Best Public Schools in Torrance, CA

Torrance has 34 listed schools—20 elementary, eight middle and six high schools, including schools with alternative programs—and results are generally above California averages across the three main school levels. In 2025–26, school-level averages were 62% in elementary ELA and math and 53% in science; middle-school averages were 67% in ELA, 59% in math and 58% in science; comprehensive high schools averaged 79% in ELA, 56% in math and 54% in science. The clearest caution for families is that Torrance schools do not share one academic profile: elementary science scores, for example, ranged from 18% to 78%.

Several schools stand out within their grade bands. Towers Elementary led elementary ELA at 79%, Walteria Elementary led math at 82%, and Anza Elementary led science at 78%; Meyler Street Elementary was lowest in all three, including 18% in science. Among middle schools, Edward J. Richardson Middle led ELA and science, while Calle Mayor Middle led math. Among comprehensive high schools, North High led ELA and science and South High led math. SchoolDigger ranked Richardson and Calle Mayor in the 96th percentile statewide and Walteria and Towers in the 95th percentile for 2025–26.

Science results improved from 2024–25 to 2025–26: average scores rose about 3 points in elementary schools, 4 in middle schools and 5 in comprehensive high schools, while ELA and math advantages over California generally narrowed. North’s SchoolDigger ranking rose from the 89th percentile in 2023–24 to the 94th in 2025–26. Income measures are context, not explanations: 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligibility was 45% at North and 22% at South, though North led in ELA and science while South led in math. Shery is a continuation school with much lower results than comprehensive high schools, so the comparison is not like-for-like; Gene Drevno Community Day has suppressed ELA and math results that cannot be ranked.