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California school rankings
Search by school, city or ZIP code. Each list compares schools at one level: elementary, middle or high.
Elementary schools
Which elementary schools rank highest in California?
William Faria Elementary ranks first among the 5,726 California public and charter elementary schools we score.
Rank 1
William Faria Elementary
Cupertino · Cupertino Union · Grades K–5
80155% below the standard
Scope Score 100Strong · 99th percentile
Rank 2
Herbert Hoover Elementary
Palo Alto · Palo Alto Unified · Grades K–5
8398% below the standard
Scope Score 99Strong · 99th percentile
Rank 3
Golden Elementary
Placentia · Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified · Grades K–6
711910% below the standard
Scope Score 99Strong · 99th percentile
Rank 4
Montecito Union
Santa Barbara · Montecito Union Elementary · Grades K–6
77185% below the standard
Scope Score 99Strong · 99th percentile
Rank 5
Tustin Memorial Elementary
Santa Ana · Tustin Unified · Grades K–5
69229% below the standard
Scope Score 99Strong · 99th percentile
See the top 25 elementary schools →
Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26, grades 3–5.
Middle schools
Which middle schools rank highest in California?
Georgina P. Blach Junior High ranks first among the 2,529 California public and charter middle schools we score.
Rank 1
Georgina P. Blach Junior High
Los Altos · Los Altos Elementary · Grades 7–8
Scope Score 100Strong99th percentile
Rank 2
Ardis G. Egan Junior High
Los Altos · Los Altos Elementary · Grades 7–8
Scope Score 100Strong99th percentile
Rank 3
Mt. Everest Academy
San Diego · San Diego Unified · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.
Scope Score 99Strong99th percentile
Rank 4
Petaluma Accelerated CharterCharter
Petaluma · Petaluma Joint Union High · Grades 7–8 · Check how it admits students.
Scope Score 98Strong99th percentile
Rank 5
Julius Cordes Elementary
Mountain House · Lammersville Joint Unified · Grades K–8
Scope Score 98Strong99th percentile
See the top 25 middle schools →
The bar shows the first school’s English and math tests combined. The dark part is Advanced and the light part is Proficient. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26, grades 6–8.
High schools
Which high schools rank highest in California?
Whitney (Gretchen) High ranks first among the 1,498 California public and charter high schools we score.
Rank 1
Whitney (Gretchen) High
Cerritos · ABC Unified · Grades 7–12
Scope Score 100Strong99th percentile
Rank 2
California Academy of Mathematics and Science
Carson · Long Beach Unified · Grades 9–12
Scope Score 99Strong99th percentile
Rank 3
Renaissance Arts AcademyCharter
Los Angeles · Los Angeles Unified · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.
Scope Score 99Strong99th percentile
Rank 4
Science Academy STEM MagnetMagnet
North Hollywood · Los Angeles Unified · Grades 6–12 · Check how it admits students.
Scope Score 99Strong99th percentile
Rank 5
Dr. TJ Owens Gilroy Early College Academy
Gilroy · Gilroy Unified · Grades 9–12 · Check how it admits students.
Scope Score 99Strong99th percentile
Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2024–25, grade 11. High school Scope Scores use spring 2025 tests. They include graduation and college-readiness records, which the state publishes a year after the tests.
School types
District, charter or private school?
Public and charter schools take California’s state tests, so we score them. Private schools do not take the tests, so they have no score.
Public schools
Public schools, charter schools included, take California’s state tests, and we compare them with schools at the same level.
Charter schools
Charter schools are public schools. Each one sets how it admits students, so check before you apply.
Private schools
See grades, enrollment and school details. Private schools don’t take the state tests, so we don’t score or rank them.
Preschools and child care
Find centers and family child care homes. Check program details and licensing records.
9,947 public schools across California, including charter schools, by the state’s own count (CDE, 2025–26). We list 9,812 open public and charter schools. Schools serving several levels may appear in more than one list.
Before you decide
What matters for your family?
Open a school for its English (reading and writing) and math results by grade, plus attendance, coursework, size and sources. On a visit, ask about support, activities and class sizes.
- What support does my child need?Look at attendance and school climate as well as test results. On a visit, ask about counseling and learning support. Ask how staff respond when a child needs help.
- Will my child be challenged?High school profiles show advanced courses and college readiness where schools report them. Ask the school who can take each course and what help students get.
- Which programs does my child care about?Ask about those programs. Ask who can join, when they meet and what they cost. State tests do not measure everything a school does.
- How large are the classes?Start with enrollment and reported staffing. Then ask the class size for your child’s grade. A ratio for the whole school is not a class size.
Questions
Common questions
How many schools are there in California?
California had 9,947 public schools in the 2025–26 school year, by the California Department of Education’s count. That total includes charter schools. Private schools and child care are counted separately. We rank the public schools with enough data, one list per level. A school that teaches several levels can be in more than one list, so don’t add the list counts together. CDE Fingertip Facts.
What are the top schools in California?
Each level has its own list, ordered by Scope Score (2025–26 elementary/middle; 2024–25 high school). The first elementary school is William Faria Elementary. The first middle school is Georgina P. Blach Junior High. The first high school is Whitney (Gretchen) High. Admission rules, programs and your family’s needs matter too.
What is the best school district in California?
We don’t rank districts. We score schools, and elementary, middle and high schools each on their own formula, so a district has no single score. Each level’s list counts which districts have the most schools at the 90th percentile or higher at that level. See the district counts for elementary, middle and high school.
More questions (4)
How do I find schools near me?
Enter your ZIP code, city or district in the search bar above, or use the location button. We list the public schools there, one list per level. Schools in that place are listed by Scope Score. For a ZIP code, the nearest schools around it come next, nearest first. Continuation, alternative and special-education schools are listed separately, each with a note on how it is compared.
What does the Scope Score mean?
The Scope Score is one number for a school. We calculate it from test results, attendance and other public school data. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. The percentile is the share of California public schools at the same level that the school scored higher than. The score cannot tell you whether a school is right for your child. See full methodology.
Can I compare charter and other public schools?
Yes. A search lists an area’s charter schools in their own section, and each charter row says to check how it admits students. Every row shows the school’s percentile among California schools at its level, and its Scope Score. A charter that is an alternative school is listed separately, compared only with other alternative schools. To compare English and math results, attendance and student groups, open profiles side by side.
Where does the data come from?
We calculate the Scope Score from California Department of Education (CDE) data: state test results (CAASPP), chronic absence, suspensions, graduation and the state’s college and career readiness measure. The student mix on each profile comes from the CDE chronic-absence file, and enrollment counts from the federal Common Core of Data (NCES). Profiles add records from the University of California, the College Board and the International Baccalaureate Organization. Score years: 2025–26 elementary/middle; 2024–25 high school. Each measure names its own source year. Every source we use is listed on About.
Keep reading
Which guides explain these results?
- 2026 CAASPP results: what changed across California?See what changed statewide and how the longer trend compares.
- Understanding the Scope ScoreRead the measures behind the Scope Score.
- CAASPP scores explained: how to read your child’s reportWhat the state’s four test levels and score ranges mean.
Data source: California Department of Education · California’s state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26 elementary/middle; 2024–25 high school · Methodology