Best High Schools in California

High schools
2,118
Students
1,844,717
Avg actual
31%
Avg projected
39%
Impact
meet expectations

The top high schools in California, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Whitney (gretchen) High

A+

SchoolGrade

97%

Actual Test Scores

83%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Abc Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 1010 Students

2. Science Academy Stem Magnet

A+

SchoolGrade

97%

Actual Test Scores

81%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Los Angeles Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 467 Students

3. Oxford Academy

A+

SchoolGrade

95%

Actual Test Scores

70%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Anaheim Union High • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 1289 Students

4. California Academy Of Mathematics And Science

A+

SchoolGrade

94%

Actual Test Scores

84%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Long Beach Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 672 Students

5. William & Marian Ghidotti High

A+

SchoolGrade

94%

Actual Test Scores

50%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Nevada Joint Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 167 Students

6. Dr. Tj Owens Gilroy Early College Academy

A+

SchoolGrade

90%

Actual Test Scores

77%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Gilroy Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 279 Students

7. Lynbrook High

A+

SchoolGrade

90%

Actual Test Scores

83%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Fremont Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1741 Students

8. Mission San Jose High

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

71%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Fremont Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1878 Students

9. University High

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

75%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

University High District • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 491 Students

10. Canyon Crest Academy

A+

SchoolGrade

86%

Actual Test Scores

84%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

San Dieguito Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2336 Students

See all 1561 high schools here ranked

Best Middle Schools in California

Middle schools
1,376
Students
908,591
Avg actual
35%
Avg projected
33%
Impact
meet expectations

The top middle schools in California, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. North Star Academy

A+

SchoolGrade

95%

Actual Test Scores

59%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Redwood City Elementary • Public • Grades 3 - 8 • 519 Students

2. Elkhorn

A+

SchoolGrade

90%

Actual Test Scores

75%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Lodi Unified • Public • Grades 4 - 8 • 266 Students

3. Joaquin Miller Middle

A+

SchoolGrade

89%

Actual Test Scores

79%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Cupertino Union • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1078 Students

4. Georgina P. Blach Junior High

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

73%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Los Altos Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 416 Students

5. Redwood Middle

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

80%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Saratoga Union Elementary • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 685 Students

6. Santa Rosa Accelerated Charter

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

62%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Santa Rosa High • Charter • Grades 5 - 6 • 128 Students

7. John F. Kennedy Middle

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

79%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Cupertino Union • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 930 Students

8. Sam H. Lawson Middle

A+

SchoolGrade

87%

Actual Test Scores

76%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Cupertino Union • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 816 Students

9. Solana Pacific Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

85%

Actual Test Scores

71%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Solana Beach Elementary • Public • Grades 4 - 6 • 438 Students

10. Corte Madera

A+

SchoolGrade

85%

Actual Test Scores

70%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Portola Valley Elementary • Public • Grades 4 - 8 • 273 Students

See all 1283 middle schools here ranked

Best Elementary Schools in California

Elementary schools
7,600
Students
3,043,335
Avg actual
39%
Avg projected
34%
Impact
meet expectations

The top elementary schools in California, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Cold Spring Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

96%

Actual Test Scores

69%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Cold Spring Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 193 Students

2. Murdock-portal Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

95%

Actual Test Scores

77%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Cupertino Union • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 559 Students

3. Arundel Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

94%

Actual Test Scores

69%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

San Carlos Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 3 • 368 Students

4. William Faria Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

94%

Actual Test Scores

78%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Cupertino Union • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 632 Students

5. Bullis Charter

A+

SchoolGrade

93%

Actual Test Scores

73%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Bullis Charter District • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 1058 Students

6. Herbert Hoover Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

92%

Actual Test Scores

75%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Palo Alto Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 386 Students

7. North Hillsborough

A+

SchoolGrade

91%

Actual Test Scores

75%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Hillsborough City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 264 Students

8. Millikin Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

91%

Actual Test Scores

75%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Santa Clara Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 518 Students

9. Wagner Ranch Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

90%

Actual Test Scores

73%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Orinda Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 447 Students

10. Union Street Charter

A+

SchoolGrade

90%

Actual Test Scores

38%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Union Street Charter District • Charter • Grades KG - 5 • 97 Students

See all 5668 elementary schools here ranked

Education & Community Snapshot in California

State-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.

Community Factors

California has a total population of 39,538,223 with 26% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 84%, and 36% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Students in California

6,303,029

K-12 Students

High School Graduates

84%

Adults 25+ with HS diplomas

College Graduates

36%

Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher

Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood California.

Safety

Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.

Overall Crime Grade

C

27.48 per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crime Grade

D

4.96 per 1,000 Residents

Property Crime Grade

D+

22.52 per 1,000 Residents

Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in California.

Connectivity

Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for California.

ISP Report Card

B+

Internet Infrastructure Grade

Average Download Speed

3,437 Mbps

Speed Most Residents Can Get

Digital Connectivity Index

80 / 100

ISP Connectivity Demand Report

To read more about these statistics, please visit California Internet Health Assessment.

Questions About Schools in California

How many schools are in California?

California has 12,454 public schools: 2,118 high schools, 1,376 middle schools and 7,600 elementary schools, serving 6,303,029 students in total.

How do schools in California perform on state tests?

On average, 12,454 schools in California score 37% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 36%, so on average schools in California meet expectations.

How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in California?

Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.

Best Schools in Cities Near California

Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.

Nevada

  • Actual: 33%
  • Projected: 30%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Arizona

  • Actual: 35%
  • Projected: 32%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Utah

  • Actual: 44%
  • Projected: 39%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Oregon

  • Actual: 34%
  • Projected: 37%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Idaho

  • Actual: 44%
  • Projected: 42%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
New Mexico

  • Actual: 34%
  • Projected: 33%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Washington

  • Actual: 47%
  • Projected: 41%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Colorado

  • Actual: 39%
  • Projected: 34%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Wyoming

  • Actual: 53%
  • Projected: 45%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Montana

  • Actual: 36%
  • Projected: 37%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations

Every city and county in California

School rankings for each place: 2712 cities, towns and neighborhoods, and 58 counties.

Counties

Cities and towns

School district map of California

Every public school district in California with graded schools. Hover for the district and its school count; click to open its page.

shaded by the district's average SchoolGrade, F to A; grey = not yet graded. Boundaries from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Districts without a page (fewer than three graded schools) are not linked.

Largest school districts in California

The 25 districts with the most graded schools in California. Each district page lists every one of its schools.