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Best Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
Santa Cruz, CA has 45 public schools (10 high, 6 middle, 26 elementary) serving 15,418 students. On average they score 48% on state proficiency tests against a projected 42%, so schools in Santa Cruz greatly exceed expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
The top high schools in Santa Cruz, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Pacific Collegiate Charter
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Pacific Collegiate Charter District • Charter • Grades 7 - 12 • 533 Students
2. Scotts Valley High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotts Valley Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 690 Students
3. Santa Cruz High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1092 Students
4. San Lorenzo Valley High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Lorenzo Valley Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 643 Students
5. Soquel High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 974 Students
6. Harbor High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1023 Students
7. Ark Independent Studies
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 6 - 12 • 47 Students
8. Santa Cruz County Community
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz County Office Of Education • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 741 Students
9. Costanoa Continuation High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 90 Students
10. Santa Cruz County Court
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz County Office Of Education • Public • Grades 7 - 12 • 65 Students
Best Middle Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
The top middle schools in Santa Cruz, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Scotts Valley Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotts Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 481 Students
2. Mission Hill Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 544 Students
3. New Brighton Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Soquel Union Elementary • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 648 Students
4. Branciforte Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 389 Students
5. Shoreline Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Live Oak Elementary • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 441 Students
6. San Lorenzo Valley Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Lorenzo Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 381 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
The top elementary schools in Santa Cruz, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Happy Valley Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Happy Valley Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 120 Students
2. Westlake Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 472 Students
3. Vine Hill Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotts Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 531 Students
4. Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-monarch
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Cruz City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 117 Students
5. Brook Knoll Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Scotts Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 464 Students
6. Pacific Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Pacific Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 154 Students
7. Bonny Doon Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Bonny Doon Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 115 Students
8. San Lorenzo Valley Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
San Lorenzo Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 598 Students
9. Ocean Alternative Education Center
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Live Oak Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 84 Students
10. Tierra Pacifica Charter
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Live Oak Elementary • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 155 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Santa Cruz, CA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Santa Cruz, CA has a total population of 99,163 with 32% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 94%, and 53% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
26.90 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
5.17 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
21.73 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Santa Cruz, CA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Santa Cruz, 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 Santa Cruz, CA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Santa Cruz, CA
How many schools are in Santa Cruz, CA?
Santa Cruz, CA has 45 public schools: 10 high schools, 6 middle schools and 26 elementary schools, serving 15,418 students in total.
How do schools in Santa Cruz perform on state tests?
On average, 45 schools in Santa Cruz score 48% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 42%, so on average schools in Santa Cruz greatly exceed expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Santa Cruz?
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 Santa Cruz, CA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 42%
- Projected: 35%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 49%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 53%
- Projected: 50%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 51%
- Projected: 48%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 57%
- Projected: 51%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 47%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 35%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
- Actual: 52%
- Projected: 52%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 31%
- Projected: 39%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 38%
- Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Every school in Santa Cruz
24 of 26 schools in Santa Cruz carry a SchoolGrade (2 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:
A: 9B: 10C: 3D: 1F: 1
All 26 public schools we grade in Santa Cruz. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (3)
Middle and junior high schools (3)
Elementary and primary schools (12)
- Bay View Elementary
- Bonny Doon Elementary
- Brook Knoll Elementary
- De Laveaga Elementary
- Del Mar Elementary
- Gault Elementary
- Green Acres Elementary
- Happy Valley Elementary
- Live Oak Elementary
- Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education Monarch
- Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary
- Westlake Elementary
Other schools and academies (8)
- Alternative Family Education
- Ark Independent Studies
- Ocean Alternative Education Center
- Pacific Collegiate Charter
- Santa Cruz County Community
- Santa Cruz County Court
- Santa Cruz County Special Education
- Tierra Pacifica Charter
Private schools (10)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.
- Gateway School
- Good Shepherd Catholic School
- Holy Cross School
- Merit Academy
- Midtown Montessori
- Santa Cruz Childrens School
- Santa Cruz Waldorf School
- Spring Hill-advanced Elementary School Of Santa Cr
- The Bay School
- Vhm Christian School