MURRIETA, CA — Hundreds of public high schools in the Golden State are among the best in the country, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report. In Riverside County, one school ranked highest in California.
The Riverside Stem Academy was #1, considered “the best” by U.S. News & World Report in a list. California ranks 7th among U.S. states and the District of Columbia of Best High Schools, according to the study. Among the 1,652 schools ranked in California, 121 landed in the top 5 percent nationally, and 579 were in the top 25 percent.
The bulk of Murrieta
Here are the top 25 public high schools in California in 2024:
State-by-state performance is based solely on which states have the largest proportion of schools in the top 25 percent. Massachusetts once again leads in the ranking, followed by Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland and Florida, respectively.
The top high schools have students who score exceptionally high on math, reading, and science assessments, as well as strong performance among under-served students. High school graduation rates and college readiness among graduates are also measured.
U.S. News also ranked magnet, charter and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) schools.
Riverside Stem Academy ranked highest in California in the national high school rankings, coming in at #10 in the nation. Riverside County also had among the lowest rankings, with high schools listed from #1 to #1,652 in the state, according to the list.
Here’s where Murrieta High Schools ranked on the U.S. News & World Report Best High School List:
- #347: Murrieta Valley High School, Murrieta
- #365: Vista Murrieta High School, Murrieta
- #572: Murrieta Mesa High School, Murrieta
- #787: Paloma Valley High School, Menifee
- #1,317-1,652:
- Method Schools, Murrieta
- Murrieta Canyon Academy, Murrieta
- Santa Rosa Academy, Menifee
The Best Riverside County High Schools in 2024, by ranking in California, were:
- #1: Riverside Stem Academy, Riverside
- #18: Western Center Academy, Hemet
- #129: Great Oak High School, Temecula
- #153: Temecula Preparatory, Winchester
- #220: Santiago High School, Corona
- #258: Martin Luther King Jr. High School: Riverside
- #276: Eleanor Roosevelt High School: Eastvale
- #288: Palm Desert High School, Palm Desert
- #336: Temecula Valley High School, Temecula
- #347: Murrieta Valley High School, Murrieta
- #365: Vista Murrieta High School, Murrieta
- #398: Centennial High School, Corona
- #452: Chaparral High School, Temecula
- #509: Norco High School, Norco
- #555: Hillcrest High School, Riverside
- #572: Murrieta Mesa High School, Murrieta
- #590: Arlington High School, Riverside
- #613: California Military Institute, Perris
- #625: Citrus High School, Perris
- #636: Beaumont Senior High School, Beaumont
- #663: Ramona High School, Riverside
- #664: Orange Vista High School, Perris
- #667: Elsinore High School, Wildomar
- #692: Corona High School, Corona
- #725: Hamilton High School, Anza
- #738: John W. North High School, Riverside
- #750: Temescal Canyon High School, Lake Elsinore
- #759: San Jacinto Valley Academy, San Jacinto
- #786: Norte Vista High School, Riverside
- #787: Paloma Valley High School, Menifee
- #811: Shadow Hills High School, Indio
- #850: Hemet High School, Hemet
- #894: Canyon Springs High School, Moreno Valley
- #922: Valley View High School, Moreno Valley
- #927: Tahquitz High School, Hemet
- #961: Riverside Virtual High School, Riverside
- #1,042: Twentynine Palms High School, Twentynine Palms
- #1,089: Elite Academic Academy – Mountain Empire, Temecula
- #1,132: Banning High School, Banning
- #1,153: JCS Pine Hills, Temecula
- #1,213: Elite Academic Academy, Temecula
- #1,247: Academy of Innovation, Hemet
- #1,271: 21st Century Learning Institute, Beaumont
- #1,284: Perris Union High School, Perris
- #1,317-1,652:
- California School For The Deaf-Riverside, Riverside
- Excelsior Charter School Corona-Norco, Corona
- Gateway College and Career Academy, Riverside
- Keith Mccarthy Academy, Lake Elsinore
- Method Schools, Murrieta
- Moreno Valley Online Academy, Moreno Valley
- Murrieta Canyon Academy, Murrieta
- Ortega High School, Lake Elsinore
- Pivot Charter School Riverside, Corona
- River Springs Charter, Temecula
- Santa Rosa Academy, Menifee
Four more California high schools made the top 25 in the national STEM rankings:
Whitney High School in Cerritos (#8), Lynbrook High School in San Jose (#12), Monta Vista High School in Cupertino (#19), and Saratoga High School in Saratoga (#22). Pacific Collegiate Charter in Santa Cruz was named one of the nation’s top 25 charter schools, placing 17th.