Home › California › San Francisco
Best Elementary Schools in San Francisco, CA (2025-26)
Every ranked elementary school in San Francisco, CA, ordered by SchoolGrade. A grade rewards actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact. Click a column heading to sort, or filter by school, city or district.
San Francisco, CA rankings: Elementary Schools
San Francisco, CA elementary schools ranked
How San Francisco, CA's elementary schools compare
A: 29B: 13C: 9D: 10F: 15
55% of the 76 ranked elementary schools in San Francisco, CA earn an A or B (29 A grades, 13 B, 9 C, 10 D, 15 F), against 46% of elementary schools nationwide. 47 schools meet or beat the proficiency projected from their student context (62% here, 70% nationally), and 36 exceed it. On average 43% of tested students meet the state bar against a projected 34% (national averages: 46% actual, 37% projected).
The biggest overperformers, by actual proficiency above projection: The New School Of San Francisco (67% against 37%, A), Lawton Alternative (76% against 47%, A+), Peabody George Elementary (82% against 54%, A+), Chin John Yehall Elementary (70% against 43%, A), Lau Gordon J Elementary (61% against 35%, A-).
Districts with the most schools in the top quarter (the top 19): San Francisco Unified (18).
The largest ranked elementary schools: Lilienthal Claire Elementary (669 students, A+, #3), Lau Gordon J Elementary (644 students, A-, #22), Buena Vista Horace Mann K 8 (598 students, D-, #60).
Of the top 25, 0 are magnet schools and 1 is a charter. Selective and specialised schools tend to post high actual scores; the projection column is the fairer comparison for a neighborhood school.
Elementary schools in San Francisco, CA that are not ranked
1 graded elementary schools are listed here rather than ranked, each for the reason given. Every one has its own page with its full SchoolGrade report.
Very small schools (1)
Schools with fewer than 30 students have grades that swing on a handful of test results.
- F Lee Edwin And Anita Newcomer, San Francisco
About this ranking
- Scope: public elementary schools in San Francisco, CA, as grouped on its schools page; the California ranking covers the whole state.
- Order: SchoolGrade, then actual proficiency, then name; schools with the same grade and score share a rank.
- Ranked: regular public schools that NCES lists as open, not fully online, with at least 30 students. Others are listed with the reason.
- Tags: Magnet and Charter from the NCES school directory; K-12 marks schools serving every grade that are ranked with the elementary schools.
- Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model. How SchoolGrade works
Questions about elementary schools in San Francisco, CA
What is the best elementary school in San Francisco, CA?
Peabody George Elementary in San Francisco ranks first among the 76 ranked elementary schools in San Francisco, CA with a SchoolGrade of A+, 82% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 54%.
How are elementary schools in San Francisco, CA ranked?
By SchoolGrade, the 2025-26 model that scores each school's actual test proficiency against the level projected for its student context, then by actual proficiency to break ties. Regular public schools that are open, not fully online and have at least 30 students are ranked; the rest are listed below the table with the reason.
How many elementary schools does San Francisco, CA have?
SchoolGrade grades 77 public elementary schools in San Francisco, CA; 76 are ranked here and 1 are listed as not ranked.