Best High Schools in San Francisco, CA

This analysis examines 26 high schools serving grades 9-12 in San Francisco, California, revealing a landscape of extreme contrasts where world-class institutions exist alongside schools facing severe challenges.

The top-performing schools, such as Lowell High and Asawa (Ruth) SF School of the Arts, achieve exceptional academic proficiency and graduation rates, while others like Downtown High and S.F. County Opportunity (Hilltop) struggle with very low test scores and high dropout rates. Specialized or selective schools generally outperform comprehensive neighborhood schools, and there is no clear link between school size and success.

Key findings include a troubling epidemic of chronic absenteeism in many schools, which strongly correlates with poor outcomes, and a surprising inverse relationship where some of the highest per-student spending occurs at schools with the weakest results. The overall San Francisco Unified district graduation rate is significantly below the state average, though individual school performance varies widely, indicating that factors beyond funding, such as attendance and school culture, are critical for student success.