While today’s California high schools boast cutting-edge technology and modern amenities, some of the state’s most iconic campuses date back to the 1800s. These historic institutions were founded in California’s early years of statehood, primarily in rapidly growing cities like San Francisco, Sacramento, and Los Angeles.
Unlike other parts of the U.S., where public high schools emerged in the 1820s with low enrollment, California’s expansion came later but faster. Between 1870 and 1900, the number of public high schools nationwide surged from 160 to 6,000—yet only 4% of teens aged 14–17 were enrolled.
California’s educational roots run deep, shaped by its Spanish colonial past and mission system, which began in 1769—seven years before the Declaration of Independence.
What is the oldest public high school in California?
Founded six years after California was declared a state in 1856, Lowell High School in San Francisco is the oldest public high school west of the Mississippi, according to the school’s website. The college preparatory school is ranked as one of California’s highest-performing public high schools and has the most AP tests in the Western region.
Sacramento Charter High School is the oldest in Northern California
The oldest in Northern California and the second oldest public high school in the state was Sacramento Charter High School—Sacramento High School, founded in 1856. Established just two years after Sacramento was declared the state capital (it was previously Monterey), the high school moved locations several times in the city during its first hundred years…