Public + private high schools, every state.
Browse by state: AKALARAZCACOCTDCDEFLGAGUHIIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMDMEMIMNMOMSMTNCNDNENHNJNMNVNYOHOKORPAPRRISCSDTNTXUTVAVIVTWAWIWVWY
3,464
high schools (public + private)
2,777
public (1,045 districts)
687
private (NCES PSS)
482,792
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

CA public HS enrollment trend

Across the 1,882,100 students enrolled in CA brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state contracted -3.1% by 2024 (1,823,211 students, -58,889 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 11.8% (214,649 of 1,823,211 students). Virtual / nonclassroom-based schools excluded.

State context · NAEP 2024

How does CA compare nationally?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only test given the same way to students in every state — making it the benchmark for state-to-state academic comparison. Below, this state's 8th-grade averages and where it sits on the 50-state distribution.

8th-grade math
269
-4 vs national avg (273)
8th-grade reading
256
-4 vs national avg (260)
national avg CA Math → Reading → 260 290 245 275

Each dot is one state's 2024 NAEP 8th-grade averages. CA is highlighted in gold. Dashed lines mark national averages — being upper-right of both = above national in both subjects. Source: NAEP State Snapshot Reports. NAEP doesn't produce per-school scores — this is state-level context.

Where the students are

Top 10 cities by public-HS enrollment

Los Angeles 152 HS 77,994
San Diego 60 HS 51,224
Sacramento 49 HS 48,489
San Jose 47 HS 40,835
Bakersfield 24 HS 38,709
Fresno 42 HS 35,855
Stockton 31 HS 23,794
San Francisco 27 HS 20,144
Riverside 22 HS 18,788
Santa Ana 19 HS 18,302

School-size distribution

Public, classroom-based · grades 9–12, latest year

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
Palmdale Academy Charter
Palmdale Elementary
264→989 +274.6%
Options For Youth - Duarte Inc
Options For Youth - Duarte Inc District
914→3,350 +266.5%
Kathleen MacDonald High
Santa Clara Unified
209→683 +226.8%
Highlands Community Charter
Highlands Community Charter District
3,751→11,713 +212.3%
Logan Memorial Educational Campus
San Diego Unified
193→543 +181.3%
Emerald High
Dublin Unified
346→900 +160.1%
Liberty High
Perris Union High
978→2,537 +159.4%
Legacy Magnet Academy
Tustin Unified
192→468 +143.8%
Twelve Bridges High
Western Placer Unified
566→1,317 +132.7%
California Innovative Career Academy
California Innovative Career Academy District
780→1,729 +121.7%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
City of Angels
Los Angeles Unified
4,220→896 -78.8%
Independence
Lodi Unified
369→127 -65.6%
Academy (The)- SF @McAteer
San Francisco Unified
347→123 -64.6%
Shasta Collegiate Academy
Shasta Union High
208→76 -63.5%
University Pathways Public Service Academy
Los Angeles Unified
309→121 -60.8%
LPS Oakland R & D Campus
LPS Oakland R & D Campus District
436→173 -60.3%
Aurora High (Continuation)
Calexico Unified
233→96 -58.8%
Santa Clarita Valley International
Santa Clarita Valley International District
247→103 -58.3%
Salisbury High (Continuation)
Red Bluff Joint Union High
233→104 -55.4%
Silver Springs High (Continuation)
Nevada Joint Union High
168→80 -52.4%

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