Best High Schools in Watsonville, CA

High schools
12
Students
12,328
Avg actual
34%
Avg projected
39%
Impact
exceed expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Pacific Grove High

A+

SchoolGrade

67%

Actual Test Scores

57%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Pacific Grove Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 547 Students

2. Santa Cruz High

A

SchoolGrade

57%

Actual Test Scores

52%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1092 Students

3. Diamond Technology Institute

A-

SchoolGrade

47%

Actual Test Scores

34%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Charter • Grades 9 - 12 • 83 Students

4. Christopher High

B

SchoolGrade

40%

Actual Test Scores

48%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Gilroy Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1664 Students

5. Aptos High

B

SchoolGrade

38%

Actual Test Scores

47%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1360 Students

6. Ceiba College Preparatory Academy

B-

SchoolGrade

33%

Actual Test Scores

24%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Ceiba College Preparatory Academy District • Charter • Grades 6 - 12 • 511 Students

7. Anzar High

B-

SchoolGrade

32%

Actual Test Scores

35%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Aromas - San Juan Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 276 Students

8. North Monterey County High

C

SchoolGrade

26%

Actual Test Scores

32%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

North Monterey County Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1286 Students

9. Watsonville High

C-

SchoolGrade

24%

Actual Test Scores

29%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2244 Students

10. Gilroy High

C-

SchoolGrade

24%

Actual Test Scores

39%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Gilroy Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1739 Students

Best Middle Schools in Watsonville, CA

Middle schools
11
Students
6,079
Avg actual
28%
Avg projected
28%
Impact
meet expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Pacific Grove Middle

A

SchoolGrade

65%

Actual Test Scores

58%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Pacific Grove Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 420 Students

2. Mission Hill Middle

A-

SchoolGrade

52%

Actual Test Scores

36%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Santa Cruz City High • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 544 Students

3. Shoreline Middle

B+

SchoolGrade

46%

Actual Test Scores

24%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Greatly Exceeds Expectations

Live Oak Elementary • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 441 Students

4. Aptos Junior High

B-

SchoolGrade

36%

Actual Test Scores

37%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 594 Students

5. Solorsano Middle

C+

SchoolGrade

34%

Actual Test Scores

32%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Gilroy Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 780 Students

6. North Monterey County Middle

F

SchoolGrade

15%

Actual Test Scores

17%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

North Monterey County Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 643 Students

7. Pajaro Middle

F

SchoolGrade

12%

Actual Test Scores

18%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 440 Students

8. Rolling Hills Middle

F

SchoolGrade

11%

Actual Test Scores

17%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Underperforms Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 619 Students

9. Cesar E. Chavez Middle

F

SchoolGrade

10%

Actual Test Scores

17%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Underperforms Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 552 Students

10. Lakeview Middle

F

SchoolGrade

10%

Actual Test Scores

18%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Underperforms Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 438 Students

Best Elementary Schools in Watsonville, CA

Elementary schools
28
Students
12,263
Avg actual
26%
Avg projected
26%
Impact
don't meet expectations

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

SchoolActualProjectedImpact

1. Robert Down Elementary

A+

SchoolGrade

73%

Actual Test Scores

62%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Pacific Grove Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 408 Students

2. Rio Del Mar Elementary

A-

SchoolGrade

57%

Actual Test Scores

53%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 404 Students

3. Valencia Elementary

A-

SchoolGrade

55%

Actual Test Scores

47%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 488 Students

4. Las Animas Elementary

B

SchoolGrade

47%

Actual Test Scores

40%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Gilroy Unified • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 769 Students

5. Bay View Elementary

B

SchoolGrade

47%

Actual Test Scores

31%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Santa Cruz City Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 5 • 336 Students

6. Linscott Charter

C+

SchoolGrade

36%

Actual Test Scores

26%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 259 Students

7. Aromas

C+

SchoolGrade

35%

Actual Test Scores

30%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Meets Expectations

Aromas - San Juan Unified • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 381 Students

8. Watsonville Prep

C

SchoolGrade

32%

Actual Test Scores

16%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Watsonville Prep District • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 396 Students

9. Alianza Charter

C

SchoolGrade

32%

Actual Test Scores

16%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Exceeds Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Charter • Grades KG - 8 • 640 Students

10. Bradley Elementary

C-

SchoolGrade

28%

Actual Test Scores

31%

Projected Test Scores

Impact Grade:Doesn't Meet Expectations

Pajaro Valley Unified • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 507 Students

Education & Community Snapshot in Watsonville, CA

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

Community Factors

Watsonville, CA has a total population of 78,531 with 30% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 69%, and 17% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Students in Watsonville, CA

32,112

K-12 Students

High School Graduates

69%

Adults 25+ with HS diplomas

College Graduates

17%

Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher

Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Watsonville, CA.

Safety

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

Overall Crime Grade

D+

26.88 per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crime Grade

D

5.32 per 1,000 Residents

Property Crime Grade

D

21.56 per 1,000 Residents

Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Watsonville, CA.

Connectivity

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

ISP Report Card

B+

Internet Infrastructure Grade

Average Download Speed

2,678 Mbps

Speed Most Residents Can Get

Digital Connectivity Index

63 / 100

ISP Connectivity Demand Report

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

Questions About Schools in Watsonville, CA

How many schools are in Watsonville, CA?

Watsonville, CA has 57 public schools: 12 high schools, 11 middle schools and 28 elementary schools, serving 32,112 students in total.

How do schools in Watsonville perform on state tests?

On average, 57 schools in Watsonville score 28% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 30%, so on average schools in Watsonville don't meet expectations.

How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Watsonville?

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 Watsonville, CA

Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.

Pajaro, CA

  • Actual: 21%
  • Projected: 25%
  • Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
Freedom, CA

  • Actual: 23%
  • Projected: 30%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
La Selva Beach, CA

  • Actual: 31%
  • Projected: 39%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Corralitos, CA

  • Actual: 34%
  • Projected: 38%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Rio del Mar, CA

  • Actual: 35%
  • Projected: 38%
  • Impact Grade: Underperforms Expectations
Moss Landing, CA

  • Actual: 20%
  • Projected: 21%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Aromas, CA

  • Actual: 25%
  • Projected: 27%
  • Impact Grade: Doesn't Meet Expectations
Elkhorn, CA

  • Actual: 21%
  • Projected: 22%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Aptos, CA

  • Actual: 48%
  • Projected: 47%
  • Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
Lonoke, CA

  • Actual: 45%
  • Projected: 44%
  • Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations

Every school in Watsonville

Average SchoolGrade
D
Meeting or exceeding expectations
32%
Exceeding
25%
Avg actual scores
18.6%
Avg projected
21.8%

28 of 28 schools in Watsonville carry a SchoolGrade. Grade distribution:

A: 2B: 1C: 7D: 2F: 16

All 28 public schools we grade in Watsonville. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.

High schools (2)

Middle and junior high schools (5)

Elementary and primary schools (12)

Other schools and academies (9)

Private schools (6)

Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.