Quick look: Thirty-seven Orange County high schools landed among the top 300 in California and top 1,700 nationally in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings, led by Oxford Academy, which ranked No. 3 in California and No. 17 nationally.
School rankings are not the only measure of a high school’s success, but they can offer another way to compare academic performance across campuses.
The latest U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools rankings include dozens of Orange County campuses among the highest-ranked schools in California and across the nation.
For this roundup, the OCDE Newsroom identified 37 Orange County high schools that ranked among the top 300 in California and the top 1,700 nationally. Oxford Academy in Cypress led the local list at No. 3 in California and No. 17 nationally, followed by Troy High School at No. 28 in California and No. 202 nationally and Orange County School of the Arts at No. 32 in California and No. 239 nationally.
U.S. News reviewed more than 27,000 public high schools nationwide and ranked nearly 18,000 of them. In California alone, 1,678 high schools were included in the rankings. The rankings consider six measures of school quality, including college readiness, college curriculum breadth, state assessment proficiency and performance, underserved student performance and graduation rates.
U.S. News published its list in August. Here are the OC high schools that we spotted in California’s top 300:
- Oxford Academy, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 3 in California, No. 17 in national rankings
- Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District: No. 28 in California, No. 202 in national rankings
- Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA): No. 32 in California, No. 239 in national rankings
- Arnold O. Beckman High School, Tustin Unified School District: No. 58 in California, No. 402 in national rankings
- Portola High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 61 in California, No. 412 in national rankings
- University High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 64 in California, No. 430 in national rankings
- La Quinta High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 75 in California, No. 512 in national rankings
- Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach Unified School District: No. 76 in California, No. 536 in national rankings
- Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District: No. 77 in California, No. 541 in national rankings
- Northwood High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 97 in California, No. 641 in national rankings
- Magnolia Science Academy Santa Ana: No. 111 in California, No. 731 in national rankings
- Fountain Valley High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 113 in California, No. 751 in national rankings
- Pacifica High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 120 in California, No. 801 in national rankings
- San Juan Hills High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 128 in California, No. 837 in national rankings
- Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 148 in California, No. 915 in national rankings
- Foothill High School, Tustin Unified School District: No. 153 in California, No. 927 in national rankings
- Valencia High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 160 in California, No. 958 in national rankings
- Irvine High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 168 in California, No. 1,017 in national rankings
- Garden Grove High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 169 in California, No. 1,018 in national rankings
- Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos Unified School District: No. 173 in California, No. 1,064 in national rankings
- Canyon High School, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 186 in California, No. 1,168 in national rankings
- Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 190 in California, No. 1,186 in national rankings
- Corona del Mar High School, Newport-Mesa Unified School District: No. 194 in California, No. 1,207 in national rankings
- Cypress High School, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 201 in California, No. 1,257 in national rankings
- Yorba Linda High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 206 in California, No. 1,272 in national rankings
- Bolsa Grande High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 217 in California, No. 1,338 in national rankings
- El Dorado High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 224 in California, No. 1,364 in national rankings
- John F. Kennedy High School, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 241 in California, No. 1,497 in national rankings
- Esperanza High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 242 in California, No. 1,499 in national rankings
- Marina High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 243 in California, No. 1,500 in national rankings
- Capistrano Valley High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 253 in California, No. 1,547 in national rankings
- San Clemente High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 254 in California, No. 1,555
- Dana Hills High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 267 in California, No. 1,633 in national rankings
- Segerstrom High School, Santa Ana Unified School District: No. 285 in California, No. 1,746 in national rankings
- Sonora High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District: No. 286 in California, No. 1,750 in national rankings
- El Toro High School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District: No. 291 in California, No. 1,763 in national rankings
- Westminster High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 295 in California, No. 1,788 in national rankings
To determine the rankings, U.S. News weighs six indicators of school quality. College readiness accounts for 30 percent of a school’s score, while state assessment proficiency and performance each account for 20 percent. College curriculum breadth, underserved student performance and graduation rates each make up 10 percent. The 2026-27 rankings primarily draw on data from the 2023-24 school year.
Did we miss any Orange County high schools ranked among the top 300 in California and the top 1,700 nationally? Email us at communications@ocde.us.