California is home to some of the most prestigious universities in the country, including Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and USC. But the Golden State’s academic bragging rights start well before college, and this year, one of its standout high schools is right here in Los Angeles.
The Science Academy STEM Magnet in North Hollywood has been named the No. 1 high school in California and No. 10 in the entire country, according to the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
Science Academy STEM Magnet: California’s best high school
The annual ranking evaluated nearly 27,000 public high schools across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., with about 18,000 ultimately receiving a national ranking.
Rather than being based on votes, the ranking uses academic performance data. Schools are evaluated on factors including state assessment results, graduation rates, college readiness, and participation and performance in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams.
And North Hollywood’s Science Academy came out swinging. The school landed at No. 10 nationally, making it California’s highest-ranked public high school:
- Central Magnet School — Murfreesboro, TN
- Signature School — Evansville, IN
- Julia R. Masterman Secondary School — Philadelphia, PA
- Davidson Academy — Reno, NV
- School Without Walls High School — Washington, D.C.
- Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology — Alexandria, VA
- Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology — Lawrenceville, GA
- The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) — Dallas, TX
- Nikola Tesla STEM High School — Redmond, WA
- Science Academy STEM Magnet — North Hollywood, CA
What makes Science Academy STEM Magnet stand out?
The public high school specializes in STEM education, with a curriculum focused on science, technology, engineering, and math. The school stands out for its strong academic outcomes, with a 97% graduation rate and a 97.7 college readiness score. Science Academy STEM Magnet has 260 students enrolled across grades 9–12, according to the ranking.
