Schools in Santa Monica-Malibu Unified · Los Angeles County

About schools in Los Angeles County

From the beach cities of Long Beach to the high desert communities of Palmdale and Lancaster, Los Angeles County's public school landscape spans nearly 1,300 square miles and encompasses 1,945 ranked schools across 82 districts — one of the largest and most varied educational ecosystems in the nation. Standout performers cluster in the southeast corridor: Whitney High in Cerritos and California Academy of Mathematics and Science in Carson both score at the 100th percentile statewide, while Renaissance Arts Academy serves students in Los Angeles proper at the same elite level. With 468 schools in the top quartile and 363 charter options, families here have genuine breadth to explore.