A school in L.A. County has just earned the top spot in U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking of California’s best public middle schools. Whitney (Gretchen) High, located in Cerritos, came in at No. 1 statewide in the publication’s 2027 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings.
The school serves students in grades 7 through 12 and has an enrollment of approximately 1,024 students. It is part of the ABC Unified School District and has earned recognition for its academic performance.
What makes Whitney the top-ranked middle school?
Whitney’s academic results are a major reason behind its first-place ranking. According to its U.S. News profile, 99% of students score at or above the proficient level in mathematics, and 99% reach that level in reading. The school also has a student-teacher ratio of 26:1 and enrolls approximately 33% economically disadvantaged students.
These results reflect strong academic performance across its student population, including students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
How U.S. News determines its middle school rankings
U.S. News evaluated more than 24,000 public middle schools nationwide for its 2027 edition. However, unlike its high school rankings, the publication does not produce one overall national ranking for middle schools. Instead, schools are ranked at the state and district levels, making Whitney California’s No. 1 rather than the country’s overall top school.
The methodology considers student performance in mathematics and reading/language arts, including proficiency levels and achievement in relation to socioeconomic backgrounds. U.S. News uses publicly available data from state education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education, with research support from RTI International.
According to U.S. News’ 2027 rankings, these are the top 10 public middle schools in California:
- Whitney (Gretchen) High – Cerritos
- Science Academy STEM Magnet – North Hollywood
- Oxford Academy – Cypress
- North Star Academy – Redwood City
- Joaquin Miller Middle – San Jose
- Elkhorn – Stockton
- Bullis Charter – Los Altos
- John F. Kennedy Middle – Cupertino
- William Hopkins Middle – Fremont
- Petaluma Accelerated Charter – Petaluma
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