A North Hollywood magnet school is the top-ranked public high school in California and No. 10 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report's 2026–2027 Best High Schools rankings released Tuesday, Aug. 18.

Science Academy STEM Magnet, a 545-student school serving grades 6 through 12 on Vineland Avenue, earned the state's top spot out of roughly 18,000 ranked schools nationwide. It is the only California school in the national top 10.

A second LAUSD campus, Dr. Richard A. Vladovic Harbor Teacher Preparation Academy in Wilmington, landed at No. 4 in California and No. 24 nationally, giving the district two schools in the top 25.

"These rankings reflect the talent, dedication, and hard work of our students, teachers, and school communities," Superintendent Andrés E. Chait said in the district's announcement Monday, Aug. 17. He added that both schools show what's possible when students get access to specialized, high-quality academic programs.

Every 12th grader at Science Academy took at least one Advanced Placement exam, and every one of them scored a 3 or higher. The school opened in 2016 and has an enrollment of 226 in its high school grades alone.

Harbor Teacher Prep posts similarly strong AP participation with a student body that is 98% minority and roughly 65% economically disadvantaged. The school, at 1111 Figueroa Place, prepares students for careers in education.

U.S. News evaluated about 27,000 eligible public high schools using six indicators: state assessment scores, graduation rates, college readiness, AP and IB exam participation and performance, curriculum breadth and student outcomes. The data comes from the 2023–2024 school year, and the rankings were developed with research firm RTI International.

Nationally, Central Magnet School in Tennessee took the No. 1 spot, followed by Signature School in Indiana and Julia R. Masterman Secondary School in Pennsylvania. Charter schools claimed 23% of the top 100 spots. Science Academy is not a charter.

Board Member Kelly Gonez, whose district includes Science Academy, praised the school's rigorous STEM instruction and the dedication of its educators. Board Member Tanya Ortiz Franklin, who represents Board District 7, called Harbor Teacher Prep's result "an incredible achievement" reflecting the teamwork of students, staff and families.

The recognition arrives as LAUSD reports broader academic gains. Preliminary 2026 Smarter Balanced Assessment results, announced at the district's July 21 Opening of Schools address, show the district on track for record achievement in English Language Arts, math and science for a second straight year.