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Best Schools in El Centro, CA
El Centro, CA has 36 public schools (7 high, 5 middle, 20 elementary) serving 19,598 students. On average they score 32% on state proficiency tests against a projected 23%, so schools in El Centro greatly exceed expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in El Centro, CA
The top high schools in El Centro, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Imperial High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1362 Students
2. Southwest High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Central Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1889 Students
3. Holtville High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Holtville Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 512 Students
4. Central Union High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Central Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1957 Students
5. Mt. Signal Virtual Academy
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Central Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 102 Students
6. Desert Oasis High (continuation)
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Central Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 128 Students
7. Imperial Pathways Charter
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial County Office Of Education • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 206 Students
Best Middle Schools in El Centro, CA
The top middle schools in El Centro, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Holtville Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Holtville Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 248 Students
2. Frank M. Wright Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1023 Students
3. Heber Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Heber Elementary • Public • Grades 5 - 8 • 540 Students
4. Wilson Jr. High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Centro Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 630 Students
5. Kennedy Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Centro Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 459 Students
Best Elementary Schools in El Centro, CA
The top elementary schools in El Centro, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Mccabe Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mccabe Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 1209 Students
2. Dogwood Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Heber Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 4 • 646 Students
3. T. L. Waggoner Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 600 Students
4. Ben Hulse Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 794 Students
5. Imperial Cross Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Imperial Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 710 Students
6. Ballington Academy For The Arts And Sciences
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Ballington Academy For The Arts And Sciences District • Charter • Grades KG - 6 • 238 Students
7. De Anza Magnet
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Centro Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 509 Students
8. Mckinley Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Centro Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 459 Students
9. Lincoln Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Centro Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 421 Students
10. Emmett S. Finley Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Holtville Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 546 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in El Centro, CA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
El Centro, CA has a total population of 48,046 with 32% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 73%, and 17% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
36.11 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
7.23 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
28.88 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in El Centro, CA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for El Centro, 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 El Centro, CA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in El Centro, CA
How many schools are in El Centro, CA?
El Centro, CA has 36 public schools: 7 high schools, 5 middle schools and 20 elementary schools, serving 19,598 students in total.
How do schools in El Centro perform on state tests?
On average, 36 schools in El Centro score 32% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 23%, so on average schools in El Centro greatly exceed expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in El Centro?
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 El Centro, CA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 25%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 35%
- Projected: 26%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 31%
- Projected: 21%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 29%
- Projected: 23%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 29%
- Projected: 23%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 39%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 32%
- Projected: 26%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 28%
- Projected: 22%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 36%
- Projected: 25%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 27%
- Projected: 25%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Every school in El Centro
20 of 24 schools in El Centro carry a SchoolGrade (4 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
B: 4C: 11D: 4F: 1
All 24 public schools we grade in El Centro. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (4)
Middle and junior high schools (3)
Elementary and primary schools (9)
- Desert Garden Elementary
- Harding Elementary
- Lincoln Elementary
- Margaret Hedrick Elementary
- Mccabe Elementary
- Mckinley Elementary
- Meadows Elementary
- Sunflower Elementary
- Washington Elementary
Other schools and academies (8)
- Ballington Academy For The Arts And Sciences
- De Anza Magnet
- Imperial County Juvenile Hall/community
- Imperial County Special Education
- Imperial Pathways Charter
- Imperial Valley Home School Academy
- Mt Signal Virtual Academy
- Valley Academy
Private schools (1)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.