Elementary Schools in Costa Mesa, California: Costa Mesa schools average 4.0 points above the state — but the range is 62.6 points wide.
Costa Mesa, California has 16 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 42.9/100 — 4.0 points above the state average of 38.9. The highest-scoring school is International School for Science and Culture at 80/100, where 62.5% of students exceed the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment. Costa Mesa schools average 26.3% exceeded standard (state: 21.4%) — this exceeded-vs-met distinction shows how many students go beyond the standard rather than only meeting it. Of 16 schools, 1 High Ceiling stand out for their performance profiles. Chronic absenteeism averages 15.1% (below the state average of 17.9%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
Start with your child’s school level
The overview describes elementary schools. The lists below separate elementary, middle and high schools, so each school’s standing stays within its own comparison group. Open a profile to see the underlying results, student support and questions to ask on a visit.
Every school in Costa Mesa
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP · levels never mixed
Elementary Schools (16)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | International School for Science and Culture Orange County Department of Education | 62.5% | 98th percentile · StrongScope Score 80/100 |
| 2 | Maude B. Davis Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 49.7% | 92nd percentile · StrongScope Score 66/100 |
| 3 | California Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 36.1% | 83rd percentile · StrongScope Score 56/100 |
| 4 | Heinz Kaiser Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 38.4% | 82nd percentile · StrongScope Score 54/100 |
| 5 | Adams Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 28.0% | 77th percentile · StrongScope Score 51/100 |
| 6 | Sonora Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 27.7% | 67th percentile · SolidScope Score 44/100 |
| 7 | Killybrooke Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 31.9% | 66th percentile · SolidScope Score 43/100 |
| 8 | Everett A. Rea Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 17.6% | 59th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100 |
| 9 | Victoria Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 24.4% | 58th percentile · SolidScope Score 39/100 |
| 10 | California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles Acton-Agua Dulce Unified | 19.5% | 54th percentile · SolidScope Score 37/100 |
| 11 | California Pacific Charter - San Diego Warner Unified | 21.8% | 52nd percentile · SolidScope Score 36/100 |
| 12 | Paularino Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 21.2% | 50th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 36/100 |
| 13 | College Park Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 15.5% | 46th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 34/100 |
| 14 | Pomona Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 12.9% | 37th percentile · DevelopingScope Score 31/100 |
| 15 | Wilson Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 6.5% | 11th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 21/100 |
| 16 | Whittier Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 7.4% | 7th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 18/100 |
Middle Schools (1)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| ACCESS County Community Orange County Department of Education court and community school | 1.7% | Not ranked |
High Schools (7)
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Early College High Newport-Mesa Unified | 60.0% | 91st percentile · StrongScope Score 74/100 |
| 2 | Costa Mesa High Newport-Mesa Unified | 18.2% | 67th percentile · SolidScope Score 59/100 |
| 3 | Estancia High Newport-Mesa Unified | 16.9% | 61st percentile · SolidScope Score 56/100 |
| 4 | Back Bay High Newport-Mesa Unified continuation high school | 0.0% | 99th percentile · StrongWithin its own school classScope Score 44/100 |
| 5 | Monte Vista High/Cloud Campus Newport-Mesa Unified | 0.0% | 5th percentile · Needs SupportScope Score 32/100 |
| ACCESS Juvenile Hall Orange County Department of Education court and community school | 0.8% | Not ranked | |
| Orange County Special Education Orange County Department of Education special education center | 0.0% | Not ranked |
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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.
Elementary school archetypes in Costa Mesa
Hidden gems: 1 school in Costa Mesa is classified as On the Rise — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Private Schools in Costa Mesa
Private schools don't participate in California's standardized testing (CAASPP) and cannot be scored or ranked. Showing enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and affiliation where available.
Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how school zones and enrollment boundaries affect access. Full methodology