Portola High School has taken the top spot among Irvine Unified School District’s (IUSD) comprehensive high schools in U.S. News & World Report’s “2026 Best High Schools” rankings, placing No. 61 in California.
This shift puts Portola ahead of University High School, which previously held the district’s highest ranking. University High is now ranked No. 64 in California. According to U.S. News & World Report, the rankings evaluate public high schools using measures including college readiness, advanced-course participation, state assessment performance, underserved-student performance and graduation rates. Data are drawn from sources including the U.S. Department of Education and the College Board.
The two schools’ latest data show similar graduation rates, with Portola at 96% and University at 97%. Portola reported a college-readiness score of 71.5 and an AP participation rate of 74%, compared with University High School’s college-readiness score of 70.2 and AP participation rate of 72%. Portola also has a larger enrollment, with 2,693 students in grades 9–12, compared with University’s 2,307.
Given the schools’ different histories, the change is notable. Portola, IUSD’s newest comprehensive high school, opened in August 2016. University, the district’s first high school, opened in September 1970.
The 2026 rankings evaluated nearly 27,000 public high schools across the United States, with 17,945 receiving rankings. All five of IUSD’s comprehensive high schools remain among the top 6% of high schools nationwide.
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