Public + private high schools, every state.
3,450
high schools (public + private)
2,777
public (1,045 districts)
673
private (NCES PSS)
482,792
public grade‑12 students (seniors, latest year)

CA public HS enrollment trend

Across the 1,205,548 students enrolled in CA brick-and-mortar public high schools in 2021, the state contracted -3.1% by 2024 (1,168,260 students, -37,288 net). That's the demographic tide every individual school is fighting or riding.

Charter share of public HS enrollment (latest year): 13.7% (160,301 of 1,168,260 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 100 HS 52,493
Bakersfield 23 HS 36,782
Fresno 41 HS 35,746
Stockton 31 HS 23,794
Sacramento 32 HS 20,382
San Francisco 27 HS 20,144
Long Beach 14 HS 17,573
Chula Vista 15 HS 16,680
San Diego 21 HS 16,524
Santa Ana 16 HS 16,000

School-size distribution

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

Fastest-growing high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
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%
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%
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%
one.Charter
one.Charter District
673→1,351 +100.7%
Altus Schools Audeo
Altus Schools Audeo District
157→310 +97.5%
Justin Garza High
Central Unified
1,083→2,095 +93.4%
Fastest-shrinking high schools
public, classroom-based · grade 9–12 · 2021→2024
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%
Salisbury High (Continuation)
Red Bluff Joint Union High
233→104 -55.4%
Brenkwitz High
Hayward Unified
156→76 -51.3%
Educational Partnership High
Long Beach Unified
665→331 -50.2%
KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory
KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory District
393→196 -50.1%
Envision Academy for Arts & Technology
Envision Academy for Arts & Technology District
287→148 -48.4%
Valley Merced Community
Merced County Office of Education
172→90 -47.7%

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