Cerritos' High Schools Named Among Best in State, Nation

Cerritos area high schools have again been named among the top in the state and nation, in a new ranking released Tuesday.

Whitney High School came out in the top three of the state's high schools, placing third— and 27th nationally, according to U.S. News & World Report, who put the list together.  Already in the top ten statewide last year, the school has edged up from the number six slot in 2013.

It was classified as a "gold" tier educational institute, one of only 500 in the nation.

Cerritos High School also made the list, coming in as the 40th best public high school in the state.  It's considered #237 nationally, and is also "gold" level, according to the news publication.

Richard Gahr High School is ranked 259 in California, and 1,154 in the United States.  Tracy High did not rank.

"The 2013 Best High Schools rankings, released today, can help parents wade through the ever expanding options of public high schools," the report says of the rankings.

According to the publication, U.S. News collected data from more than 21,000 public high schools throughout the country to arrive at their rankings.  In the national rankings, 500 gold medals were awarded, along with 1,790 silver and 2,515 bronze.

California's top school overall is Pacific Collegiate School in Santa Cruz, the report found.

The top school in the country is The School for the Talented and Gifted in the Dallas Independent School District, according to the report.

U.S. News created the report along with D.C.-based American Institutes for Research "...to evaluate schools on overall student performance on state-mandated assessments, as well as how effectively schools educated their black, Hispanic and economically disadvantaged students. Performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams was then used to determine the degree to which schools prepare students for college-level work."