The following table lists the top 50 California high schools in 1996. The Rank column shows the school's 95 ranking as the first number and the 96 ranking as the second. For example, San Marino High School was ninth in 95, fifth in 96. Its cumulative SAT average was 1087 in 95, and 1203 in 96. The last column shows the number of students tested and class size for 1996 only.
Schools that are highlighted increased their SAT scores by at least 100 points. In 1996, the SAT was recalibrated to make 1000 the average SAT score as opposed to 900. Any school on this list that is not highlighted, saw its composite SAT slip between 1995 and 1996.
Thanks to Jim Gong at jimg@hpoetc32.sj.hp.com for building the table.
| Rank | NAME | Verbal | Math | Combined | CA-% | # Tested/Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/1 | WHITNEY HIGH (CERRITOS) | 568/664 | 665/692 | 1233/1356 | 100/100 | 163/167 |
| 2/2 | GUNN (HENRY M.) HIGH | 515/597 | 623/636 | 1138/1233 | 92.3/90.9 | 233/257 |
| 3/3 | PALO ALTO HIGH | 528/597 | 609/621 | 1137/1218 | 92.2/89.8 | 245/262 |
| 4/4 | SARATOGA HIGH | 514/584 | 602/631 | 1116/1215 | 90.5/89.6 | 195/214 |
| 9/5 | SAN MARINO HIGH (LA) | 463/552 | 624/651 | 1087/1203 | 88.1/88.7 | 222/251 |
| 7/6 | LYNBROOK HIGH | 492/569 | 611/629 | 1103/1198 | 89.4/88.3 | 222/297 |
| 14/7 | LOWELL HIGH (SF) | 484/577 | 593/616 | 1077/1193 | 87.3/88.0 | 553/573 |
| 5/8 | PIEDMONT HIGH | 518/578 | 595/607 | 1113/1185 | 90.2/87.4 | 136/155 |
| 15/9 | ACALANES HIGH (LAFAYETTE) | 508/586 | 564/596 | 1072/1182 | 86.9/87.2 | 206/261 |
| 6/10 | MONTA VISTA HIGH | 483/551 | 628/630 | 1111/1181 | 90.1/87.1 | 348/427 |
| 13/11 | CAMPOLINDO HIGH (MORAGA) | 500/580 | 578/598 | 1078/1178 | 87.4/86.9 | 160/192 |
| 10/12 | MIRAMONTE HIGH (ORINDA) | 504/577 | 583/600 | 1087/1177 | 88.1/86.8 | 190/217 |
| 8/12 | UNIVERSITY HIGH (IRVINE) | 486/565 | 606/612 | 1092/1177 | 88.5/86.8 | 362/471 |
| 28/14 | MISSION SAN JOSE (FREMONT) | 463/566 | 575/608 | 1038/1174 | 84.1/86.6 | 319/411 |
| 21/15 | LOS GATOS HIGH | 497/573 | 561/594 | 1048/1167 | 85.0/86.1 | 244/356 |
| 11/15 | LA CANADA HIGH | 489/562 | 595/605 | 1084/1167 | 87.9/86.1 | 232/280 |
| 24/17 | DOS PUEBLOS (SANTA BARBARA) | 472/566 | 572/597 | 1044/1163 | 84.6/85.8 | 126/314 |
| 87/18 | CUPERTINO HIGH | 440/551 | 554/607 | 994/1158 | 80.6/85.4 | 130/305 |
| 12/19 | PALOS VERDES HIGH | 484/549 | 599/603 | 1083/1152 | 87.8/85.0 | 554/639 |
| 36/20 | CORONA DEL MAR (NEWPORT) | 471/559 | 557/589 | 1028/1148 | 83.3/84.7 | 200/254 |
| 19/21 | DAVIS SENIOR HIGH | 490/562 | 569/585 | 1059/1147 | 85.8/84.6 | 303/399 |
| 44/22 | FOOTHILL HIGH (SANTA ANA) | 465/554 | 553/590 | 1018/1144 | 82.5/84.4 | 228/372 |
| 68/23 | TROY HIGH (ORANGE) | 454/550 | 550/590 | 1004/1140 | 81.4/84.1 | 168/329 |
| 23/24 | SUNNY HILLS HIGH (ORANGE) | 462/535 | 584/602 | 1046/1137 | 84.8/83.8 | 354/442 |
| 31/25 | HOMESTEAD HIGH | 463/534 | 572/599 | 1035/1133 | 83.9/83.6 | 249/380 |
| 26/25 | LELAND HIGH | 466/546 | 575/587 | 1041/1133 | 84.4/83.6 | 275/393 |
| 16/25 | LOS ALTOS HIGH | 488/552 | 581/581 | 1069/1133 | 86.7/83.6 | 181/278 |
| 17/28 | TORREY PINES HIGH (DEL MAR) | 489/554 | 577/578 | 1066/1132 | 86.4/83.5 | 380/423 |
| 32/29 | MOUNTAIN VIEW | 476/541 | 559/590 | 1035/1131 | 83.9/83.4 | 181/277 |
| 29/29 | LAGUNA HILLS HIGH | 473/546 | 565/585 | 1038/1131 | 84.2/83.4 | 240/342 |
| 27/29 | LA JOLLA SENIOR | 486/564 | 554/567 | 1040/1131 | 84.3/83.4 | 281/348 |
| 240/32 | SWETT (JOHN) HIGH (C.C.) | 429/568 | 498/561 | 927/1129 | 75.2/83.3 | 21/105 |
| 40/33 | MONTE VISTA (DANVILLE) | 473/554 | 549/574 | 1022/1128 | 82.8/83.2 | 341/422 |
| 66/34 | DANA HILLS HIGH | 466/556 | 539/569 | 1005/1125 | 81.5/83.0 | 214/469 |
| 33/34 | SAN LUIS OBISPO HIGH | 485/560 | 550/565 | 1035/1125 | 83.9/83.0 | 138/268 |
| 18/34 | NORTHGATE HIGH | 495/554 | 570/571 | 1065/1125 | 86.3/83.0 | 267/350 |
| 147/37 | CARMEL HIGH | 454/562 | 511/560 | 965/1122 | 78.3/82.7 | 93/144 |
| 39/38 | RIO AMERICANO HIGH | 477/549 | 546/572 | 1023/1121 | 82.9/82.7 | 215/352 |
| 65/39 | EL DORADO HIGH | 460/555 | 545/565 | 1005/1120 | 81.5/82.6 | 128/355 |
| 34/39 | ARCADIA SENIOR HIGH | 440/519 | 591/601 | 1031/1120 | 83.6/82.6 | 555/790 |
| 30/41 | SOUTH PASADENA SENIOR HIGH | 464/530 | 572/587 | 1036/1117 | 84.0/82.4 | 229/310 |
| 22/41 | REDWOOD HIGH (MARIN) | 477/547 | 570/570 | 1047/1117 | 84.9/82.4 | 187/232 |
| 45/43 | CALABASAS HIGH (LA) | 472/550 | 544/566 | 1016/1116 | 82.4/82.3 | 237/305 |
| 103/44 | SANTA MONICA HIGH | 447/540 | 538/572 | 985/1112 | 79.9/82.0 | 269/587 |
| 54/45 | IRVINE HIGH | 444/533 | 565/578 | 1009/1111 | 81.8/81.9 | 326/524 |
| 110/46 | UKIAH HIGH | 457/546 | 526/564 | 983/1110 | 79.7/81.9 | 122/349 |
| 106/46 | MORRO BAY HIGH | 464/558 | 521/552 | 985/1110 | 79.9/81.9 | 64/196 |
| 61/46 | CORONADO HIGH | 464/547 | 541/563 | 1005/1110 | 81.5/81.9 | 113/159 |
| 200/49 | JULIAN HIGH (SAN DIEGO) | 452/546 | 489/563 | 941/1109 | 76.3/81.8 | 21/49 |
| 141/49 | GRANADA HIGH (ALAMEDA) | 438/540 | 531/569 | 969/1109 | 78.6/81.8 | 117/296 |
