• School for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Southern California

• Sherman Thomas STEM Academy, Central Valley & Northern Central

• Synergy Kinetic Academy, Greater Los Angeles

• The Grove School, Southern California

• The Preuss School UC San Diego, Southern California

• University Preparatory Academy Charter, Bay Area

• Western Center Academy, Southern California
  
  

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 middle schools in California based on U.S. News & World Report's state-by-state analysis: 

• Ranked #5 – Petaluma Accelerated Charter (Petaluma)

• Ranked #6 – Bullis Charter (Los Altos)

• Ranked #12 – Yu Ming Charter (Oakland, CA)

• Ranked #27 – Renaissance Arts Academy (Los Angeles)

• Ranked #34 – JCS - Mountain Oaks (Encinitas)

• Ranked #37 – Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education (Camarillo)

• Ranked #42 – Orange County School of the Arts (Santa Ana)

• Ranked #53 – Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County (Mission Viejo)

• Ranked #66 – Quail Lake Environmental Charter (Clovis)

• Ranked #77 – Charter School of Morgan Hill (Morgan Hill)

• Ranked #82 – Sherman Thomas Stem Academy (Madera)

• Ranked #85 – College Preparatory Middle (Spring Valley)

• Ranked #89 – Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley (Lake Forest)

• Ranked #96 – Discovery Charter (Chula Vista)

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 middle schools in California based on Niche's data sets and surveys in 2025:   

• Ranked #6 – Granada Hills Charter School (Granada Hills)

• Ranked #8 – Preuss School UCSD (La Jolla)

• Ranked #15 – Larchmont Charter School (Los Angeles)

• Ranked #21 – Western Center Academy (Hemet)

• Ranked #36 – Goethe International Charter (Los Angeles)

• Ranked #44 – Yu Ming Charter School (Oakland)

• Ranked #48 – Connecting Waters Charter - East Bay (Union City)

• Ranked #57 – Elevate (San Diego)

• Ranked #62 – Renaissance Arts Academy (Los Angeles)

• Ranked #63 – Bullis Charter School (Los Altos)

• Ranked #68 – Alameda Community Learning Center (Alameda)

• Ranked #72 – Literacy First Charter School (El Cajon)

• Ranked #74 – California Online Public Schools Monterey Bay (Scotts Valley)

• Ranked #93 – Ocean Grove Charter School (Boulder Creek)

• Ranked #98 – University Preparatory (Redding)

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 >>