Santa Clara Unified
Santa Clara Unified has 28 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 54.4/100 — 10.7 points above the California state average of 43.8. The highest-scoring school is Millikin Elementary at 93/100, where 72.0% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $20,344 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 4 schools show positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 16.4%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 54.3/100 | 19 | 32.5% | 14.8% |
| Middle | Solid 50.9/100 | 4 | 28.0% | 12.4% |
| High | Solid 57.7/100 | 5 | 28.8% | 25.4% |
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Santa Clara Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Strongest level: Santa Clara Unified's high schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 57.7.
Growth story: District-wide elementary growth averages -5.4pp (state avg: -3.0pp), a negative trend that warrants attention.
Consistency: Score range of 69.0 points — showing significant variation between schools.
Absenteeism: District chronic absenteeism averages 16.4%, 1.7pp near the state average of 18.1%.
Suspensions: District suspension rate averages 2.7%, near the state average of 1.7%.
Top school: Millikin Elementary leads the district at 93 with 72.0% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Santa Clara Unified
Hidden gems: 4 schools in Santa Clara Unified are classified as Growth Engine (4) — 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
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Santa Clara Unified spends $20,344 per student in current expenditures — $5,529 above the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Elementary Schools (19)
Santa Clara Unified has 19 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 54.3 — 10.6 points above the state average of 43.8. 1 of 19 elementary schools have Scope Scores above 90.
Growth averages -5.4pp district-wide — a negative trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Millikin Elementary with a Scope Score of 93 and 72.0% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Millikin Elementary Santa Clara Unified High Ceiling | Strong 93/100 |
| 2 | Washington Open Elementary Santa Clara Unified Growth Engine | Strong 78/100 |
| 3 | Laurelwood Elementary Santa Clara Unified High Ceiling | Strong 77/100 |
| 4 | Don Callejon Santa Clara Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 69/100 |
| 5 | Ponderosa Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Solid 66/100 |
| 6 | Sutter Elementary Santa Clara Unified Solid Base | Solid 60/100 |
| 7 | Braly Elementary Santa Clara Unified Growth Engine | Solid 57/100 |
| 8 | Abram Agnew Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Solid 57/100 |
| 9 | Central Park Elementary Santa Clara Unified Culture First | Solid 57/100 |
| 10 | George Mayne Elementary Santa Clara Unified Culture First | Developing 49/100 |
| 11 | Briarwood Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 46/100 |
| 12 | Westwood Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 46/100 |
| 13 | Bowers Elementary Santa Clara Unified Growth Engine | Developing 45/100 |
| 14 | Pomeroy Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 43/100 |
| 15 | Kathryn Hughes Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 42/100 |
| 16 | C. W. Haman Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 42/100 |
| 17 | Bracher Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 40/100 |
| 18 | Montague Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 37/100 |
| 19 | Scott Lane Elementary Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 28/100 |
Middle Schools (4)
Santa Clara Unified has 4 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 50.9 — 10.4 points above the state average of 40.5.
Growth averages -2.5pp district-wide — a negative trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring middle school is Marian A. Peterson Middle with a Scope Score of 62 and 40.2% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marian A. Peterson Middle Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Solid 62/100 |
| 2 | Juan Cabrillo Middle Santa Clara Unified Growth Engine | Solid 56/100 |
| 3 | Buchser Middle Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 48/100 |
| 4 | Dolores Huerta Middle Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Developing 38/100 |
High Schools (5)
Santa Clara Unified has 5 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 57.7 — 10.2 points above the state average of 47.5.
The highest-scoring high school is Santa Clara High with a Scope Score of 67 and 35.0% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara High Santa Clara Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | Adrian Wilcox High Santa Clara Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 67/100 |
| 3 | Mission Early College High Santa Clara Unified Strong All-Around | Solid 66/100 |
| 4 | Kathleen MacDonald High Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Solid 64/100 |
| 5 | New Valley Continuation High Santa Clara Unified Building Momentum | Needs Support 24/100 |
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.
What Scope Scores can't tell you about Santa Clara Unified
- 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