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Best Schools in Merced, CA
Merced, CA has 49 public schools (11 high, 7 middle, 26 elementary) serving 33,727 students. On average they score 26% on state proficiency tests against a projected 26%, so schools in Merced meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Merced, CA
The top high schools in Merced, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Pacheco High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Los Banos Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1799 Students
2. Buhach Colony High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1746 Students
3. El Capitan High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1839 Students
4. Le Grand High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Le Grand Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 464 Students
5. Merced High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1894 Students
6. Golden Valley High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1956 Students
7. Atwater High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2095 Students
8. Independence High (alternative)
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 119 Students
9. Yosemite High (continuation)
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 325 Students
10. Sequoia High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 96 Students
Best Middle Schools in Merced, CA
The top middle schools in Merced, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Cesar E. Chavez Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Planada Elementary • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 286 Students
2. Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 616 Students
3. Weaver Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Weaver Union • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 1003 Students
4. Rudolph Rivera Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 579 Students
5. Herbert Hoover Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 614 Students
6. Los Banos Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Los Banos Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 862 Students
7. Tenaya Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 563 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Merced, CA
The top elementary schools in Merced, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Snelling-merced Falls Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Snelling-merced Falls Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 53 Students
2. Mcswain Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Mcswain Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 883 Students
3. Allan Peterson Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 664 Students
4. Luther Burbank Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 678 Students
5. El Nido Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
El Nido Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 148 Students
6. Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 725 Students
7. Plainsburg Union Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Plainsburg Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 108 Students
8. Peggy Heller Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Atwater Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 707 Students
9. Washington Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced River Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 275 Students
10. Franklin Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Merced City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 3 • 575 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Merced, CA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Merced, CA has a total population of 102,306 with 34% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 77%, and 18% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Merced, 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 Merced, CA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
29.32 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
5.32 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
24.00 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Merced, CA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Merced, 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 Merced, CA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Merced, CA
How many schools are in Merced, CA?
Merced, CA has 49 public schools: 11 high schools, 7 middle schools and 26 elementary schools, serving 33,727 students in total.
How do schools in Merced perform on state tests?
On average, 49 schools in Merced score 26% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 26%, so on average schools in Merced meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Merced?
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 Merced, CA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 28%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 37%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 31%
- Projected: 26%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 28%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 32%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 26%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 31%
- Projected: 27%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 31%
- Projected: 28%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Every school in Merced
32 of 35 schools in Merced carry a SchoolGrade (3 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
B: 3C: 12D: 13F: 4
All 35 public schools we grade in Merced. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (6)
- El Capitan High
- Golden Valley High
- Independence High Alternative
- Merced High
- Sequoia High
- Yosemite High Continuation
Middle and junior high schools (5)
Elementary and primary schools (17)
- Ada Givens Elementary
- Alicia Reyes Elementary
- Allan Peterson Elementary
- Charles Wright Elementary
- Don Stowell Elementary
- Donn B Chenoweth Elementary
- Farmdale Elementary
- Franklin Elementary
- John C Fremont Elementary
- John Muir Elementary
- Leontine Gracey Elementary
- Luther Burbank Elementary
- Margaret Sheehy Elementary
- Mcswain Elementary
- Pioneer Elementary
- Plainsburg Union Elementary
- Rudolph Rivera Elementary
Other schools and academies (7)
- Come Back Charter
- Joe Stefani
- Merced City School District Community Day
- Merced County Juvenile Court
- Merced County Special Education
- Merced Scholars Charter
- Valley Merced Community
Private schools (3)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.