La Jolla High School (LJHS) is a comprehensive high school for grades 9–12 located in La Jolla, a community within the city limits of San Diego . LJHS is the nucleus of the community and provides leadership for a middle school and three elementary schools. LJHS supports approximately 1,550 students from diverse backgrounds by offering a rigorous, coherent, and cohesive core curriculum, as well as Advanced Placement courses and dual-enrollment with local colleges. Additionally, the school provides programs designed to specifically address the special needs of students in Gifted and Talented Education (GATE), English as a Second Language (ELD), and Special Education. LJHS prides itself on providing a positive, well-ordered climate conducive to learning and has been cited as one of the top high schools in the nation (Newsweek and US News and World Report magazines). La Jolla High is also recognized as a California Distinguished School, and as an Achievement via Individual Determination (AVID) School of Distinction. In addition, LJHS was the first public high school west of the Mississippi to earn a chapter in the Cum Laude Society. Each year approximately 95 percent of graduating seniors enter universities or colleges, with a significant number of students attending Ivy League schools, out-of-state institutions, and the University of California and California State University systems.