Elementary Schools in San Diego, California: San Diego schools average 4.8 points above the state — but the range is 38.7 points wide.

Near Average2024–25 data176 schools · avg 48.1/100

San Diego, California has 176 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 48.1/100 — 4.8 points above the state average of 43.2. The highest-scoring school is Carmel Del Mar Elementary at 91/100, where 66.8% of students exceed the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment. San Diego schools average 27.0% exceeded standard (state: 21.3%) — this exceeded-vs-met distinction reveals whether schools push students beyond proficiency or pace toward it. Of 176 schools, 23 High Ceiling stand out for their performance profiles. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.7% (near the state average of 17.9%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

Avg Scope Score

48.1

State avg: 43.2

SchoolScope composite

Score Range

38.7

52.4 – 91.2

Avg Exceeded %

27.0%

State avg: 21.3%

CDE CAASPP 2025

Chronic Absenteeism

18.7%

State avg: 17.9%

CDE Attendance 2025

Schools Ranked

176

With Scope Scores

Level	Schools	Avg Score	Exceeded	vs State
Elementary	176	Developing 48.1/100	27.0%	+4.8
High	44	Solid 50.7/100	23.0%	+7.0
Middle	38	Developing 43.6/100	20.7%	+3.2

How San Diego schools compare

San Diego has 176 ranked elementary schools with an average Scope Score of 48.1/100 — 4.8 points above the state average of 43.2 (CDE CAASPP 2025).

The top-ranked school is Carmel Del Mar Elementary with a Scope Score of 91 and 66.8% of students exceeding standard.

Chronic absenteeism in San Diego averages 18.7% — near the state average of 17.9%.

How we score · Exceeded 40% · Met+Exceeded 22% · Growth 15% · Absenteeism 10% · Suspension 5% · ELPAC 5% · Baseline 3%

School archetypes in San Diego

38 Strong All-Around23 High Ceiling3 Culture First2 Solid Base3 Building Momentum

Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more

For the data nerds

Every school in San Diego

ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP

#	School	Exceeded	Score
1	Carmel Del Mar Elementary Del Mar Union Elementary High Ceiling	66.8%	Strong 91/100
2	Sage Canyon Del Mar Union Elementary High Ceiling	66.0%	Strong 91/100
3	Ocean Air Del Mar Union Elementary High Ceiling	67.5%	Strong 89/100
4	Solana Ranch Elementary Solana Beach Elementary High Ceiling	65.8%	Strong 89/100
5	Dingeman Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	68.8%	Strong 85/100
6	Canyon Crest Academy San Dieguito Union High High Ceiling	69.1%	Strong 84/100
7	Scripps Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	62.0%	Strong 84/100
8	Design 39 Campus Poway Unified High Ceiling	55.2%	Strong 82/100
9	Willow Grove Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	56.8%	Strong 81/100
10	Stone Ranch Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	56.5%	Strong 81/100
11	Monterey Ridge Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	61.9%	Strong 81/100
12	Rolling Hills Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	58.4%	Strong 81/100
13	Solana Highlands Elementary Solana Beach Elementary High Ceiling	59.2%	Strong 80/100
14	Deer Canyon Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	61.1%	Strong 80/100
15	Adobe Bluffs Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	59.6%	Strong 80/100
16	Mesa Verde Middle Poway Unified High Ceiling	50.5%	Strong 79/100
17	Pacific Sky Del Mar Union Elementary High Ceiling	50.3%	Strong 78/100
18	Oak Valley Middle Poway Unified Strong All-Around	49.0%	Strong 78/100
19	Marshall Middle San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	50.0%	Strong 77/100
20	Del Norte High Poway Unified High Ceiling	51.8%	Strong 77/100
21	Mt. Everest Academy San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	46.5%	Strong 77/100
22	Park Village Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	57.8%	Strong 76/100
23	Curie Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	60.1%	Strong 76/100
24	Ashley Falls Elementary Del Mar Union Elementary High Ceiling	55.3%	Strong 76/100
25	Scripps Ranch High San Diego Unified High Ceiling	53.0%	Strong 76/100
26	McKinley Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	52.0%	Strong 76/100
27	Westview High Poway Unified High Ceiling	50.1%	Strong 75/100
28	Torrey Hills Del Mar Union Elementary Strong All-Around	49.0%	Strong 74/100
29	Del Sur Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	53.1%	Strong 74/100
30	High Tech High Mesa SBC - High Tech High Strong All-Around	42.4%	Strong 74/100
31	Jerabek Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	56.8%	Strong 74/100
32	Holmes Elementary San Diego Unified High Ceiling	57.5%	Strong 74/100
33	Creekside Elementary Poway Unified High Ceiling	52.3%	Strong 74/100
34	Dailard Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	47.1%	Strong 72/100
35	Birney Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	45.7%	Strong 72/100
36	Hearst Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	48.1%	Strong 72/100
37	Green Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	49.0%	Strong 72/100
38	Sundance Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	41.4%	Strong 71/100
39	Torrey Pines High San Dieguito Union High Strong All-Around	42.2%	Strong 71/100
40	School for Entrepreneurship and Technology San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	38.8%	Strong 71/100
41	Westwood Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	49.0%	Strong 70/100
42	Miramar Ranch Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	48.2%	Solid 70/100
43	Marvin Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	48.7%	Solid 70/100
44	Canyon View Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	49.0%	Solid 69/100
45	Sycamore Ridge Del Mar Union Elementary Strong All-Around	49.4%	Solid 69/100
46	Ericson Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	49.7%	Solid 68/100
47	Barnard Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	46.2%	Solid 68/100
48	Kumeyaay Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	43.1%	Solid 68/100
49	Sunset Hills Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	41.7%	Solid 68/100
50	Los Penasquitos Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	47.0%	Solid 68/100
51	Benchley/Weinberger Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	45.2%	Solid 68/100
52	Challenger Middle San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	39.0%	Solid 67/100
53	University City High San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	36.1%	Solid 67/100
54	Jonas Salk Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	48.1%	Solid 67/100
55	Hickman Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	51.5%	Solid 66/100
56	Highland Ranch Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	39.5%	Solid 66/100
57	Magnolia Science Academy San Diego San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	36.6%	Solid 66/100
58	Standley Middle San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	40.6%	Solid 65/100
59	Sandburg Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	39.4%	Solid 65/100
60	Grant K-8 San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	45.6%	Solid 65/100
61	Pacific Beach Middle San Diego Unified Solid Base	43.7%	Solid 64/100
62	Hardy Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	38.8%	Solid 64/100
63	Henry High San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	32.7%	Solid 64/100
64	Point Loma High San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	29.2%	Solid 64/100
65	Mt. Carmel High Poway Unified Strong All-Around	35.3%	Solid 64/100
66	Rancho Bernardo High Poway Unified Strong All-Around	34.7%	Solid 63/100
67	Shoal Creek Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	40.9%	Solid 63/100
68	Black Mountain Middle Poway Unified Strong All-Around	33.7%	Solid 63/100
69	De Portola Middle San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	36.5%	Solid 63/100
70	Bernardo Heights Middle Poway Unified Strong All-Around	35.1%	Solid 62/100
71	Mission Bay High San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	39.0%	Solid 61/100
72	John Muir San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	32.3%	Solid 61/100
73	Mira Mesa High San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	31.5%	Solid 61/100
74	Chesterton Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	37.9%	Solid 61/100
75	Nye Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	35.2%	Solid 61/100
76	Elevate San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	46.1%	Solid 61/100
77	Longfellow K-8 San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	40.0%	Solid 61/100
78	Morning Creek Elementary Poway Unified Strong All-Around	40.6%	Solid 60/100
79	Sessions Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	33.9%	Solid 60/100
80	High Tech High International San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	26.9%	Solid 60/100
81	Doyle Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	41.6%	Solid 60/100
82	Bay Park Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	34.6%	Solid 59/100
83	Spreckels Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	40.9%	Solid 59/100
84	Tierrasanta Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	38.3%	Solid 59/100
85	Vista Grande Elementary San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	34.2%	Solid 59/100
86	Kavod Charter San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	31.8%	Solid 59/100
87	Lewis Middle San Diego Unified Strong All-Around	31.6%	Solid 58/100
88	Jefferson Elementary San Diego Unified Solid Base	37.4%	Solid 57/100
89	Sequoia Elementary San Diego Unified Building Momentum	34.2%	Solid 56/100
90	Canyon Hills High San Diego Unified Building Momentum	20.1%	Solid 56/100
91	San Diego Global Vision Academy San Diego Unified Culture First	29.6%	Solid 56/100
92	Pershing Middle San Diego Unified Culture First	28.8%	Solid 55/100
93	High Tech High San Diego Unified Building Momentum	23.3%	Solid 54/100
94	Pacific Beach Elementary San Diego Unified Solid Base	33.6%	Solid 54/100
95	Nestor Language Academy Charter South Bay Union Culture First	23.4%	Solid 54/100
96	Poway to Palomar Middle College High Poway Unified Building Momentum	22.2%	Solid 53/100
97	Ocean View Hills San Ysidro Elementary Building Momentum	32.5%	Solid 53/100
98	Bethune K-8 San Diego Unified Building Momentum	27.8%	Solid 53/100
99	Marston Middle San Diego Unified Building Momentum	27.5%	Solid 53/100
100	Gage Elementary San Diego Unified Culture First	28.0%	Solid 52/100

Source: CDE CAASPP 2025 · 258 schoolsMethodology · Explore all schools

Data source: California Department of Education · CAASPP 2024-25 · Methodology

Scores are SchoolScope's analysis of public data, not official CDE ratings. They represent one way of interpreting test results and should not be the sole basis for school decisions.

Private Schools in San Diego

Private schools don't participate in California's standardized testing (CAASPP) and cannot be scored or ranked. Showing enrollment, student-teacher ratio, and affiliation where available.

Cathedral Catholic High School

Roman Catholic · Grades 9-12 · 1612 students

16:1Private

Maranatha Christian Schools

Brethren · Grades Pre-K-12 · 855 students

13:1Private

Academy of Our Lady of Peace

Roman Catholic · Grades 9-12 · 750 students

17:1Private

St. Augustine High School

Roman Catholic · Grades 9-12 · 743 students

14:1Private

The Rock Academy

Brethren · Grades Pre-K-12 · 403 students

10:1Private

What Scope Scores can't tell you about San Diego

Numbers tell you whether students are clearing the bar. A school visit tells you whether they're happy doing it. These metrics are intentionally missing from the Scope Score: class sizes and student-teacher interaction quality; arts, music, athletics, and enrichment programs; teacher experience and turnover; campus safety and social-emotional support; parent and community engagement; quality of special education and gifted programs; how school zones and enrollment boundaries affect access. Full methodology

Frequently asked questions

Are the schools in San Diego good?

San Diego's 176 ranked elementary schools average a Scope Score of 48.1/100, which is 4.8 points above the state average. 27.0% of students exceed the state standard on average (state average: 21.3%). The Scope Score weights seven dimensions: exceeded standard (40%), met standard (22%), grade-level growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC proficiency (5%), suspension rate (5%), and baseline proficiency (3%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What is the best elementary school in San Diego?

The highest-scoring elementary school in San Diego is Carmel Del Mar Elementary with a Scope Score of 91/100 and 66.8% of students exceeding the state standard. Rankings are based on SchoolScope's 2025 Scope Score, which measures academic performance and school climate using publicly available California data. See full methodology.

How do San Diego schools compare to the state average?

San Diego elementary schools average a Scope Score of 48.1/100 — 4.8 points above the state average of 43.2. The exceeded rate averages 27.0% vs. 21.3% statewide. Chronic absenteeism averages 18.7% vs. 17.9% statewide.

How many schools are in San Diego?

San Diego has 176 ranked elementary schools with Scope Scores. Schools are ranked using a weighted composite of CAASPP test performance, growth trajectory, chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Schools with insufficient testing data are not ranked.

What does the Scope Score measure?

The Scope Score is SchoolScope's proprietary composite rating (0–100) based on seven dimensions of publicly available California school data: the exceeded-vs-met standard split, overall proficiency, grade 3–5 growth, chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, ELPAC English Learner proficiency, and baseline proficiency. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score separates students who "exceeded" from those who "met" the standard — revealing whether a school pushes students beyond proficiency or paces toward it. Full methodology and weights.

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