Sure, school rankings aren’t the sole measure of academic success. But it’s noteworthy that dozens of campuses throughout Orange County are on the Best High Schools list recently released by U.S. News and World Report.
Among the news outlets that have attempted to rank schools over the years, U.S. News is probably the most consistent and widely known. For 2024, the online news publication evaluated nearly 18,000 public schools nationwide based on test scores, graduation rates, the performance of traditionally underserved student populations and college curriculum breadth.
Leading the pack locally is a familiar name — Oxford Academy in Cypress. The Anaheim Union High School District ranked No. 4 in California and No. 22 nationally.
“Oxford Academy runs an intensive honors curriculum that requires students to take a minimum of four Advanced Placement courses to graduate,” U.S. News said. “Ninth- and 10th-grade students can choose from four career pathways to supplement their core courses: biomedical science, engineering, business/entrepreneurship, and software systems and development. Oxford Academy boasts a culturally diverse student body, with many students coming from homes where English is the second language.”
BASIS Peoria from Peoria, Arizona claimed the top spot nationally, while Riverside STEM Academy in the Riverside Unified School District was the highest ranked school in California.
U.S. News published its list on April 22. Here are the OC high schools that we spotted in California’s top 300:
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- Oxford Academy, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 4 in California, No. 22 in national rankings
- Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA): No. 27 in California, No. 229 in national rankings
- Troy High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District: No. 30 in California, No. 239 in national rankings
- University High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 48 in California, No. 356 in national rankings
- Northwood High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 51 in California, No. 372 in national rankings
- Portola High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 55 in California, No. 402 in national rankings
- Arnold O. Beckman High School, Tustin Unified School District: No. 84 in California, No. 652 in national rankings
- La Quinta High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 88 in California, No. 674 in national rankings
- Fountain Valley High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 90 in California, No. 701 in national rankings
- Sunny Hills High School, Fullerton Joint Union High School District: No. 98 in California, No. 740 in national rankings
- Irvine High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 114 in California, No. 822 in national rankings
- Woodbridge High School, Irvine Unified School District: No. 123 in California, No. 916 in national rankings
- Los Alamitos High School, Los Alamitos Unified School District: No. 124 in California, No. 918 in national rankings
- Garden Grove High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 134 in California, No. 1,020 in national rankings
- San Juan Hills High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 140 in California, No. 1,044 in national rankings
- Valencia High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 141 in California, No. 1,046 in national rankings
- Tesoro High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 142 in California, No. 1,047 in national rankings
- Aliso Niguel High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 150 in California, No. 1,103 in national rankings
- Bolsa Grande High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 156 in California, No. 1,176 in national rankings
- Foothill High School, Tustin Unified School District: No. 170 in California, No. 1,236 in national rankings
- Westminster High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 198 in California, No. 1,454 in national rankings
- Corona Del Mar High School, Newport-Mesa Unified School District: No. 199 in California, No. 1,457 in national rankings
- Capistrano Valley High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 201 in California, No. 1,460 in national rankings
- Yorba Linda High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 203 in California, No. 1,466 in national rankings
- Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach Unified School District: No. 211 in California, No. 1,513 in national rankings
- El Dorado High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 231 in California, No. 1,627 in national rankings
- Brea-Olinda High School, Brea-Olinda Unified School District: No. 233 in California, No. 1,654 in national rankings
- San Clemente High School, Capistrano Unified School District: No. 235 in California, No. 1,665 in national rankings
- Marina High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 242 in California, No. 1,719 in national rankings
- John F. Kennedy High School, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 243 in California, No. 1,720 in national rankings
- Huntington Beach High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 247 in California, No. 1,751 in national rankings
- El Toro High School, Saddleback Valley Unified School District: No. 262 in California, No. 1,845 in national rankings
- Edison High School, Huntington Beach Union High School District: No. 265 in California, No. 1,861 in national rankings
- Cypress High School, Anaheim Union High School District: No. 266 in California, No. 1,897 in national rankings
- Trabuco Hills High School, Mission Viejo, CA, Saddleback Valley Unified School District: No. 271 in California, No. 1,933 in national rankings
- Pacifica High School, Garden Grove Unified School District: No. 279 in California, No. 1,999 in national rankings
- Esperanza High School, Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District: No. 280 in California, No. 2,016 in national rankings
Did we miss any local schools in California’s top 300 or in the top 2,000 nationally? Email us at communications@ocde.us.