California's Best High Schools
Many California high schools are located in vibrant environments, contain rich communities and offer top-quality college preparatory programs and curriculum. A select few of them not only meet these high standards, but also consistently set new standards for all other high schools to follow. The best high schools in California have an exceptional track record for academic excellence and are proven to sufficiently prepare students for college level education.
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Whitney High School at Cerritos, CA
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Whitney High ranks at #3 out of 20,000 schools in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report Top 100 U.S. high school list. According to School Digger's 2009-2010 list, they are also ranked at #1 for California Standardized Test scores in both math and English. Among their awards are a 100% college readiness index and an AP exam pass rate of 92%. Whitney High School's student population is mainly Asian, at 82% of the entire student body. Whitney has consistently set the bar for high school academic excellence; they were ranked at #1 for two consecutive years with an Academic Performance Index at 988 as of 2009.
Pacific Collegiate School at Santa Cruz, CA
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Pacific Collegiate School ranks at #7 in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report Top 100 list. In 2009-2010 CST scores, PCS ranks #3. PCS records at a 100% college readiness index, an AP exam pass rate of 86% and a predominantly white student body at 79.6%. They are among the most well-disciplined high schools in the U.S., reporting only a 0.5% suspension rate in the student body during the 2009 school year. They registered exceptional results for their English program; in 2009, PCS received an overall English proficiency score of 95 compared to 52 -- the average score of the state.
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Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy at Lennox, CA
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Lennox Academy ranks at #25 in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report Top 100 list and at #210 out of 1653 in School Digger's ranking of CST scores. They have a college readiness index of 90.5% and an AP exam pass rate of 63.1%. The school mostly serves Hispanic students -- they account for 98.3% of the student population. In addition to their high academic standards, LMSTA also has a strong soccer program. LMSTA also focuses on teaching its students the value of community service; all students are required to complete a two-year service learning program.
School of International Studies at San Diego, CA
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The School of International Studies ranks at #44 in the 2010 U.S. News & World Report Top 100 list and at #228 in School Digger's list of CST scores. IS has a 79.2% college readiness index and an AP exam pass rate of 34%. The school has a highly diverse student body with a minority enrollment of 54%. IS is particularly known for its International Baccalaureate program. Junior and senior high school students can enroll for this pre-university course and study foreign language, cultures and global systems. This is a highly advanced academic program which produces their top students; only 0.2% of their senior level population graduates with an IB degree, and 97.7% of those passed their final exam in 2009.
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References
- U.S. News & World Report; Whitney High School
- U.S. News & World Report; Pacific Collegiate School
- U.S. News & World Report; Lennox Mathematics, Science and Technology Academy
- U.S. News & World Report; School of International Studies
- U.S. News & World Report; Best High Schools: Methodology
- School Digger: California High School Rankings
