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 | Strong 88.0/100 | 67.6% | 4.4% |
| 2 | La Canada Unified | 4 | Strong 87.0/100 | 62.6% | 5.0% |
| 3 | San Marino Unified | 4 | Strong 86.2/100 | 61.0% | 3.5% |
| 4 | Orinda Union | 5 | Strong 84.7/100 | 62.3% | 5.5% |
| 5 | Saratoga Union Elementary | 4 | Strong 84.5/100 | 62.9% | 6.1% |
| 6 | Fremont Union High | 5 | Strong 84.0/100 | 57.7% | 11.4% |
| 7 | Manhattan Beach Unified | 7 | Strong 83.5/100 | 57.9% | 6.2% |
| 8 | Los Altos Elementary | 7 | Strong 83.0/100 | 63.3% | 6.4% |
| 9 | Solana Beach Elementary | 4 | Strong 82.3/100 | 60.1% | 4.4% |
| 10 | South Pasadena Unified | 5 | Strong 82.0/100 | 58.4% | 6.4% |
| 11 | Palo Alto Unified | 18 | Strong 81.9/100 | 59.3% | 10.3% |
| 12 | Cupertino Union | 24 | Strong 80.9/100 | 59.2% | 6.7% |
| 13 | Del Mar Union Elementary | 9 | Strong 80.7/100 | 57.5% | 7.8% |
| 14 | Mill Valley Elementary | 6 | Strong 79.9/100 | 55.0% | 8.1% |
| 15 | Menlo Park City Elementary | 4 | Strong 79.5/100 | 55.7% | 6.0% |
Top elementary schools in California
Ranked by Scope Score.
| Rank | School | County | Score | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Hillsborough | San Mateo | 97 | Strong 97/100 |
| 2 | Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter | El Dorado | 96 | Strong 96/100 |
| 3 | Murdock-Portal Elementary | Santa Clara | 95 | Strong 95/100 |
| 4 | William Faria Elementary | Santa Clara | 95 | Strong 95/100 |
| 5 | Golden Elementary | Orange | 95 | Strong 95/100 |
| 6 | Montecito Union | Santa Barbara | 94 | Strong 94/100 |
| 7 | Millikin Elementary | Santa Clara | 93 | Strong 93/100 |
| 8 | Cornerstone at Pedregal Elementary | Los Angeles | 93 | Strong 93/100 |
| 9 | Herbert Hoover Elementary | Santa Clara | 92 | Strong 92/100 |
| 10 | John Muir Elementary | Santa Clara | 92 | Strong 92/100 |
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.