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 composite score — a weighted blend of exceeded rates, proficiency, growth trajectory, absenteeism, and suspension data from the 2025 CAASPP assessment. Here's what the data actually says.
The top 20 districts, ranked
| Rank | District | Avg Score | Schools | Avg Exceeded | Growth | Absenteeism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manhattan Beach Unified | 78.1 | 5 | 62.9% | +6.8pp | 3.1% |
| 2 | La Cañada Unified | 76.2 | 3 | 63.1% | −0.7pp | 3.5% |
| 3 | South Pasadena Unified | 73.3 | 3 | 59.6% | −4.2pp | 4.3% |
| 4 | Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified | 72.9 | 10 | 56.3% | +4.5pp | 7.7% |
| 5 | Redondo Beach Unified | 67.3 | 8 | 48.5% | −2.3pp | 6.3% |
| 6 | Walnut Valley Unified | 66.8 | 9 | 48.5% | −2.8pp | 6.1% |
| 7 | Arcadia Unified | 63.6 | 7 | 42.5% | +0.3pp | 5.8% |
| 8 | Santa Monica-Malibu Unified | 62.6 | 9 | 41.3% | +2.0pp | 13.8% |
| 9 | Las Virgenes Unified | 62.0 | 9 | 37.7% | −1.3pp | 7.7% |
| 10 | Torrance Unified | 61.8 | 17 | 39.1% | +1.3pp | 8.6% |
| 11 | Bonita Unified | 61.5 | 8 | 41.8% | −6.3pp | 10.8% |
| 12 | Culver City Unified | 61.5 | 5 | 41.0% | −4.2pp | 9.2% |
| 13 | Saugus Union | 61.2 | 14 | 38.1% | −3.1pp | 5.4% |
| 14 | Newhall | 61.0 | 10 | 37.9% | +3.5pp | 10.1% |
| 15 | Glendale Unified | 56.9 | 21 | 33.4% | −1.3pp | 10.4% |
| 16 | Rosemead Elementary | 56.0 | 4 | 30.3% | +1.7pp | 8.7% |
| 17 | Burbank Unified | 55.9 | 11 | 28.4% | +5.2pp | 11.2% |
| 18 | ABC Unified | 54.8 | 19 | 30.7% | −1.0pp | 10.6% |
| 19 | Glendora Unified | 54.8 | 5 | 28.9% | −6.7pp | 8.1% |
| 20 | Alhambra Unified | 54.2 | 13 | 32.1% | −6.4pp | 11.7% |
Data: 2025 CAASPP, CDE chronic absenteeism and suspension rates. Full methodology.
What surprised us
Manhattan Beach earns the top spot — and the growth data shows why
Manhattan Beach Unified doesn't just have high test scores. It has the highest average growth trajectory of any top-20 district: +6.8 percentage points from grade 3 to grade 5. That means students are improving as they move through elementary school, not coasting on strong incoming talent.
Their top school, Aurelia Pennekamp Elementary, scores 80.5 with 71.2% of students exceeding standard — one of the highest rates in the state.
La Cañada's reputation is earned, but not flawless
La Cañada Unified ranks #2, and the exceeded rates are impressive — 63.1% on average. But the growth trajectory is slightly negative (−0.7pp), which means 5th graders aren't outperforming 3rd graders. It's possible 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.
South Pasadena: strong scores, concerning growth
South Pasadena ranks #3 by composite, but the −4.2pp growth trajectory is the kind of thing that should give house-hunters pause. High absolute scores can mask a school that isn't adding much. Three schools is also a small sample — results can be volatile.
Palos Verdes: the growth + scale story
Ten schools, 72.9 average, and +4.5pp growth. Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified has one of the best combinations of scale and quality in the county. Cornerstone at Pedregal hits 80.4 — just behind Pennekamp for the county's highest individual score.
Burbank: the growth dark horse
Burbank Unified at #17 doesn't have the highest scores, but its +5.2pp average 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 composite of 66.1 and a remarkable +21.3pp growth trajectory.
Santa Monica-Malibu: the absenteeism outlier
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified scores well on academics (62.6 avg) but has 13.8% chronic absenteeism — the worst of any top-20 district by a wide margin. That's nearly 1 in 7 students missing 10% or more of school days. Whether that's affluent families treating school as optional, or something else, it pulls the composite down and is worth watching.
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 80.0 with 70.3% 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 composite 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.