Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
High Schools

Best High Schools
in Los Angeles Unified

This page covers 176 high schools in Los Angeles Unified, including 6 charter schools. Rankings use a composite of graduation rates, neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

176
Schools Ranked
California
State
6
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

High Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 176
1
rank
CDS Secondary
Grades 06–129 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (2.5:1) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
88
/100
Student:Teacher
2.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
2
rank
Iovine and Young Center
Grades 09–1042 students
Ranked for: small class sizes (6.0:1) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
86
/100
Student:Teacher
6.0:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
3
rank
Daniel Pearl Journalism & Communications Magnet
Grades 09–12224 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · high-opportunity neighborhood (69/100)
81
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
14.5:1
Below nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
69/100
Above nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
4
rank
Arleta High
Grades 09–121,174 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (95%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
80
/100
Graduation Rate
95%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
5
rank
Sylmar Charter High
Grades 09–121,506 studentsCharter
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (93%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
93%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
6
rank
Verdugo Hills Senior High
Grades 09–121,195 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($25,983/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
91%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
7
rank
Rancho Dominguez Preparatory
Grades 06–12712 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
8
rank
Academies of Education and Empowerment at Carson High
Grades 09–12507 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (98%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
98%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
20.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
9
rank
Academy of Medical Arts at Carson High
Grades 09–12463 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
79
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
17.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
10
rank
Linda Esperanza Marquez High C School of Social Justice
Grades 09–12617 students
Ranked for: strong graduation rate (92%) · above-average investment ($25,983/student)
78
/100
Graduation Rate
92%
Above nat'l avg
Student:Teacher
18.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$25,983
Above nat'l avg
166 more high schools in Los Angeles Unified not shown here.
View all schools in Los Angeles Unified
How We Rank High Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the high school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Graduation Rate
40%
The most direct outcome measure available at the school level. Percentage of students who complete high school, from EDFacts federal data.
Neighborhood Opportunity
25%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score reflecting long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this neighbourhood.
Student-Teacher Ratio
20%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Normalised against national range.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
15%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
176
High Schools
778
Total Schools
88
#1 Score
62
Avg Score
Top Ranked High School
1
CDS Secondary
Score: 88/100
Compare Los Angeles Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), EDFacts (graduation rates), and the Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.