Best Public School: Mira Costa High School
Though Mira Costa was most recently ranked the 69th best school in the state and the 346th best in the country by U.S. News & World Report, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that we have one of the nation’s top public high schools in our back yard. So, here’s a bit of food for thought: Last year, Costa boasted a school-wide average GPA of 3.5, and sent nearly 80 percent of its outgoing students to college after graduation. Moreover, Costa’s students blow away statewide averages for passing the California High School Exit Exam, with pass rates 60 percent higher than average, giving Costa an argument to be placed as the crown jewel of the South Bay’s many excellent public schools. D.M.
Mira Costa High School, 1401 Artesia Blvd., Manhattan Beach, 310-318-7330, MiraCostaHigh.org.
Runner up: Redondo Union High School, 631 Vincent Park, Redondo Beach, 310-798-8665, RedondoUnion.org.