Canyon Crest Academy in northern San Diego is the fifth best public high school in the state, according to rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.
The campus in the San Dieguito Union School District ranked 73rd nationally. The publication commended the school for having 93 percent of its nearly 1,900 students participating in Advanced Placement classes, and a college readiness index of 86.6.
The Preuss School at UC San Diego ranked ninth in California and 98th nationally. The students, almost entirely low-income minorities, had a college readiness index of 83.1.
The rankings were based on language and math proficiency tests; whether black, Hispanic and low-income students performed better than their peers in their states; and, for the first time, graduation rates.
"A high school education is imperative for success in both college and a career, and a school's graduation rate is a key indicator of whether students are being effectively prepared for both paths," said Anita Narayan, managing editor of education at U.S. News. "The 2016 Best High Schools rankings provide students and parents with data-driven information on public schools to help them make better-informed decisions about their education."
The college readiness index was based on the percentage of students who participated in advanced placement or international baccalaureate programs.
Among other area school rankings, the San Diego International Studies program at San Diego High School was 22nd in California and 191st in the nation; Westview High in Torrey Highland was 38th and 266th, respectively; Torrey Pines High in Carmel Valley, 43rd and 284th; Del Norte High in 4S Ranch, 50th and 334th; and La Jolla High, 54th and 355th.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas as tops in the U.S. for the fifth year in a row. The best in California was Whitney High of Cerritos, in southeastern Los Angeles County.
