Schools can be ranked by academic achievements, sports records, state test scores, and college acceptance rates, but how about the size of the student body? The state of California is home to some of the largest high schools in the country, with some schools having over 4,000 students. More than two dozen of these schools surpass 3,000 students, and many more are upwards of 2,000.
Whether you’re an alumnus of one of these schools, thinking about where your own child might attend high school, or are simply fascinated by how massive some of these schools are, we’ve got you covered. Not including online high schools and adult education centers, we’re compiling the biggest high schools in the Golden State.
See the current top 10, find out if your school ranks, check out which schools are in the leading 75 for student body size, and learn how to search for digital California high school yearbooks on Classmates®.
Key Takeaways
| – Massive Student Bodies: California is home to some of the most populated secondary schools in the U.S., with the top 29 schools each enrolling over 3,000 students. – The Top Seed: Granada Hills Charter in Los Angeles holds the title of the largest high school in the state, with an enrollment of 4,614 students for the 2024-25 academic year. – Leading Regions: Southern California dominates the list, particularly the Inland Empire and Los Angeles County. Cities like Downey, Long Beach, and Rancho Cucamonga host multiple schools in the top 15. – Academic & Athletic Excellence: Despite their size, many of these “mega-schools” rank highly for college readiness. For example, Long Beach Poly has a higher UC admission rate than any other CA high school and has produced over 60 NFL players. – Diverse Populations: Many of the state’s largest schools, such as Pittsburg High and Warren High, serve student bodies where over 90% of students are racial minorities or from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. |
The Top 10 Largest High Schools in California
If you went to a small or even average-sized high school, you might be surprised by how incredibly big some of them are—many are even bigger than private colleges.
So, what are the biggest high schools in California? These are the top 10 based on enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the 2024-25 academic year:
- Granada Hills Charter in Los Angeles, California
- Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale, California
- Downey High School in Downey, California
- Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California
- Warren High School in Downey, California
- Santiago High School in Corona, California
- Beaumont High School in Beaumont, California
- Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California
- Millikan High School in Long Beach, California
- Pittsburg High School in Pittsburg, California
Keep scrolling to discover exactly how many students go to these schools, see the student-to-teacher ratios, and find out what makes each unique.
#10 Pittsburg High School
Student population: 3,403
Student-to-teacher ratio: 21.53:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 13,716
With just over 3,400 students, Pittsburg High School ranks as the tenth largest of the top high schools in California. It has a decent student-to-teacher ratio of about 22 to 1. This school is one of two high schools in the Pittsburg Unified School District. A vast majority of students are racial minorities or economically disadvantaged, and nearly half participate in AP (advanced placement) courses.
Clotee Pridgen Alloc…, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
#9 Millikan High School
Student population: 3,408
Student-to-teacher ratio: 25.12:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 27,448
Named after Nobel Prize winner in physics Robert Andrews Millikan, Robert A. Millikan Senior High School sits on a 36-acre campus in Long Beach, California. It’s ranked 376th in the state for curriculum, state testing, and academic performance. As for the student body population, it’s the ninth-largest. The high school offers a wide range of sports beyond the usuals, including badminton, water polo, dance, golf, and surfing. In 2018, the Millikan Rams celebrated the first year a girl player scored a point for the varsity football team.
#8 Etiwanda High School
Student population: 3,446
Student-to-teacher ratio: 25.37:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 9,253
Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, has a student population of nearly 3,500. It ranks as 303rd in the state based on college readiness, curriculum, state testing, and graduation rates. The high school focuses intently on student achievement, with AP coursework opportunities and a mission statement declaring, “All Etiwanda students will graduate ready for college and career.”
#7 Beaumont High School
Student population: 3,460
Student-to-teacher ratio: 24.8:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 7,597
Nestled between the San Jacinto and San Bernardino mountain ranges, Beaumont High School is one of four high schools in Riverside County’s Beaumont Unified School District. The student body is just under 3,500, and roughly three-quarters of the students are racial minorities. This high school has a robust athletics department that prides itself on inclusion and fairness, with many sports teams available for boys and girls, including flag football and wrestling. Beaumont’s Athletics Hall of Fame launched in 2025 to honor legacy teams and athletes.
Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
#6 Santiago High School
Student population: 3,577
Student-to-teacher ratio: 25.3:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 5,537
Santiago High School in Corona, California, is the sixth-largest, with almost 3,600 students among a diverse student body. It ranks 234th in California based on state testing, curriculum offerings, college readiness, and graduation rates. The school has an acclaimed performing arts department, including an award-winning instrumental music program called the BOSS—short for Bands and Orchestras of Santiago Sharks.
#5 Warren High School
Student population: 3,609
Student-to-teacher ratio: 24.36:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 19,766
Earl Warren High School in Downey, California, has over 3,600 students. It was named after Earl Warren, California’s 30th governor, who went on to become a United States Supreme Court justice. Roughly 96% of the student body are racial minorities. With a wide-ranging athletics department, AP courses, arts programs, and career training, the school prides itself on inclusion, community involvement, and academic success.
#4 Long Beach Polytechnic High School
Student population: 3,890
Student-to-teacher ratio: 23.31:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 28,688
Long Beach Polytechnic High School (or simply Long Beach Poly) opened over 130 years ago. Beyond a student body of close to 3,900 and a better-than-average student-to-teacher ratio of about 23 to 1, the school stands out for its extracurricular, academic, and athletic offerings. This includes multiple magnet programs with a higher admissions rate to the University of California than any other high school in the state. Poly’s music program won six Grammy Awards, and upwards of 60 alumni have joined the NFL.
#3 Downey High School
Student population: 4,051
Student-to-teacher ratio: 23.85:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 25,149
Downey High School in Downey, California, opened its doors in 1901, and its first graduating class in 1904 included only four students who earned diplomas. This might be hard to believe, considering the school now has a student population of over 4,000 and boasts a 96% graduation rate. Downey High offers AP classes, college-prep programs, and career technical education, along with a long list of sports teams.
#2 Eleanor Roosevelt High School
Student population: 4,353
Student-to-teacher ratio: 25.68:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 1,159
Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Eastvale is a newer California school that opened in 2006. As the second-largest in the state, it has a student population of over 4,300. It has high rankings for state testing, college readiness, and graduation rates, at 205th in the state and 1,483rd nationally. This high school offers many extracurriculars and academic programs, including Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), AP courses, career skills training, and the Eastvale STEM Academy.
#1 Granada Hills Charter
Student population: 4,614
Student-to-teacher ratio: 24.69:1
Number of alumni on Classmates: 23,972
The biggest California high school is Granada Hills Charter, located in the San Fernando Valley’s Granada Hills neighborhood. It’s part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Student enrollment is around 4,000, and the student-to-teacher ratio is about 25 to 1. It has excellent curriculum and college-readiness rankings, placing 114th within California and 880th for the entire U.S. The high school opened in 1960. After more than six decades, there are nearly 24,000 alumni on Classmates.
jcjusay, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
75 Biggest California High Schools
Including the 10 largest California high schools, a total of 29 in the state have more than 3,000 students, and the biggest 75 all enroll over 2,500.
What cities are California’s largest schools in? The biggest overall, Granada Hills Charter, is in Los Angeles. Two of the top 10 are in Downey, and three of the top 12 are in Long Beach. Three of the largest 50 schools are located in Rancho Cucamonga, and a few more are in or near San Bernardino.
See if your school made the list of the largest 75 high schools in California.
| Ranking | High School | Location | Student Population (’24/’25) | Student-to-Teacher Ratio | Alumni on Classmates |
| 1 | Granada Hills Charter | Los Angeles, CA | 4,614 | 24.69:1 | 23,972 |
| 2 | Eleanor Roosevelt High School | Eastvale, CA | 4,353 | 25.68:1 | 1,159 |
| 3 | Downey High School | Downey, CA | 4,051 | 23.85:1 | 25,149 |
| 4 | Long Beach Polytechnic High School | Long Beach, CA | 3,890 | 23.31:1 | 28,688 |
| 5 | Warren High School | Downey, CA | 3,609 | 24.36:1 | 19,766 |
| 6 | Santiago High School | Corona, CA | 3,577 | 25.3:1 | 5,537 |
| 7 | Beaumont High School | Beaumont, CA | 3,460 | 24.8:1 | 7,597 |
| 8 | Etiwanda High School | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 3,446 | 25.37:1 | 9,253 |
| 9 | Millikan High School | Long Beach, CA | 3,408 | 5.12:1 | 27,448 |
| 10 | Pittsburg High School | Pittsburg, CA | 3,403 | 21.53:1 | 13,716 |
| 11 | Paramount High School | Paramount, CA | 3,400 | 19.29:1 | 23,293 |
| 12 | Woodrow Wilson High School | Long Beach, CA | 3,349 | 22.81:1 | 16,136 |
| 13 | Vista Murrieta High School | Murrieta, CA | 3,328 | 22.84:1 | 2,018 |
| 14 | Hollister High School | Hollister, CA | 3,315 | 23.09:1 | 2,817 |
| 15 | Rancho Cucamonga High School | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 3,221 | 25.11:1 | 6,753 |
| 16 | Berkeley High School | Berkeley, CA | 3,218 | 18.43:1 | 21,818 |
| 17 | Quartz Hill High School | Quartz Hill, CA | 3,175 | 27.68:1 | 15,426 |
| 18 | Fountain Valley High School | Fountain Valley, CA | 3,171 | 27.34:1 | 18,617 |
| 19 | Birmingham Community High School | Van Nuys, CA | 3,162 | 22.61:1 | 22,244 |
| 20 | Santa Maria High School | Santa Maria, CA | 3,143 | 21.9:1 | 17,870 |
| 21 | Chaparral High School | Temecula, CA | 3,136 | 26.28:1 | 3,355 |
| 22 | Chaffey High School | Ontario, CA | 3,127 | 23.38:1 | 26,523 |
| 23 | Clovis East High School | Clovis, CA | 3,113 | 23.59:1 | 2,921 |
| 24 | James Logan High School | Union City, CA | 3,096 | 24.01:1 | 18,042 |
| 25 | Pioneer Valley High School | Santa Maria, CA | 3,080 | 22.08:1 | 1,781 |
| 26 | Bakersfield High School | Bakersfield, CA | 3,069 | 25.64:1 | 22,964 |
| 27 | San Marcos High School | San Marcos, CA | 3,067 | 25.32 | 10,345 |
| 28 | El Camino Real Charter High School | Woodland Hills, CA | 3,046 | 26.11:1 | 17,711 |
| 29 | Dougherty Valley High School | San Ramon, CA | 3,039 | 24.77:1 | 632 |
| 30 | Great Oak High School | Temecula, CA | 2,946 | 25.02:1 | 1,614 |
| 31 | Arcadia High School | Arcadia, CA | 2,939 | 24.73:1 | 19,452 |
| 32 | Milpitas High School | Milpitas, CA | 2,926 | 21.45:1 | 12,791 |
| 33 | Redondo Union High School | Redondo Beach, CA | 2,921 | 25.39:1 | 15,978 |
| 34 | Palisades Charter High School | Pacific Palisades, CA | 2,920 | 24.52:1 | 13,324 |
| 35 | Los Alamitos High School | Los Alamitos, CA | 2,915 | 25.02:1 | 20,847 |
| 36 | Folsom High School | Folsom, CA | 2,901 | 24.66:1 | 8,819 |
| 37 | California High School | San Ramon, CA | 2,894 | 24.81:1 | 7,586 |
| 38 | Castro Valley High School | Castro Valley, CA | 2,874 | 23.59 | 13,945 |
| 39 | Sunnyside High School | Fresno, CA | 2,858 | 21.3:1 | 3,937 |
| 40 | Liberty Union High School | Brentwood, CA | 2,836 | 21.59:1 | 9,752 |
| 41 | Lincoln High School | Stockton, CA | 2,801 | 20.88:1 | 11,959 |
| 42 | Upland High School | Upland, CA | 2,797 | 22.36:1 | 19,731 |
| 43 | Clovis High School | Clovis, CA | 2,779 | 19.64:1 | 18,221 |
| 44 | Arnold O. Beckman High School | Irvine, CA | 2,776 | 26.39:1 | 1,122 |
| 45 | Dublin High School | Dublin, CA | 2,771 | 24.8:1 | 7,638 |
| 46 | Los Osos High School | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | 2,759 | 25.76:1 | 2,714 |
| 47 | Yucaipa High School | Yucaipa, CA | 2,755 | 24.22:1 | 12,699 |
| 48 | Mission Hills High School | San Marcos, CA | 2,751 | 24.75:1 | 2,007 |
| 49 | Chino Hills High School | Chino Hills, CA | 2,748 | 26.48:1 | 2,332 |
| 50 | Cajon High School | San Bernardino, CA | 2,748 | 24.62:1 | 14,899 |
| 51 | Calexico High School | Calexico, CA | 2,746 | 22.29:1 | 12,013 |
| 52 | Alisal High School | Salinas, CA | 2,742 | 22.94:1 | 12,083 |
| 53 | Temecula Valley High School | Temecula, CA | 2,739 | 23.49:1 | 7,979 |
| 54 | San Clemente High School | San Clemente, CA | 2,735 | 23.61:1 | 13,407 |
| 55 | Summit High School | Fontana, CA | 2,725 | 24.58:1 | 1,144 |
| 56 | Grover Cleveland High School | Reseda, CA | 2,719 | 22.57:1 | 18,788 |
| 57 | Centennial High School | Corona, CA | 2,712 | 24.42:1 | 6,938 |
| 58 | Highland High School | Palmdale, CA | 2,706 | 25.23:1 | 7,445 |
| 59 | Evergreen Valley High School | San Jose, CA | 2,703 | 24.97:1 | 1,610 |
| 60 | Valley View High School | Moreno Valley, CA | 2,699 | 21.76:1 | 7,095 |
| 61 | Martin Luther King Jr. High School | Riverside, CA | 2,699 | 24.05:1 | 2,691 |
| 62 | Portola High School | Irvine, CA | 2,693 | 26.36:1 | 2,140 |
| 63 | Arroyo Valley High School | San Bernardino, CA | 2,692 | 24.1:1 | 4,044 |
| 64 | Lancaster High School | Lancaster, CA | 2,688 | 25.11:1 | 5,488 |
| 65 | Cypress High School | Cypress, CA | 2,685 | 26.84:1 | 12,555 |
| 66 | Pacifica High School | Oxnard, CA | 2,675 | 23.82:1 | 3,535 |
| 67 | Anaheim High School | Anaheim, CA | 2,667 | 23.44:1 | 22,323 |
| 68 | Arvin High School | Arvin, CA | 2,653 | 25.86:1 | 12,377 |
| 69 | Franklin High School | Elk Grove, CA | 2,650 | 23.56:1 | 1,806 |
| 70 | Huntington Beach High School | Huntington Beach, CA | 2,645 | 23.36:1 | 18,398 |
| 71 | San Juan Hills High School | San Juan Capistrano, CA | 2,639 | 23.24:1 | 470 |
| 72 | Eastside High School | Lancaster, CA | 2,631 | 25.11:1 | 1,518 |
| 73 | Crescenta Valley High School | La Crescenta, CA | 2,624 | 23.29:1 | 13,601 |
| 74 | Rialto High School | Rialto, CA | 2,623 | 22.92:1 | 8,214 |
| 75 | American High School | Fremont, CA | 2,618 | 25.23:1 | 9,824 |
Find Alumni From the Biggest High Schools in CA on Classmates
Here’s how to find alumni from the largest California high schools (or your own alma mater, whatever the size):
- Start on the Classmates California yearbook page.
- Select the first letter of the city where your high school is located.
- Select the city name.
- Click on the first letter of the name of your high school.
- Select your high school from the list.
- Click on the decade you graduated high school.
- Start exploring yearbooks from your high school.
- Register on Classmates to search more digital yearbooks.
Search Yearbooks From the Largest Schools in CA
With Classmates, you can browse California yearbooks, search for your old schoolmates, see what other alumni are registered, explore old photos, get info about high school reunions, revisit your school’s history, and take a trip down memory lane.
No matter how big (or small), the school there’s a good chance Classmates has digital yearbooks and registered alumni from your school. Get started today.
Related High School Blogs
- ‘90s High School Experience
- A Look at 1980s High School
- High School in the ‘70s
- A History of Varsity Jackets
- The 1950s High School Experience
- Which Illinois High Schools Are the Largest?
- Remember Those Typing Classes From High School?
- Famous High School Celeb Duos
Sources:
- https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/elsi/tableGenerator.aspx
- https://phs.pittsburgusd.net/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/pittsburg-unified-school-district/pittsburg-senior-high-school-3034
- https://millikan.lbschools.net/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/long-beach-unified-school-district/millikan-high-school-2493
- https://ehs.cjuhsd.net/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/chaffey-joint-union-high-school-district/etiwanda-high-school-1941
- https://bhs.beaumontusd.us/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/beaumont-unified-school-district/beaumont-senior-high-school-1821
- https://www.beaumontathletics.com/athletic-department-philosophy
- https://santiago.cnusd.k12.ca.us/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/corona-norco-unified-school-district/santiago-high-school-2020
- https://bandsofsantiagosharks.org/
- https://web.dusd.net/warren/our-school/
- https://poly.lbschools.net/
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080422210639/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-04-21-draft-database-cover_N.htm
- https://web.dusd.net/downey/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/downey-unified-school-district/downey-high-school-2071
- https://roosevelt.cnusd.k12.ca.us/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/corona-norco-unified-school-district/eleanor-roosevelt-high-school-2023
- https://www.ghctk12.com/
- https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/california/districts/granada-hills-charter-high-district/granada-hills-charter-high-school-2542
All product names, logos, brands, trademarks, and copyrights are property of their respective owners.
