California School Rankings
California has 5,230 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 43.8/100. The top-scoring school is North Hillsborough at 97/100. The highest-performing district is Hillsborough City Elementary (avg 88.0). Statewide average per-pupil spending is $14,815. Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Top districts in California
Ranked by average Scope Score across all school levels. Minimum 3 schools per district.
| # | District | Schools | Avg Score | Exceeded % | Absent % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsborough City Elementary | 4 | 88.0 | 67.6% | 4.4% |
| 2 | La Canada Unified | 4 | 87.0 | 62.6% | 5.0% |
| 3 | San Marino Unified | 4 | 86.2 | 61.0% | 3.5% |
| 4 | Orinda Union | 5 | 84.7 | 62.3% | 5.5% |
| 5 | Saratoga Union Elementary | 4 | 84.5 | 62.9% | 6.1% |
| 6 | Fremont Union High | 5 | 84.0 | 57.7% | 11.4% |
| 7 | Manhattan Beach Unified | 7 | 83.5 | 57.9% | 6.2% |
| 8 | Los Altos Elementary | 7 | 83.0 | 63.3% | 6.4% |
| 9 | Solana Beach Elementary | 4 | 82.3 | 60.1% | 4.4% |
| 10 | South Pasadena Unified | 5 | 82.0 | 58.4% | 6.4% |
| 11 | Palo Alto Unified | 18 | 81.9 | 59.3% | 10.3% |
| 12 | Cupertino Union | 24 | 80.9 | 59.2% | 6.7% |
| 13 | Del Mar Union Elementary | 9 | 80.7 | 57.5% | 7.8% |
| 14 | Mill Valley Elementary | 6 | 79.9 | 55.0% | 8.1% |
| 15 | Menlo Park City Elementary | 4 | 79.5 | 55.7% | 6.0% |
Top elementary schools in California
Ranked by Scope Score.
| Rank | School | County | Score | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Hillsborough | San Mateo | 97 | 99th |
| 2 | Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter | El Dorado | 96 | 99th |
| 3 | Murdock-Portal Elementary | Santa Clara | 95 | 99th |
| 4 | William Faria Elementary | Santa Clara | 95 | 99th |
| 5 | Golden Elementary | Orange | 95 | 99th |
| 6 | Montecito Union | Santa Barbara | 94 | 99th |
| 7 | Millikin Elementary | Santa Clara | 93 | 99th |
| 8 | Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary | Los Angeles | 93 | 99th |
| 9 | Herbert Hoover Elementary | Santa Clara | 92 | 99th |
| 10 | John Muir Elementary | Santa Clara | 92 | 99th |
Per-pupil spending by district
How much California districts spend per student. Statewide average: $14,815.
Highest spending
| # | District | Per Student |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Contra Costa County Office of Education | $173,382 |
| 2 | Tuolumne County Superintendent of School | $144,252 |
| 3 | Alameda County Office of Education | $143,069 |
| 4 | Santa Clara County Office of Education | $131,345 |
| 5 | Kings County Office of Education | $100,009 |
| 6 | Tulare County Office of Education | $97,094 |
| 7 | San Joaquin County Office of Education | $94,301 |
| 8 | Imperial County Office of Education | $90,983 |
| 9 | Sacramento County Office of Education | $90,803 |
| 10 | San Luis Obispo County Office of Educati | $87,084 |
Spending data doesn't account for cost-of-living differences or how efficiently dollars translate to outcomes. See spending efficiency on individual district pages.
What Scope Scores can't tell you about California
- Class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality
- Quality of arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs
- Teacher experience, turnover, and professional development
- Campus safety, bullying climate, and social-emotional support
- Parent and community engagement levels
- Quality of special education and gifted programs
- How resources are distributed across schools within the district
Scope Scores measure academic performance and school climate using public data. They are one lens among many. Full methodology
Frequently asked questions
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Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology
Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.