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 in 2025

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)

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 middle schools that received the distinction in 2024:

Middle Schools (Grades 6-8)

• Alfred B. Nobel Charter Middle (Northridge)
• Alliance Jack H. Skirball Middle (Los Angeles)
• Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle (Los Angeles)  
• Downtown Charter Academy (Oakland)
• El Rancho Charter School (Anaheim)
• Equitas Academy #2 (Los Angeles)  
• Equitas Academy 4 (Los Angeles)  
• Gaspar De Portola Charter Middle (Tarzana)
• High Tech Middle North County (San Marcos)
• ICEF Vista Middle Academy (Los Angeles)  
• KIPP Adelante Preparatory Academy (San Diego)      
• KIPP Heritage Academy (San Jose)
• KIPP Summit Academy (San Lorenzo)
• Magnolia Science Academy (San Diego)
• PUC Lakeview Charter Academy (Lakeview Terrace)
• Santiago Charter Middle School (Orange) 
• Sherman Thomas STEM Academy (Madera)
• Twin Hills Charter Middle (Sebastopol)
• Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Middle (Inglewood)

Middle/High Schools (Grades 6-12 or Grades 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 >>