(KGTV)-- With back-to-school season around the corner for millions of students across the country, it's a perfect time to recognize the very best schools in all of San Diego County.
U.S. News & World Report recently released its 2017 list of top California public high schools and our county was well represented.
Take a look at the 12 top San Diego public high schools out of a total of 655 schools ranked:
- The Preuss School UCSD in San Diego, rank: 5
- Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego, rank: 17
- Westview High School in San Diego, rank: 38
- Del Norte High School in San Diego, rank: 39
- La Jolla High School in San Diego, rank: 49
- Torrey Pines High School In San Diego, rank: 51
- Scripps Ranch High School in San Diego, rank: 63
- Coronado High School in Coronado, rank: 69
- Poway High School in Poway, rank: 82
- San Dieguito Academy in Encinitas, rank: 83
- La Costa Canyon High School in Carlsbad, rank: 99
- Mt. Carmel High School in San Diego, rank: 112
PHOTO GALLERY: Top 12 San Diego County public high schools in 2017
Preuss School ranked fifth in California but also 54th in the entire nation. It boasts a 100 percent graduation rate and 94 percent in mathematics proficiency. Ninety-five percent of the 846 students come from an educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.
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Preuss School's principal, Scott Barton, echoed a similar sentiment. "We are honored to receive this national recognition, which is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our students as well as the educational model Preuss provides," Barton said in a statement.
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U.S. News and World Report's study includes data from more than 22,000 public high schools across the country. The ranking process looks at how schools serve their students, performance benchmarks from state proficiency tests, graduation rates, and college preparedness.