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Best High Schools in San Jose, CA (2025-26)
Every ranked high school in San Jose, CA, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
San Jose, CA rankings: High Schools · Middle Schools · Elementary Schools
San Jose, CA high schools ranked
| Rank | Grade | School | City | District | Actual | Projected | Impact | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | A+ | Lynbrook High | San Jose | Fremont Union High | 90% | 83% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 1,741 |
| #2 | A+ | Leland High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 78% | 79% | Exceeds Expectations | 1,593 |
| #3 | A+ | Evergreen Valley High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 72% | 74% | Exceeds Expectations | 2,767 |
| #4 | A+ | University Preparatory Academy Charter (Charter) | San Jose | University Preparatory Academy Charter District | 66% | 65% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 713 |
| #5 | A+ | Branham High | San Jose | Campbell Union High | 65% | 72% | Meets Expectations | 1,990 |
| #6 | A+ | Leigh High | San Jose | Campbell Union High | 65% | 80% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,812 |
| #7 | A+ | Piedmont Hills High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 64% | 68% | Exceeds Expectations | 1,925 |
| #8 | A | Kipp San Jose Collegiate (Charter) | San Jose | KIPP San Jose Collegiate District | 64% | 51% | Greatly Exceeds Expectations | 516 |
| #9 | A | Santa Teresa High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 60% | 68% | Meets Expectations | 2,196 |
| #10 | A | Pioneer High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 58% | 68% | Meets Expectations | 1,514 |
| #11 | A | Summit Public School Tahoma (Charter) | San Jose | Summit Public School: Tahoma District | 56% | 62% | Exceeds Expectations | 314 |
| #12 | A- | Silver Creek High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 53% | 64% | Meets Expectations | 2,315 |
| #13 | A- | Kathleen Macdonald High | San Jose | 50% | 63% | Meets Expectations | 209 | |
| #14 | B+ | Independence High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 46% | 58% | Meets Expectations | 2,517 |
| #15 | B | Willow Glen High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 40% | 62% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,656 |
| #16 | B | Kipp Navigate College Prep (Charter) | San Jose | KIPP Navigate College Prep District | 39% | 50% | Meets Expectations | 338 |
| #17 | B | Yerba Buena High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 38% | 54% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,724 |
| #18 | B | Del Mar High | San Jose | Campbell Union High | 37% | 43% | Exceeds Expectations | 1,293 |
| #19 | B- | Abraham Lincoln High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 33% | 46% | Meets Expectations | 1,693 |
| #20 | B- | Oak Grove High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 33% | 56% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,522 |
| #21 | C+ | Andrew P Hill High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 30% | 51% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,715 |
| #22 | C | San Jose High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 28% | 36% | Meets Expectations | 934 |
| #23 | C | Mt Pleasant High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 27% | 57% | Underperforms Expectations | 1,209 |
| #24 | C | William C Overfelt High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 26% | 43% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 1,349 |
| #25 | C | Ace Charter High (Charter) | San Jose | ACE Charter High District | 25% | 34% | Meets Expectations | 370 |
| #26 | C- | Downtown College Preparatory (Charter) | San Jose | Downtown College Preparatory District | 24% | 31% | Meets Expectations | 495 |
| #27 | C- | Gunderson High | San Jose | San Jose Unified | 24% | 48% | Underperforms Expectations | 921 |
| #28 | C- | Latino College Preparatory Academy (Charter) | San Jose | Latino College Preparatory Academy District | 24% | 61% | Underperforms Expectations | 408 |
| #29 | C- | Luis Valdez Leadership Academy (Charter) | San Jose | Luis Valdez Leadership Academy District | 21% | 56% | Underperforms Expectations | 270 |
| #30 | D+ | Downtown College Prep Alum Rock (Charter) | San Jose | Downtown College Prep - Alum Rock District | 19% | 28% | Meets Expectations | 529 |
| #31 | D+ | James Lick High | San Jose | East Side Union High | 19% | 47% | Underperforms Expectations | 887 |
| #32 | D | B Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy (Charter) | San Jose | B. Roberto Cruz Leadership Academy District | 11% | 54% | Underperforms Expectations | 264 |
| #33 | D | Alpha Cindy Avitia High (Charter) | San Jose | Alpha Cindy Avitia High District | 10% | 36% | Underperforms Expectations | 455 |
| #34 | D- | Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning (Charter, K-12) | San Jose | Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning District | 8% | 23% | Doesn't Meet Expectations | 391 |
| #35 | D- | Opportunity Youth Academy (Charter) | San Jose | Santa Clara County Office of Education | 7% | 45% | Underperforms Expectations | 337 |
How San Jose, CA's high schools compare
A: 13B: 7C: 9D: 6
57% of the 35 ranked high schools in San Jose, CA earn an A or B (13 A grades, 7 B, 9 C, 6 D, 0 F), against 50% of high schools nationwide. 20 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (57% here, 74% nationally), and 8 exceed it. On average 40% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 55% (national averages: 44% actual, 41% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: Kipp San Jose Collegiate (64% against 51%, A).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 10): East Side Union High (3), San Jose Unified (2), Campbell Union High (2).
The largest ranked high schools: Evergreen Valley High (2,767 students, A+, #3), Independence High (2,517 students, B+, #14), Silver Creek High (2,315 students, A-, #12).
Of the top 25, 0 are magnet schools and 5 are charters. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
High schools in San Jose, CA that are not ranked
14 graded high schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Special-purpose schools (11)
Alternative, special-education and vocational schools serve a different mission and a different student body, so they are graded but not ranked against regular schools.
- D Apollo High, San Jose
- D- Boynton High, San Jose
- F Broadway High, San Jose
- D- Calero High, San Jose
- F Foothill High, San Jose
- D Liberty Alternative, San Jose
- D- Pegasus High, San Jose
- F Phoenix High, San Jose
- D+ Santa Clara County Community, San Jose
- F Santa Clara County Court, San Jose
- F Santa Clara County Special Education, San Jose
Not yet graded (3)
Our source data has no school-level proficiency results for these schools, so they carry no SchoolGrade yet.
- Escuela Popularcenter For Training And Careers Family Lrng, San Jose
- Middle College High, San Jose
- San Jose Conservation Corps Charter, San Jose
About this ranking
- Scope: public high schools in San Jose, CA, as grouped on its schools page; the California ranking covers the whole state.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the high schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about high schools in San Jose, CA
What is the best high school in San Jose, CA?
Lynbrook High in San Jose ranks first among the 35 ranked high schools in San Jose, CA with a SchoolGrade of A+, 90% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 83%.
How are high schools in San Jose, CA ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many high schools does San Jose, CA have?
SchoolGrade grades 49 public high schools in San Jose, CA; 35 are ranked here and 14 are listed as not ranked.