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A new report indicates three Southern California schools were ranked as some of the highest for the nation's top high schools.
The U.S. News and World Report Best High Schools list includes data on about 24,000 public high schools across 50 states and Washington D.C.
The ranking, which is based on a number of factors including performance on state assessments and college readiness, shows the strengths of each school. Enrollment did not appear to play a large factor in determining which schools took which ranking.
Below are the three Southern California public high schools in the rankings.
Whitney High School -- Rank: No. 1 in California, 14th overall nationwide
Located in Cerritos, the Gretchen Whitney High School is the top California high school in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. It earned its high ranking due to a variety of honor and advanced placement courses that include computer science, physics and foreign language. Admission to the grades 7-12 school is very selective. Parent involvement at the school is also a noted factor.
California Academy of Mathematics and Science -- Rank: No. 2 in California, 15th overall nationwide
The public magnet school in Carson focuses on science and mathematics. Advanced placement coursework, exam opportunities, and an AP participation rate of 100 percent are some of the reasons the school ranked so high on the list.
Oxford Academy -- Rank: No. 3 in California, 16th overall nationwide
Oxford Academy in Cypress offers an intensive honors curriculum and requires a remarkable minimum of four advanced placement courses to graduate.
The number one high school in the United States according to the list is in Virginia: the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology.