Best Private High Schools in California 2022

Some of the best private high schools in California also make it to the top US high school ranking.

Being the most populous state in America, it is obviously one state with a lot of high schools and students to match.

Also, California ranks as the 1st state in terms of student enrollment and 1st in terms of the total number of schools.

Also, it sits 51st for the student/teacher ratio and 37th for the percentage of students on free or reduced lunches.

Accompanying its many high schools, it is also home to some of the most popular destinations in the world.

Some of the best are Golden Gate Bridge, Disneyland, Hollywood and Silicon Valley are some of the popular California high schools.

What You Should Know About High Schools in California

Having a good feel of the generality among high schools across the state is a good way to channel your expectations.

Therefore, on that note, we’ve briefly pointed out some norms among high schools in California.

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Before graduating from a California high school, students are required to take 13 specific yearlong courses.

Of course, this includes three English classes, two math classes, and two science courses.

High Enrollment in Private High Schools in California

California is the most populous state in the U.S. and has the most school students.

To show, in the 2005-06 school year over 6.2 million students enrolled in high schools in California.

Thus, giving California one of the highest projected enrollments in the country.

With such a high population of students, private high schools, as well as public, try as best possible to serve such a number.

Number of Dropouts in California Private High Schools

One of the biggest problems in the California school system is the high level of high school dropouts, especially among minority students.

Approximately 22% of African Americans and Hispanic Californians are living in poverty.

However, only about 68% of students living below the poverty line usually graduate from high school.

In light of this, the state of California has in place the Dropout Recovery and Prevention Act (SB 65) as a governmental way of dealing with the high dropout rate in California.

Also, senate bill 65 initiated three new dropout prevention efforts: the Pupil Motivation and Maintenance Program, the Alternative Education Outreach Consultant (AEOC) Program, and the Educational Clinic Program.

Class size

Comparatively, the class size in California private high schools is reasonably larger.

However, the overall teacher-pupil ratio, California was also 49th, with 21 students per teacher.

Just Arizona and Utah have lower rates in the USA.

Nonetheless, we can attribute this to the sheer population of students.

Although the typical teacher-to-student ratio is estimated to average 12:1 in recent times.

Low NAEP Scores

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is an assessment that measures what U.S. students know and can do in various subjects across the nation, states, and in some urban districts.

Typically for a representative sample of 4th, 8th, and 12th graders.

For California’s children, they tend to score poorly on the NAEP tests.

However, the California school results have improved a lot over the long term.

But they are still pretty mediocre.

Scores on NAEP, though imperfect, enable researchers and policymakers to monitor the overall education system, comparing student achievement between years, states, grades, and student subgroups.

Acceptance Rates in California Private High Schools

By very keen estimates the average acceptance rate is 84%.

However, minority enrollment is 48% and 50% of schools are religiously affiliated (most commonly Roman Catholic and Christian).

Read Also: Best Private High Schools in Arizona

How Many Private High Schools are in California?

Out of 3,892 high schools in California, 730 are private.

However, 3,162 are public schools.

Additionally, California ranks as the 1st state in terms of student enrollment and 1st in terms of total number of schools, serving about 658,760 students.