California school rankings
Search by school, city or ZIP code. Each list compares schools at one level: elementary, middle or high.
Browse schools by level ↓9,947 public schools across California, including charter schools, by the state’s own count (CDE, 2025–26). We list 9,813 open public and charter schools.
Explore our separate rankings: 5,726 elementary, 2,529 middle and 1,498 high schools. Schools serving several levels may appear in more than one list.
1 scored school in Capitola.
City results match the city in school addresses. Nearby schools may be listed under a neighboring city. Explore nearby schools on the map →
Middle school
Which middle schools are in Capitola?
New Brighton Middle places highest among middle schools in Capitola
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26.
Not sure what these scores mean? Read CAASPP scores explained: how to read your child’s report.
Nearby
Which other districts are nearby?
5 other districts have ranked schools within about 10 miles
Nearest first.
Live Oak Elementary 2.1 mi · ~5 min
- Elementary 4 ranked schools, 46th to 69th percentile
- Middle 3 ranked schools, 38th to 80th percentile
Santa Cruz City High 2.8 mi · ~7 min
- Middle 3 ranked schools, 55th to 80th percentile
- High 5 ranked schools, 6th to 86th percentile
Santa Cruz City Elementary 4.1 mi · ~10 min
- Elementary 5 ranked schools, 60th to 85th percentile
Pajaro Valley Unified 4.1 mi · ~10 min
- Elementary 19 ranked schools, bottom 1% to 71st percentile
- Middle 10 ranked schools, 1st to 58th percentile
- High 4 ranked schools, 17th to 82nd percentile
Scotts Valley Unified 6.3 mi · ~16 min
- Elementary 3 ranked schools, 66th to 88th percentile
- Middle 2 ranked schools
- High 2 ranked schools
Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. A level’s percentile range is shown where the district has 3 or more ranked schools at it. Source: California’s state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26 elementary and middle; 2024–25 high school. Counts cover each whole district. Distance runs from the center of this search to the center of the district’s ranked schools in this area, and drive times are rough estimates.
The area
How big are the schools here?
The average public school in these lists had 585 students in 2024–25
Staffing, private schools nearby, and the data behind this page.
Public schools
- Public schools in these lists
- 1
- Students at the average school, 2024–25
- 585
- Students per teacher at the average school, 2024–25
- 22
- Students eligible for free or reduced-price meals at the average school, 2024–25
- 30%
Private schools of all levels within 10 miles
Private schools don’t take California’s state tests, so we don’t score or rank them. Each enrollment names its source’s school year.
The 20 nearest private schools to this search.
- Twin Lakes Christian SchoolChristian (no specific denomination) · 398 students, 2021–22 · 1.2 mi
- Santa Cruz Montessori112 students, 2025–26 · 1.2 mi
- Good Shepherd Catholic SchoolRoman Catholic · 163 students, 2021–22 · 1.6 mi
- Chrysostom Classical Academy39 students, 2025–26 · 2.2 mi
- Midtown MontessoriNonsectarian · 5 students, 2021–22 · 2.2 mi
Show 15 more
- The Bay SchoolNonsectarian · 34 students, 2021–22 · 2.3 mi
- Vhm Christian SchoolSeventh-Day Adventist · 62 students, 2021–22 · 2.4 mi
- Merit AcademyNonsectarian · 24 students, 2021–22 · 2.9 mi
- Santa Cruz Childrens SchoolNonsectarian · 48 students, 2021–22 · 3.2 mi
- Orchard SchoolNonsectarian · 45 students, 2021–22 · 3.7 mi
- Holy Cross SchoolRoman Catholic · 139 students, 2021–22 · 4.5 mi
- St. Abraham's Classical Christian Academy86 students, 2025–26 · 4.8 mi
- Spring Hill-Advanced Elementary School of Santa CrNonsectarian · 33 students, 2021–22 · 4.9 mi
- Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School119 students, 2025–26 · 5.1 mi
- Gateway SchoolNonsectarian · 181 students, 2021–22 · 5.9 mi
- Baymonte Christian SchoolChristian (no specific denomination) · 332 students, 2021–22 · 6.6 mi
- Santa Cruz Waldorf SchoolNonsectarian · 128 students, 2021–22 · 7.2 mi
- Salesian Elementary & Junior High SchoolRoman Catholic · 168 students, 2021–22 · 7.3 mi
- Monterey Bay AcademySeventh-Day Adventist · 164 students, 2021–22 · 7.7 mi
- Monte Vista Christian SchoolChristian (no specific denomination) · 711 students, 2021–22 · 10.0 mi
California’s state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26 elementary/middle; 2024–25 high school · Enrollment, staffing and meals: federal school directory (NCES), 2024–25; private schools: the federal private-school survey or the school’s filing with the state · Download this view as CSV (free, CC BY 4.0 with attribution) · Methodology
District, charter or private school?
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.
How do you get from a list of schools to a visit?
Find schools you can attend
Check your address, how to apply and the trip to school.
Read the results
Look at tested grades, progress and support beyond the overall result.
Make a shortlist
Compare profiles side by side, then take your questions on a visit.
Common questions
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 the place itself run by Scope Score. For a ZIP code, the nearest schools around it follow, nearest first. Continuation, alternative and special-education schools are listed apart, each with a note on how it is compared.
What does the Scope Score mean?
A school’s percentile says how it compares with California public schools at the same level: the share of those schools it scored higher than. It comes from the Scope Score, a composite of test results, attendance and other public school data. It cannot tell you everything about a school or whether it is the right fit 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 apart, compared only with other alternative schools. To compare English (reading and writing) and math results, attendance and student groups, open profiles side by side.
More questions (1)
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.
Which guides explain these results?
Data source: California Department of Education · California’s state tests (CAASPP), 2025–26 elementary/middle; 2024–25 high school · Methodology