Home › California › San Diego County
Best Schools in Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad, CA has 45 public schools (7 high, 7 middle, 27 elementary) serving 32,153 students. On average they score 59% on state proficiency tests against a projected 53%, so schools in Carlsbad greatly exceed expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Carlsbad, CA
The top high schools in Carlsbad, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Sage Creek High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1392 Students
2. San Dieguito Hs Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Dieguito Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2089 Students
3. Carlsbad High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2290 Students
4. La Costa Canyon High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Dieguito Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1642 Students
5. Rancho Buena Vista High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Vista Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1959 Students
6. San Marcos High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Marcos Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 3380 Students
7. Carlsbad Village Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 10 - 12 • 59 Students
Best Middle Schools in Carlsbad, CA
The top middle schools in Carlsbad, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Diegueno Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Dieguito Union High • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 790 Students
2. Aviara Oaks Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1021 Students
3. Oak Crest Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Dieguito Union High • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 802 Students
4. Calavera Hills Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 643 Students
5. San Elijo Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Marcos Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1463 Students
6. Valley Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 866 Students
7. Madison Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Vista Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 956 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Carlsbad, CA
The top elementary schools in Carlsbad, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Pacific Rim Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 673 Students
2. El Camino Creek Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Encinitas Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 459 Students
3. Kelly Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 464 Students
4. Poinsettia Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 480 Students
5. Aviara Oaks Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 641 Students
6. Magnolia Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 503 Students
7. La Costa Heights Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Encinitas Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 634 Students
8. Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Encinitas Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 570 Students
9. Buena Vista Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Carlsbad Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 276 Students
10. La Costa Meadows Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Marcos Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 693 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Carlsbad, CA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Carlsbad, CA has a total population of 96,482 with 26% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 97%, and 63% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Carlsbad, CA
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Carlsbad, CA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
25.22 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
4.07 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
21.15 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Carlsbad, CA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Carlsbad, CA.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Carlsbad, CA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Carlsbad, CA
How many schools are in Carlsbad, CA?
Carlsbad, CA has 45 public schools: 7 high schools, 7 middle schools and 27 elementary schools, serving 32,153 students in total.
How do schools in Carlsbad perform on state tests?
On average, 45 schools in Carlsbad score 59% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 53%, so on average schools in Carlsbad greatly exceed expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Carlsbad?
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 Carlsbad, CA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 44%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 58%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 45%
- Projected: 42%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 64%
- Projected: 59%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 40%
- Projected: 36%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 63%
- Projected: 58%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 43%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 41%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 37%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in Carlsbad
21 of 22 schools in Carlsbad carry a SchoolGrade (1 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 18B: 2C: 1
All 22 public schools we grade in Carlsbad. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (2)
Middle and junior high schools (3)
Elementary and primary schools (15)
- Aviara Oaks Elementary
- Buena Vista Elementary
- Calavera Hills Elementary
- Carrillo Elementary
- El Camino Creek Elementary
- Hope Elementary
- Jefferson Elementary
- Kelly Elementary
- La Costa Heights Elementary
- La Costa Meadows Elementary
- Magnolia Elementary
- Mission Estancia Elementary
- Olivenhain Pioneer Elementary
- Pacific Rim Elementary
- Poinsettia Elementary
Other schools and academies (2)
Private schools (11)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- Army & Navy Academy
- Aspirations School Of Learning
- Beautiful Saviour Lutheran School
- Carlsbad Country Day School
- Casa Montessori De Carlsbad
- Futures Academy Carlsbad
- La Costa Valley Preschool & Kindergarten
- Pacific Ridge School
- Redeemer By The Sea Lutheran Kindergarten&preschl
- Sanderling Waldorf School
- Village Montessori School