California · Public and charter schools · 2025–26 data

California middle school rankings

Georgina P. Blach Junior High ranks first by Scope Score among the 2,529 California public and charter middle schools we score for 2025–26.

ElementaryMiddleHigh school

#1 Georgina P. Blach Junior HighLos Altos

Each dot is one of the top 25 middle schools.

Where

5of 25

are in Santa Clara County. The 25 schools are in 10 counties.

How high

Top1%

of California middle schools we score. All 25 are in it.

How you get in

7of 25

are charter schools. Each charter school sets how it admits students.

The ranking

Which 10 middle schools rank highest?

The list is ordered by Scope Score for 2025–26.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined

  1. Rank 1

    Georgina P. Blach Junior High

    Los Altos · Los Altos Elementary · Grades 7–8

    9% below the standard

    Scope Score 100Strong · 99th percentile

  2. Rank 2

    Ardis G. Egan Junior High

    Los Altos · Los Altos Elementary · Grades 7–8

    14% below the standard

    Scope Score 100Strong · 99th percentile

  3. Rank 3

    Mt. Everest Academy

    San Diego · San Diego Unified · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.

    10% below the standard

    Scope Score 99Strong · 99th percentile

  4. Rank 4

    Petaluma Accelerated CharterCharter

    Petaluma · Petaluma Joint Union High · Grades 7–8 · Check how it admits students.

    12% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  5. Rank 5

    Julius Cordes Elementary

    Mountain House · Lammersville Joint Unified · Grades K–8

    9% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  6. Rank 6

    Redwood Middle

    Saratoga · Saratoga Union Elementary · Grades 6–8

    12% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  7. Rank 7

    Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion CharterCharter

    El Dorado Hills · Buckeye Union Elementary · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.

    6% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  8. Rank 8

    Corral Hollow Elementary

    Tracy · Jefferson Elementary · Grades K–8

    16% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  9. Rank 9

    Evelyn Costa Elementary

    Mountain House · Lammersville Joint Unified · Grades K–8

    12% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  10. Rank 10

    Renaissance Arts AcademyCharter

    Los Angeles · Los Angeles Unified · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.

    9% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

Show schools 11 to 25Hide schools 11 to 25

  1. Rank 11

    Elkhorn

    Stockton · Lodi Unified · Grades 4–8

    8% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  2. Rank 12

    Vista Verde

    Irvine · Irvine Unified · Grades K–8

    14% below the standard

    Scope Score 97Strong · 99th percentile

  3. Rank 13

    South Pasadena Middle

    South Pasadena · South Pasadena Unified · Grades 6–8

    18% below the standard

    Scope Score 97Strong · 99th percentile

  4. Rank 14

    Bullis CharterCharter

    Los Altos · Santa Clara County Office of Education · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.

    8% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  5. Rank 15

    Sam H. Lawson Middle

    Cupertino · Cupertino Union · Grades 6–8

    15% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  6. Rank 16

    Central Middle

    San Carlos · San Carlos Elementary · Grades 6–8

    18% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  7. Rank 17

    Camarillo Academy of Progressive EducationCharter

    Camarillo · Oxnard Union High · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.

    16% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  8. Rank 18

    Yu Ming CharterCharter

    Oakland · Alameda County Office of Education · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.

    9% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  9. Rank 19

    Pacific Trails Middle

    San Diego · San Dieguito Union High · Grades 7–8

    16% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  10. Rank 20

    Science Academy STEM MagnetMagnet

    North Hollywood · Los Angeles Unified · Grades 6–12 · Check how it admits students.

    1% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  11. Rank 21

    The Pleasanton Virtual Academy

    Pleasanton · Pleasanton Unified · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.

    4% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  12. Rank 22

    Carmel Valley Middle

    San Diego · San Dieguito Union High · Grades 7–8

    19% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  13. Rank 23

    Design 39 Campus

    San Diego · Poway Unified · Grades K–8

    16% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  14. Rank 24

    Woodside Elementary

    Woodside · Woodside Elementary · Grades K–8

    14% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  15. Rank 25

    KIPP Summit AcademyCharter

    San Lorenzo · San Lorenzo Unified · Grades 5–8 · Check how it admits students.

    20% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

What the bars mean

Each bar averages a school’s English and math results across grades 6⁠–⁠8. Those are the grades this level’s score uses. The bar counts tests. Each student takes two tests, so the bar does not count students. “Proficient” does not include “Advanced”. “Below the standard” combines the state’s Developing level (formerly Nearly met) and Minimal level (formerly Not met), its two lowest. Each number is rounded to a whole percent. The Scope Score also uses other measures, so the bars do not set the order by themselves. Each school’s profile shows its results by subject, the number of students tested and the sources.

Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26, grades 6⁠–⁠8. Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. Two schools can show the same score. The school with the higher result before rounding is listed first. 2,529 middle schools scored on six measures. Data updated October 15, 2026. Read the methodology.

Browse all 2,529 middle schools on the map →

Who goes to these schools

Who do the top 25 serve?

At the typical top-25 school, 14 in 100 students come from low-income families. At the typical California middle school we score, 68 in 100 do.

14in 100

students from low-income families at the typical top-25 school

68in 100

at the typical California middle school
The figure for each of the 25 schools
  1. Georgina P. Blach Junior High4 in 100
  2. Ardis G. Egan Junior High10 in 100
  3. Mt. Everest Academy28 in 100
  4. Petaluma Accelerated Charter28 in 100
  5. Julius Cordes Elementary3 in 100
  6. Redwood Middle3 in 100
  7. Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter9 in 100
  8. Corral Hollow Elementary17 in 100
  9. Evelyn Costa Elementary6 in 100
  10. Renaissance Arts Academy64 in 100
  11. Elkhorn44 in 100
  12. Vista Verde10 in 100
  13. South Pasadena Middle15 in 100
  14. Bullis Charter5 in 100
  15. Sam H. Lawson Middle15 in 100
  16. Central Middle9 in 100
  17. Camarillo Academy of Progressive Education18 in 100
  18. Yu Ming Charter34 in 100
  19. Pacific Trails Middle12 in 100
  20. Science Academy STEM Magnet36 in 100
  21. The Pleasanton Virtual Academy14 in 100
  22. Carmel Valley Middle15 in 100
  23. Design 39 Campus7 in 100
  24. Woodside Elementary7 in 100
  25. KIPP Summit Academy76 in 100

Each dot is one of the top 25 schools. A dot’s place shows how many in 100 of the school’s students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. “Typical” is the middle school when schools are put in order by that figure. A school’s results depend on who enrolls and on what the school does. This chart does not show a cause. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2024–25.

Further down the list

Which top-scoring middle schools serve mostly low-income families?

These are the 5 highest-ranked middle schools where at least 60 in 100 students come from low-income families.

AdvancedProficientBelow the standardThe number on the left is students from low-income families, in every 100

  • Students from low-income families: 64in 100

    Renaissance Arts AcademyCharter

    Los Angeles · Los Angeles Unified · Check how it admits students.

    9% below the standard

    Scope Score 98Strong · 99th percentile

  • Students from low-income families: 76in 100

    KIPP Summit AcademyCharter

    San Lorenzo · San Lorenzo Unified · Check how it admits students.

    20% below the standard

    Scope Score 96Strong · 99th percentile

  • Students from low-income families: 73in 100

    Sarah McGarvin Intermediate

    Westminster · Garden Grove Unified

    22% below the standard

    Scope Score 95Strong · 98th percentile

  • Students from low-income families: 88in 100

    Richardson PREP HI Middle

    San Bernardino · San Bernardino City Unified

    13% below the standard

    Scope Score 95Strong · 98th percentile

  • Students from low-income families: 71in 100

    Edison Computech

    Fresno · Fresno Unified

    16% below the standard

    Scope Score 94Strong · 98th percentile

2 of these 5 schools are charter schools. Check how each school admits students. A school’s results depend on who enrolls and on what the school does. This list does not show a cause. Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data, 2024–25 (students eligible for free or reduced-price meals); California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26, grades 6⁠–⁠8.

Near you

Which ranked middle schools are near you?

Search a city, ZIP code or district to see the schools there.

Use my location

Districts

Which districts have the most middle schools at the 90th percentile or higher?

Los Angeles Unified has the most, with 12 of its 225 ranked middle schools (5%).

  1. Los Angeles Unified12 of 225 ranked schools · bottom 1% to 99th percentile
    5%of its schools
  2. Irvine Unified11 of 12 ranked schools · 85th to 99th percentile
    92%of its schools
  3. San Ramon Valley Unified7 of 8 ranked schools · 88th to 98th percentile
    88%of its schools
  4. Capistrano Unified7 of 17 ranked schools · 68th to 95th percentile
    41%of its schools
  5. San Diego Unified6 of 57 ranked schools · 1st to 99th percentile
    11%of its schools

The count is each district’s ranked middle schools at the 90th percentile or higher among the California middle schools we score. A large district can have the most because it has many schools, so each row also shows the count as a share. Each district on this list has at least 3 ranked middle schools. Source: SchoolScope count from California Department of Education data, 2025–26.

Year over year

Which middle schools’ results rose from spring 2025 to spring 2026?

1,513

middle schools had English or math results that rose.

These are the 8 with the highest Scope Scores. Ask a school on this list what changed.

  • Georgina P. Blach Junior High

    Los Altos Elementary

    Scope Score 100 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Rose
    Math
    Rose

  • Ardis G. Egan Junior High

    Los Altos Elementary

    Scope Score 100 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Held steady
    Math
    Rose

  • Mt. Everest Academy

    San Diego Unified · Check how it admits students.

    Scope Score 99 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Rose sharply
    Math
    Rose sharply

  • Julius Cordes Elementary

    Lammersville Joint Unified

    Scope Score 98 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Held steady
    Math
    Rose

  • Corral Hollow Elementary

    Jefferson Elementary

    Scope Score 98 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Rose
    Math
    Rose

  • Evelyn Costa Elementary

    Lammersville Joint Unified

    Scope Score 98 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Rose
    Math
    Rose sharply

  • Renaissance Arts Academy

    Los Angeles Unified · Charter school. Check how it admits students.

    Scope Score 98 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Rose
    Math
    Rose

  • Vista Verde

    Irvine Unified

    Scope Score 97 · Strong · 99th percentile

    English
    Held steady
    Math
    Rose

Source: California School Dashboard 2026. It compares spring 2026 results with spring 2025. “Rose sharply” is the Dashboard’s “Increased Significantly”. “Rose” is its “Increased”.

Where were 8th-grade results furthest above the same school’s 6th-grade results two years earlier?

This list compares each school’s 8th graders in spring 2026 with its 6th graders in spring 2024 (partly different children). The rise is the change in the school’s average English and math score, in test points. The largest rise is listed first. Schools that tested fewer than 40 students are left out. The typical middle school rose 48 points. That is the middle value of the 1,550 middle schools with enough students tested. On a visit, ask how the school helps students as they move from 6th to 8th grade.

  1. California Virtual Academy @ Los Angeles

    West Covina Unified · Charter school. Check how it admits students.

    +92points · 492 students tested

    Scope Score 85Strong87th percentile

  2. Innovations Academy of Palmdale

    Palmdale Elementary · Check how it admits students.

    +91points · 72 students tested

    Scope Score 85Strong87th percentile

  3. Harry Bridges Span

    Los Angeles Unified

    +89points · 143 students tested

    Scope Score 86Strong88th percentile

  4. General Grant Middle

    Kings Canyon Joint Unified

    +85points · 160 students tested

    Scope Score 87Strong90th percentile

  5. California Virtual Academy at Maricopa

    Maricopa Unified · Charter school. Check how it admits students.

    +85points · 103 students tested

    Scope Score 83Strong83rd percentile

Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2024 and spring 2026, grades 6 and 8.

Before you decide

How do I turn a ranking into a shortlist?

Three checks before you decide where to move or apply.

  1. Check your optionsConfirm attendance boundaries, eligibility, applications and transportation with the school or district. A place on this list does not guarantee admission.
  2. Compare the recordsOpen school profiles to compare English (reading and writing) and math results, attendance and suspensions. Ask each school what support it gives for your child’s needs.
  3. Ask on a visitHow do students get help when they fall behind, and what math pathways are available?

Each percentile uses only the state records behind the Scope Score. Class sizes, teacher turnover and student support aren’t in it, so ask about them on a visit. What the data cannot tell you. Methodology and sources.

Questions

Common questions

How are California middle schools ranked?

Each school’s percentile says what share of California middle schools it scored higher than; schools are compared only with other middle schools. The order comes from the Scope Score. From spring 2026, the state calls its top two levels “Proficient or Advanced” (formerly “Met or Exceeded”). The score is built from six measures:

  • Students scoring Advanced (weighted 42%)
  • Students scoring Proficient or Advanced (weighted 23%)
  • 8th graders compared with the school’s 6th graders two years earlier, partly different children (weighted 20%)
  • Students chronically absent, meaning they missed 10% or more of school days (weighted 5%)
  • Students suspended (weighted 5%)
  • English learners reaching the top level of the state’s English test (weighted 5%)

See the full methodology.

How many California middle schools does SchoolScope score?

SchoolScope has Scope Scores for 2,529 California middle schools using 2025–26 CAASPP results. That count is the regular public and charter schools we score, so it is smaller than the number of schools in the state. Private middle schools aren’t scored, since they don’t take the state tests.

What is the best middle school in California?

By Scope Score, Georgina P. Blach Junior High in Santa Clara County ranks highest among the 2,529 California middle schools we score for 2025–26 CAASPP, at the 99th percentile. Which school is best for a child still depends on what the family needs: test results, attendance or the feel of the campus can point to different schools.

More questions (3)

What are the top 25 middle schools in California?

The top 25 scored middle schools by Scope Score are listed on this page with their city, county, percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score and band. Explore the interactive map to find schools near you and open their full profiles.

What are the worst middle schools in California?

Every middle school we score is in the city, ZIP code and district lists, which run down to the lowest percentile, and on the map. Open a profile to read how 8th graders compared with the school’s 6th graders two years earlier, attendance and suspensions beside the score. Scores track family income and English-learner shares closely, so read those records before judging a school by its place in a list.

Is the Scope Score the same as a GreatSchools or Niche rating?

No. Rating sites weight different inputs in different ways. SchoolScope uses the CDE data year shown on this page, counts students at the top level (“Advanced”) separately from the level below it (“Proficient”), and shows each part of the score with its weight. Compare what each site shows parents.

How do these rankings work?

Why might two families choose different schools from this list?

The order combines six measures. Each family cares about some measures more than others.

A family that wants the most students scoring Advanced may choose one school. A family that wants high attendance may choose another. Both schools can be on this list. Source: CDE 2025–26 CAASPP, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Open a profile to read the subject results, how 8th graders compared with the school’s 6th graders two years earlier, the results for each student group, and the questions to ask on a visit.

How do we score middle schools?

The Scope Score weighs six measures and compares middle schools only with each other.

Middle school Scope Scores average the grades 6–8 state test results a school reports; a school needs grade 8 results to be scored. The growth part compares how each school’s 8th graders scored with its own 6th graders two years earlier (partly different children), against other middle schools with enough students in both grades, so a 7–8 junior high is scored without it.

Are a school’s 6th- and 8th-grade results from the same children?

Partly. The score sets a school’s 8th graders in spring 2026 against its own 6th graders in spring 2024: the same grade group two years on, but partly different children, since students move in and out.

One year’s 8th graders and the same year’s 6th graders are two different sets of children on two different tests, and the state’s bar rises with each grade, so that gap says little about a school.

Scores on the state test’s scale rise with each grade, so a school’s 8th graders nearly always score above where its 6th graders scored; what matters is how far. The score’s growth part places each school’s gain among other California middle schools.

Keep reading

Which guides help with the next step?

Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2025–26