Palo Alto Unified on the map

Click a type to show or hide its schools.

District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file. Each marker is a graded school; click it for its grade and scores.

Addison ElementaryHerbert Hoover ElementaryEl Carmelo ElementaryEscondido ElementaryFairmeadow ElementaryDuveneck ElementaryHenry M Gunn HighWalter Hays ElementaryJuana Briones ElementaryOhlone ElementaryLucille M Nixon ElementaryPalo Alto HighPalo Verde ElementaryJane Lathrop Stanford MiddleBarron Park ElementaryFrank S Greene JR MiddleEllen Fletcher MiddleGreendellPackard Childrens Hospitalstanford
District boundary from the NCES EDGE composite school district file; each dot is a graded school, tap or hover for its name.

SchoolGrade summary for Palo Alto Unified

Average SchoolGrade
A+
Meeting or exceeding expectations
100%
Exceeding
53%
Avg actual scores
78.2%
Avg projected
67%

17 of 19 schools in Palo Alto Unified carry a SchoolGrade (2 have no school-level proficiency results in our source data). Grade distribution:

A: 17

Best schools in Palo Alto Unified

Statewide rankings: all 1561 high schools in California · all 1283 middle schools in California · all 5668 elementary schools in California

The ten highest SchoolGrades in the district. Grades reward actual test performance against the projection for each school's student context, so a B in a high-poverty school can outrank an A- elsewhere on impact.

  1. A+ Herbert Hoover Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
  2. A+ Juana Briones Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
  3. A+ Ohlone Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)
  4. A+ Fairmeadow Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
  5. A+ Lucille M Nixon Elementary (Elementary school, exceeds expectations)
  6. A+ Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle (Middle school, meets expectations)
  7. A+ Henry M Gunn High (High school, greatly exceeds expectations)
  8. A+ Palo Verde Elementary (Elementary school, meets expectations)
  9. A+ Ellen Fletcher Middle (Middle school, exceeds expectations)
  10. A+ Escondido Elementary (Elementary school, greatly exceeds expectations)

Every school in Palo Alto Unified

High schools (2)

Middle and junior high schools (3)

Elementary and primary schools (12)

Other schools and academies (2)

Where Palo Alto Unified schools are

Cities and towns served (2)

About this district

  • State: Best schools in California
  • County: Santa Clara County
  • Type: regular local school district
  • Setting: small city (NCES locale of the district office)
  • Enrollment: 10,271 students with 599 full-time-equivalent teachers and 1,387 total staff FTE (NCES CCD, 2023-24)
  • NCES district ID: 0629610
  • Grades are the 2025-26 SchoolGrade model: each school's actual proficiency against the level projected for its student context. How SchoolGrade works

Nearby school districts

Questions about Palo Alto Unified

How many schools are in Palo Alto Unified?

SchoolGrade grades 19 public schools in Palo Alto Unified, across 2 cities and towns. Every one of them is listed on this page with a link to its own report.

Which cities does Palo Alto Unified serve?

The largest by graded schools: Palo Alto, Stanford.

How good are the schools in Palo Alto Unified?

Across the 17 graded schools, the average SchoolGrade is A+, with 78.2% of tested students meeting the state bar against a projected 67%. 100% of schools meet or exceed the expectation for their student context.

How many students attend Palo Alto Unified?

10,271 students were enrolled in Palo Alto Unified in the 2023-24 school year, about 17.1 students per full-time teacher (NCES Common Core of Data).

Where is Palo Alto Unified?

Palo Alto Unified is in California, based in Santa Clara County, with its district office in Palo Alto. Its boundary covers about 27.6 sq mi.