California Middle Schools Rankings: Middle school scores get read as fate. Statewide, only 17% of kids exceed the standard — and the schools that change that aren't always the highest-scoring ones.
We score 2,177 California middle schools on grades 6–8 CAASPP, on how far one class of students travels from 6th to 8th grade, attendance, and suspensions. Schools diverge sharply through these years — following a single class is the only way to see it.
Elkhorn (San Joaquin County) is California's top-scoring middle school in SchoolScope's 2024–25 analysis, with a Scope Score of 97 out of 100 — one school of 2,177 scored. Source: CDE CAASPP, analyzed by SchoolScope. · Jump to the top 25 ↓
What kind of school are you looking for?
A single ranking rewards one kind of school. We classify every scored school into an archetype instead — the character of the school, read from its data. Start with the kind that fits your kid; the full top 25 follows.
A high-ceiling school — students here are pushed to exceed, not just meet, the standard.
A growth engine — its returning cohort gains more, grade to grade, than at most schools in the state.
No weak spot — academics, culture, engagement, and growth where we can measure it.
On the rise — students here gain faster than average, even with overall scores still catching up. Worth a closer look.
A solid, reliable choice — most students meet proficiency standards consistently.
Strong school culture with high family engagement, even if test scores are still developing.
Every school has strengths the data doesn’t fully capture. Visit and see for yourself.
The top 25 rankings
Ranked by Scope Score across 6 dimensions — a reference table, not a verdict. Two schools a point apart are effectively tied.
| # | School | County | Scope | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ElkhornSan Joaquin | San Joaquin | 97 | Strong |
| 2 | Julius Cordes ElementarySan Joaquin | San Joaquin | 97 | Strong |
| 3 | Sam H. Lawson MiddleSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 95 | Strong |
| 4 | William Hopkins MiddleAlameda | Alameda | 94 | Strong |
| 5 | Irvine International AcademyOrange | Orange | 92 | Strong |
| 6 | Joaquin Miller MiddleSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 92 | Strong |
| 7 | Evelyn Costa ElementarySan Joaquin | San Joaquin | 91 | Strong |
| 8 | Central MiddleSan Mateo | San Mateo | 91 | Strong |
| 9 | College Preparatory MiddleSan Diego | San Diego | 91 | Strong |
| 10 | Yu Ming CharterAlameda | Alameda | 91 | Strong |
| 11 | Science Academy STEM MagnetLos Angeles | Los Angeles | 90 | Strong |
| 12 | Redwood MiddleSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 90 | Strong |
| 13 | Bullis CharterSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 90 | Strong |
| 14 | EPIC AcademySan Joaquin | San Joaquin | 89 | Strong |
| 15 | Corte MaderaSan Mateo | San Mateo | 89 | Strong |
| 16 | Lilienthal (Claire) ElementarySan Francisco | San Francisco | 88 | Strong |
| 17 | Cottonwood CreekAlameda | Alameda | 88 | Strong |
| 18 | John F. Kennedy MiddleSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 87 | Strong |
| 19 | Orchard HillsOrange | Orange | 87 | Strong |
| 20 | Union MiddleSanta Clara | Santa Clara | 87 | Strong |
| 21 | Robert C. Fisler ElementaryOrange | Orange | 87 | Strong |
| 22 | Ralston IntermediateSan Mateo | San Mateo | 86 | Strong |
| 23 | Design 39 CampusSan Diego | San Diego | 86 | Strong |
| 24 | Tierra Linda MiddleSan Mateo | San Mateo | 86 | Strong |
| 25 | Harvest Park MiddleAlameda | Alameda | 86 | Strong |
A rank orders schools on one composite number; it doesn't sit in a classroom. Splitting "exceeded" from "met" recovers real differences a single proficiency rate erases — researcher Andrew Ho called percent-proficient a "funhouse mirror" that distorts what's actually happening at a school (Educational Researcher, 2008). Weighting growth alongside those levels tracks a school's real effect on students better than proficiency-only ratings do, tested against real school-lottery outcomes (Angrist, Hull, Pathak & Walters, American Economic Review: Insights, 2024). Neither study — nor this table — sees class size, teacher turnover, or how a campus actually feels to walk into. Two schools a point apart here are effectively tied. Full methodology and citations →
Is there a single "best" middle school in California?
By Scope Score, Elkhorn in San Joaquin County ranks highest among 2,177 scored middle schools for 2024–25 CAASPP (97/100). But one number can't tell you which school is best for your kid: a family chasing AP access and a family prioritizing a calm, low-absenteeism campus could reasonably land on different schools from the table below. Source: CDE 2024–25 CAASPP, analyzed by SchoolScope.
The archetypes above are the more useful starting point than the number one school in the state — they show why a school scores where it does, not just where it lands. Two schools a point apart in the rankings table are effectively tied; the exceeded rate, the growth trajectory, and the climate numbers underneath tell you more than the rank does.
Why we don't publish a "worst schools" list
Scores correlate strongly with poverty and English-learner concentration. A bottom-ranked list built from Scope Score alone would mostly describe neighborhood income, not what a school does for its students — and we'd rather not hand that list to anyone. Lower-scoring middle schools are still visible on SchoolScope, shown with their growth trajectory and climate data as context, not as a headline.
Do scores really drop in middle school?
Usually the answer people quote is an artifact. Comparing this year's 8th graders to this year's 6th graders looks like a drop, but those are two different sets of children sitting two different tests, and the state's bar rises with each grade. The gap between them says very little about what any school did.
The Scope Score answers it the other way round: it follows one school's returning cohort forward — this year's 8th graders against that same school's 6th graders two years earlier, mostly though not exactly the same kids. Measured that way almost every school in California gains ground, because children learn as they get older. So the number worth checking isn't the raw gain — it's how a school's gain stacks up against every other middle school in the state. That relative position is what the growth dimension of the score carries.
How middle school Scope Scores differ
Middle school Scope Scores use grades 6 and 8 CAASPP data (instead of grades 3 and 5 for elementary). The growth dimension follows the school's returning cohort from 6th to 8th grade and ranks that gain against every other California middle school. The six weighted dimensions: exceeded-standard rate (42%), met-or-exceeded rate (23%), grade-to-grade growth (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%).
Schools on the rise
Middle schools where the California School Dashboard shows Increased or Increased Significantly in ELA or Math vs. the prior year. This answers the question every parent asks: is this school getting better?
| School | Score | ELA Trend | Math Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julius Cordes Elementary | 97 | Increased | Increased Significantly |
| Sam H. Lawson Middle | 95 | Increased | Increased |
| Evelyn Costa Elementary | 91 | Increased | Increased |
| Central Middle | 91 | Increased | Increased |
| College Preparatory Middle | 91 | Increased | Increased |
| Science Academy STEM Magnet | 90 | Increased | Increased |
| Redwood Middle | 90 | Increased | Increased |
| Bullis Charter | 90 | Increased | Increased |
Data: California School Dashboard 2025 year-over-year change indicators
Growth heroes
Middle schools whose 6th-grade class travelled furthest by 8th grade — the returning cohort followed forward, not two grades compared in one year. The index is relative: 50 is the California middle school average. Schools testing fewer than 40 students are left out, because a handful of children can swing the figure.
| School | Score | Growth index |
|---|---|---|
| George De La Torre Jr. Elementary | 44 | 94 |
| Julius Cordes Elementary | 97 | 92 |
| Bernice Ayer Middle | 77 | 91 |
| California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles | 55 | 89 |
| Ramona Middle | 75 | 89 |
Top districts for middle school
Districts with the highest average middle school Scope Scores (minimum 3 schools).
Search middle schools near you
Find and compare middle schools by name, city, or zip code.
Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024–25
Frequently asked questions about ranking California middle schools
How are California middle schools ranked?
SchoolScope ranks middle schools with the Scope Score, a 0–100 rating built from 6 weighted measures: exceeded-standard rate (42%), met-or-exceeded rate (23%), grade-to-grade growth (20%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Schools are compared only to others at the same level — never mixed with a different grade band, and never averaged into a single letter grade. See the full methodology.
How many middle schools are there in California?
SchoolScope has Scope Scores for 2,177 California middle schools for the 2024–25 CAASPP school year, built from CDE data. That count includes traditional public and charter schools; private middle schools aren't scored, since they don't report the same state testing data.
What is the best middle school in California?
By Scope Score, Elkhorn in San Joaquin County ranks highest among 2,177 scored middle schools, at 97 out of 100 for 2024–25 CAASPP. "Best" still depends on what a family is optimizing for — academics, growth, or campus culture can point to different answers.
What are the top 25 middle schools in California?
The top 25 scored middle schools by Scope Score are ranked in the table on this page, each with county and score band. Browse all 2,177 scored middle schools on the interactive map, filterable by score, growth, and archetype.
What are the worst middle schools in California?
We don't publish a "worst schools" list. Scores correlate strongly with poverty and English-learner concentration, so a bottom-ranked list built from Scope Score alone would mostly describe neighborhood income, not what a school does for its students. Lower-scoring middle schools stay visible on SchoolScope, shown with growth trajectory and climate data as context.
Is the Scope Score the same as a GreatSchools or Niche rating?
No two rating sites use the same inputs. SchoolScope pulls current-year CDE data and separates "exceeded standard" from "met standard" — a split we haven't found surfaced prominently elsewhere. Whether other sites weight growth or absenteeism internally, we can't say; their formulas aren't fully public. Compare what's visible to parents.