Skip to Main Content

2024 Best Private High Schools in California

1-25 of 801 results

  1. #2 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Stanford Online High School

    Blue checkmark.

    Online School,

    REDWOOD CITY, CA,

    7-12,

    183 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says My child started middle school with a single Stanford Online High School course. At that point, we homeschooled her. She chose to be a part-time OHS student when she began high school. Because the....

    Read 183 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 986,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 12 to 1,

  2. #5 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Castilleja School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    PALO ALTO, CA,

    6-12,

    67 Niche users give it an average review of 4.4 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says Our daughter arrived at Castilleja for 6th grade, and she is now finishing 7th grade -- and she thrived both years! She has developed a diverse group of close friends, and she has loved her teachers.....

    Read 67 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 416,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 8 to 1,

  3. #6 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Crystal Springs Uplands School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    HILLSBOROUGH, CA,

    6-12,

    52 Niche users give it an average review of 4.4 stars.

    Featured Review: Alum says Academically rigorous school that emphasizes a strong liberal arts education, particularly in the humanities.The smaller student body allows for smaller class sizes and more personalized instruction. For the most part, the teachers are clearly passionate about their subjects and make a noticeable investment...However, the school's small size means that certain activities like band and robotics suffer because there simply aren't enough students to maintain competitive programs. These activities still offer...There has been an exponential increase in DEI programming over the past few years, with mandatory affinity spaces, assemblies, and a general integration of gender pronouns into the school's culture.....

    Read 52 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 565,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 9 to 1,

  4. #7 Best Private High Schools in California.

    The College Preparatory School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    OAKLAND, CA,

    9-12,

    112 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says College Prep has been a fantastic experience for my son. The school provided many opportunities for him to extend/deepen areas of interest (math, computer science, baseball, basketball), but also to....

    Read 112 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 374,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 7 to 1,

  5. #8 Best Private High Schools in California.

    The Bishop's School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    LA JOLLA, CA,

    6-12,

    115 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says The Bishop's School is phenomenal! The Head of School is an extraordinary leader and sets the tone for the school. He is engaged in the community and committed to the well-being of the students. The....

    Read 115 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 800,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 8 to 1,

  6. #9 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Head-Royce School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    OAKLAND, CA,

    K-12,

    83 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says Head-Royce is an excellent school for our son in the Lower School. We were accepted to all the top Bay Area private K-12 schools & HRS was our first choice for Kindergarten. It’s amazing how well all....

    Read 83 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 900,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 6 to 1,

  7. #10 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Lick-Wilmerding High School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    SAN FRANCISCO, CA,

    9-12,

    111 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says Pros: Most diverse private school in the Bay Area. Students come from all over SF, East Bay, and Peninsula and large school endowment means tons of financial aid and a well-rounded student body....Cons: The honors math track at Lick is not at all as advertised. If you are not in an Honors class from the get-go, there is no successful means of entry into the track. You spin a roulette wheel....

    Read 111 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 560,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 9 to 1,

  8. #13 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Aquinas International Academy

    Blue checkmark.

    Online School,

    ONTARIO , CA,

    6-12,

    66 Niche users give it an average review of 4.8 stars.

    Featured Review: Middle school student says I wanted to share my thoughts on my experience with online school. So, I've been doing the whole online school thing for a while now, and I gotta say, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster.First off, let's talk about the good stuff. The flexibility is awesome. I mean, being able to roll out of bed and start class in your pajamas? Can't beat that. Plus, you can kind of set your own...But, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. Sometimes, the tech side of things can be a real pain. I've had my fair share of frozen screens and glitchy connections, which can be super frustrating when...Overall though, online school has its pros and cons. It's definitely not perfect, but it gets the job done..

    Read 66 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 631,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 5 to 1,

  9. #15 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Polytechnic School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    PASADENA, CA,

    K-12,

    112 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says As a parent of a sophomore who entered Poly for high school, I've been thoroughly impressed with the upper school and the experience my child has has so far both academically and socially. From the....

    Read 112 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 872,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 7 to 1,

  10. #16 Best Private High Schools in California.

    The Quarry Lane School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    DUBLIN, CA,

    PK, K-12,

    204 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Parent says As a QLS parent for many years, my family has cherished our QLS experience. One thing that has always stood out is QLS's commitment to every child's success. The school maintains rigorous standards....

    Read 204 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 1,050,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 7 to 1,

  11. #22 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Westridge School

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    PASADENA, CA,

    4-12,

    164 Niche users give it an average review of 4.4 stars.

    Featured Review: Junior says Best: I definitely met some of my best friends here! I always look forward to school and seeing all my friends. The teachers are also very humorous and understanding, which is everything a stressed...Bad: The upper school gets very competitive with academics , sports, and extracurriculars. I have learned to not compare myself with others and focus on myself. Change: I understand there is a general concern with the college process and its results. The counseling team works extremely hard, and I applaud their work. But, I want to see more urgency. To have....

    Read 164 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 550,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 5 to 1,

  12. #24 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Marin Academy

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    SAN RAFAEL, CA,

    9-12,

    112 Niche users give it an average review of 4.2 stars.

    Featured Review: Alum says Just graduated ‘24 and while not perfect, it’s as reasonably close as one can get. The teachers and staff are not only great at their jobs, but are great people who you love interacting with...The work here is hard. Most students will get some Bs at least, but teachers genuinely want you to preform well and are incredibly helpful and accessible (that doesn’t mean they’re pushovers).Athletics are good generally, but the soccer and lacrosse programs get disproportionate attention due to having good talent. Student body is as great as you can ask for given they’re high schoolers. Each incoming class has gotten more diverse than the one before.Go cats! Going to miss you guys next year.

    Read 112 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 448,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 7 to 1,

  13. #25 Best Private High Schools in California.

    Fairmont Preparatory Academy

    Blue checkmark.

    Private School,

    ANAHEIM, CA,

    9-12,

    111 Niche users give it an average review of 4.6 stars.

    Featured Review: Senior says Fairmont Preparatory Academy offers a challenging academic environment renowned for its high standards and diverse student body. The school's commitment to academic excellence provides students with....

    Read 111 reviews.

    Overall Niche Grade: A+,

    Students: 514,

    Student-Teacher Ratio: 14 to 1,

Not sure what schools you are zoned for?Find out by exploring our school boundary maps. Look up public schools and districts by address or ZIP code.

Showing results 1 through 25 of 801