Students
2,309
enrolled at the 7 public schools with a Nevada City address.
Nevada City · Nevada County
Schools in Nevada City
Nevada City’s 3 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 70 to 75.
75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state.
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Open the map →Elementary schools
Which elementary schools in Nevada City score highest?
Nevada City School of the Arts is highest, with a Scope Score of 75. That is higher than 51 in 100 California elementary schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Nevada City School of the ArtsCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
172459% below the standard
Scope Score 75Solid · 51st percentile
Rank 2
Forest CharterCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.
1574% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 29th percentile
Rank 3
Twin Ridges Home Study CharterCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
1677% below the standard
Scope Score 70Needs Support · 21st percentile
8in 100
The average Nevada City elementary school had 8 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100.
1 elementary school not ranked statewide
Students are placed here by an IEP team, not by address and not by lottery, so we don’t rank it.
- Nevada County Special EducationSpecial education center
Each score compares a school with the 5,726 California elementary schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once.
Middle schools
Which middle schools in Nevada City score highest?
Nevada City School of the Arts is highest, with a Scope Score of 81. That is higher than 76 in 100 California middle schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Nevada City School of the ArtsCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
263440% below the standard
Scope Score 81Strong · 76th percentile
Rank 2
Seven Hills Intermediate
Nevada City Elementary · 95959 · Grades 4–8
222652% below the standard
Scope Score 79Solid · 70th percentile
Rank 3
Twin Ridges Home Study CharterCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–8 · Check how it admits students.
2371% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 31st percentile
Rank 4
Forest CharterCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.
1972% below the standard
Scope Score 72Developing · 30th percentile
Rank 5
Grizzly Hill
Twin Ridges Elementary · 95959 · Grades K–8
1287% below the standard
Scope Score 66Needs Support · 3rd percentile
18in 100
The average Nevada City middle school had 18 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
Each score compares a school with the 2,529 California middle schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2026.
High schools
Which high schools in Nevada City score highest?
Forest Charter is highest, with a Scope Score of 70. That is higher than 24 in 100 California high schools we score.
AdvancedProficientBelow the standardEnglish and math tests combined
Rank 1
Forest CharterCharter
Nevada County Office of Education · 95959 · Grades K–12 · Check how it admits students.
171964% below the standard
Scope Score 70Needs Support · 24th percentile
Rank 2
Sierra Academy of Expeditionary LearningCharter
Nevada Joint Union High · 95959 · Grades 9–12 · Check how it admits students.
141373% below the standard
Scope Score 70Needs Support · 22nd percentile
Each score compares a school with the 1,498 California high schools we score. Source: California Department of Education, state tests (CAASPP), spring 2025. The state called the top two levels Exceeded and Met in spring 2025.
Districts
Which districts run the schools here?
Three districts run the public schools with a Nevada City address. The home address decides which district serves a child. Charter schools are not counted here.
District
Nevada City Elementary
1school here
Middle. Seven Hills Intermediate.
District
Nevada County Office of Education
1school here
Elementary. Nevada County Special Education.
Open the district →District
Twin Ridges Elementary
1school here
Middle. Grizzly Hill.
Does living in Nevada City decide which school my child attends?
No. A city can hold schools from more than one district, and attendance boundaries decide which school serves an address. Confirm the school for your address with the district.
Charter and private
What other schools are here?
2 private schools have a Nevada City address. They don’t take California’s state tests, so we don’t score them.
- Echo Ridge Christian School95959 · 49 students
- Ananda Living Wisdom School95959 · 20 students
Open the private-school directory →
4 charter schools have a Nevada City address. They are in the lists above, marked Charter. Private school names and enrollment are from the California Department of Education’s private school filings and the federal Private School Survey.
Students
Who goes to school here?
2,309 students go to the 7 public schools with a Nevada City address. 45 in 100 qualify for free or reduced-price meals.
Low-income families
43–59%
of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, from the lowest elementary school to the highest. California: 63%.
Missing school
8in 100
students chronically absent at the average elementary school here. California: 17 in 100.
Students and meal counts: California Department of Education, free or reduced-price meal file, 2024–25. Chronic absence: California Department of Education, 2025–26, an average of school rates.
Common questions
What do parents ask about schools in Nevada City?
Are the public schools in Nevada City good?
Nevada City’s 3 public elementary schools have Scope Scores from 70 to 75. Of those, 1 is Solid, 1 is Developing and 1 is Needs Support. Nevada City’s 5 public middle schools have Scope Scores from 66 to 81. Of those, 1 is Strong, 1 is Solid, 2 are Developing and 1 is Needs Support. Nevada City’s 2 public high schools all have a Scope Score of 70. Of those, 2 are Needs Support. 75 is the typical California school. 100 is the best result in the state. How we score schools.
Which public schools in Nevada City rank highest?
Nevada City School of the Arts is the highest elementary school, with a Scope Score of 75. It is Solid, at the 51st percentile. Nevada City School of the Arts is the highest middle school, with a Scope Score of 81. It is Strong, at the 76th percentile. Forest Charter is the highest high school, with a Scope Score of 70. It is Needs Support, at the 24th percentile. Each score compares a school with the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.
How does chronic absence in Nevada City compare with California?
The average Nevada City elementary school had 8 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Chronically absent means a student missed 10% or more of school days. Each figure is an average of school rates. Each school counts once. The average Nevada City middle school had 18 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26. The average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.
Where do these results come from?
The test results are from California’s state tests (CAASPP). They are from spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools. The results are from spring 2025 for high schools. Chronic-absence rates are for 2025–26. The California Department of Education publishes both. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.
Next
Which places nearby can you look at next?
Nevada County Office of Education
The district that runs the public schools here.
Compare schoolsSee the same numbers for each school.
Open the mapSee these schools on the map.
School districts
Before kindergarten
Sources and methodology
This page lists the public schools with a Nevada City address. They can belong to more than one school district.
Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2025–26 elementary and middle school; 2024–25 high school
Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s own calculations from these state files.
State tests are the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP), springs 2025 and 2026.
Download these schools (CSV) Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.