You're browsing Redfin on a Tuesday night. The listing says "top-rated school district." But top-rated by whom? Based on what?
We ranked every school district in Los Angeles County using our Scope Score — a weighted blend of exceeded rates, proficiency, growth trajectory, absenteeism, and suspension data from the 2025 CAASPP assessment. The default view shows All Levels (elementary, middle, and high school combined); use the tabs to drill into elementary or high school specifically. Here's what the data actually says.
The top 20 districts, ranked by Scope Score
| # | District | Avg Score | Schools | Avg Exceeded | Growth | Absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | La Canada Unified | Strong 87/100 |
4 | 62.6% | -0.7pp | 5.0% |
| 2 | San Marino Unified | Strong 86/100 |
4 | 61.0% | -0.8pp | 3.5% |
| 3 | Manhattan Beach Unified | Strong 84/100 |
7 | 57.9% | +5.4pp | 6.2% |
| 4 | South Pasadena Unified | Strong 82/100 |
5 | 58.4% | -2.8pp | 6.4% |
| 5 | Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified | Strong 78/100 |
15 | 53.8% | +3.2pp | 9.5% |
| 6 | El Segundo Unified | Strong 76/100 |
4 | 45.8% | +6.5pp | 8.4% |
| 7 | Walnut Valley Unified | Strong 75/100 |
14 | 49.0% | -1.8pp | 6.7% |
| 8 | Beverly Hills Unified | Solid 67/100 |
4 | 43.9% | -3.2pp | 14.1% |
| 9 | Redondo Beach Unified | Solid 67/100 |
12 | 41.6% | -3.0pp | 8.4% |
| 10 | Arcadia Unified | Solid 65/100 |
12 | 40.0% | +0.7pp | 8.2% |
| 11 | William S. Hart Union High | Solid 63/100 |
10 | 30.8% | — | 20.5% |
| 12 | Saugus Union | Solid 63/100 |
14 | 37.9% | -3.1pp | 6.1% |
| 13 | Torrance Unified | Solid 63/100 |
30 | 36.8% | -0.3pp | 11.2% |
| 14 | Las Virgenes Unified | Solid 62/100 |
15 | 34.4% | +0.7pp | 10.0% |
| 15 | Bonita Unified | Solid 62/100 |
13 | 37.6% | -4.8pp | 15.0% |
| 16 | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | Solid 62/100 |
16 | 36.9% | +0.5pp | 17.9% |
| 17 | Newhall | Solid 62/100 |
10 | 36.5% | +3.5pp | 10.5% |
| 18 | Temple City Unified | Solid 59/100 |
4 | 29.0% | -3.5pp | 19.0% |
| 19 | Culver City Unified | Solid 59/100 |
8 | 33.7% | -4.2pp | 17.1% |
| 20 | Alhambra Unified | Solid 58/100 |
29 | 32.0% | +0.3pp | 11.8% |
What surprised us
San Marino takes the overall #1 — quietly dominant across all levels
San Marino Unified leads LA County with a 91 All Levels Scope Score across just 4 schools. It's the kind of district that never makes clickbait headlines but consistently delivers: high exceeded rates, low absenteeism, strong results from elementary through high school. When you average everything together, nobody in the county does it better.
Manhattan Beach is still #1 for elementary — and the growth data shows why
Manhattan Beach Unified sits at #2 overall (91), nearly tied with San Marino. But switch to the Elementary tab and Manhattan Beach takes the crown: 92 average across 5 schools with the highest growth trajectory of any top-20 district at +6.8 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5. Students are improving as they move through elementary school, not coasting on strong incoming talent.
Their top school, Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary, scores 90 with 71.2% of students exceeding standard — one of the highest rates in the state.
La Cañada: #3 overall, powered by a dominant high school
La Cañada Unified ranks #3 overall at 91 — and the reason it's this high is La Cañada High School, which scores 93 and ranks #10 in the entire state. That high school pulls the All Levels average up significantly. On the elementary side, the story is different: 89 with a slightly negative growth trajectory (−0.7pp). Kids arrive strong and the schools maintain that — but they're not clearly adding momentum.
We wrote a deeper comparison of La Cañada vs. Westside schools if you're weighing that move.
El Segundo: the surprise entry at #4
El Segundo Unified at 87 across 4 schools isn't the name most parents think of when they think "top LA County district." But the data doesn't lie — strong proficiency across all levels, without the price tag of the beach cities or the SGV enclaves. Worth a look if you're searching south of the 105.
Palos Verdes: the growth + scale story
Fifteen schools, 87 overall, and +4.5pp elementary growth. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has one of the best combinations of scale and quality in the county. Cornerstone at Pedregal hits 93 — tied with Pennekamp among the county's highest individual school scores.
Burbank: the growth dark horse
Burbank Unified doesn't have the highest scores, but its +5.2pp average elementary growth is second only to Manhattan Beach. That's a district where schools are clearly teaching well — kids are getting better over time. R. L. Stevenson Elementary leads with a Scope Score of 63 and a remarkable +21.3pp growth trajectory.
Santa Monica-Malibu: the absenteeism outlier
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified scores well on academics (77 avg) but has 13.8% chronic absenteeism — the highest of any top-20 district by a wide margin. That's nearly 1 in 7 students missing 10% or more of school days. The reasons behind high absenteeism can vary widely; this data point affects the Scope Score and is worth understanding in context.
What these districts spend — and what it buys
Per-pupil spending adds another dimension to this list. Using the most recent federal finance data (NCES, FY2023 current expenditures — excluding one-time capital costs):
| District | Scope Score | Per Pupil Spending | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marino Unified | 91 | $16,945 | 2,751 |
| Manhattan Beach Unified | 91 | $18,039 | 5,895 |
| La Cañada Unified | 91 | $16,758 | 3,877 |
| El Segundo Unified | 87 | $13,614 | 3,508 |
| Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified | 87 | $14,998 | 10,457 |
| Burbank Unified | — | $14,592 | 14,432 |
| Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | 77 | $24,954 | 8,820 |
The standout: El Segundo and Palos Verdes. Both score in the top tier while spending below the state average of ~$17,500 per student. El Segundo at $13,614 per pupil is the leanest top-20 district in the county — and it scores higher than Santa Monica-Malibu, which spends nearly twice as much.
The flip side: Santa Monica-Malibu at $24,954 per student is the highest spender on this list by a wide margin. Its scores are solid but not elite, and it has that 13.8% absenteeism problem we flagged above. High spending doesn't automatically translate to high scores — how the money is spent, and the challenges a district faces, matter more than the raw number.
San Marino's efficiency is remarkable. The #1 overall district spends below the state average. So does La Cañada at #3. The SGV powerhouses are getting their results on modest budgets — driven by community engagement and low absenteeism, not big checks.
We built a deeper analysis of spending vs. outcomes across California if you want to dig into why money and scores don't correlate the way you'd expect.
Spending data: NCES Annual Survey of School System Finances, FY2023. Current expenditures exclude capital outlays. Full methodology →
The elephant in the room: individual schools matter more than districts
Here's the honest caveat. District averages hide enormous variation. Some of the best schools in LA County are inside districts that don't make this list at all.
Overland Avenue Elementary in LAUSD — yes, that LAUSD — scores 90 with 70.4% exceeded. It would be the top school in La Cañada. It would compete with the best in Manhattan Beach. But LAUSD as a district won't appear on any "best districts" ranking because its 500+ schools average out to a middling number.
The takeaway: Use this list as a starting point, not a final answer. Then search your actual zip code on SchoolScope and look at individual schools.
What this list doesn't capture
Our Scope Score measures test performance, growth, attendance, and discipline. It does not measure:
- Teacher quality or experience
- School culture and community feel
- Arts, music, and enrichment programs
- Class sizes within the school
- How your specific kid would thrive there
- Housing costs (Manhattan Beach and La Cañada are not the same budget)
Test scores are one lens. We say this often because it's true. A great school for your family might not be the highest-scoring one — but knowing the data helps you make that call with your eyes open.
Check your zip code
Don't just look at districts. The school down the street might surprise you.