Berkeley Unified: Berkeley Unified middle schools lead at 69.3. A 33.5-point spread across all schools shows this is a district of contrasts.
Berkeley Unified has 16 ranked schools across elementary, middle and high levels with an average Scope Score of 67.3/100 — 22.4 points above the state average of 44.8. The highest-scoring school is Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier at 79/100, where 55.5% of students exceed the state standard. The district spends $18,919 per student (above the state average of $14,815). 1 school shows positive growth trajectories. Chronic absenteeism averages 16.0%, near the state average. Data source: CDE CAASPP 2025 and NCES fiscal data, analyzed by SchoolScope.
| Level | Avg Score | Schools | Exceeded | Absent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary | Solid 68.7/100 | 11 | 47.0% | 12.7% |
| Middle | Solid 69.3/100 | 3 | 41.6% | 10.8% |
| High | Solid 56.4/100 | 2 | 22.5% | 41.8% |
Berkeley Unified's middle schools average 69.3/100 — 26.7 points above the state average.
K–12 pipeline
The typical school path in Berkeley Unified, top-scoring shown first.
District Analysis
Berkeley Unified has 16 ranked schools with an average Scope Score of 67.3/100 — 22.4 points above the state average of 44.8 (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Strongest level: Berkeley Unified's middle schools lead the district with an average Scope Score of 69.3.
District-wide elementary growth averages -1.5pp (state avg: -2.9pp) — a declining trend worth examining school by school.
Score range of 33.5 points — showing significant variation between schools.
District chronic absenteeism averages 16.0%, 2.0pp near the state average of 17.9%.
District suspension rate averages 1.1%, near the state average of 1.6%.
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier leads the district at 79 with 55.5% exceeding standard.
How we score · Scope Score methodology
School archetypes in Berkeley Unified
Hidden gems: 1 school in Berkeley Unified is classified as Growth Engine — showing positive growth trajectories that raw proficiency scores alone don't capture. These are schools where students leave with more than they arrived with.
Archetypes are data-driven labels based on Scope Score dimensions. Learn more
Student demographics
District averages · California Department of Education enrollment data
District Funding
Berkeley Unified spends $18,919 per student in current expenditures — $4,104 above the state average of $14,815.
Data source: NCES Common Core of Data, Fiscal Survey (F-33) · 2019–2020
Teacher compensation
CDE Form J-90 salary schedule · 2024–25
Every school in Berkeley Unified
ranked by Scope Score · 2024–25 CAASPP
Elementary Schools (11)
Berkeley Unified has 11 ranked elementary schools averaging a Scope Score of 68.7 — 23.8 points above the state average of 44.8. 5 of 11 elementary schools score above 70.
Growth averages -1.5pp district-wide — a declining trend worth examining.
The highest-scoring elementary school is Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier with a Scope Score of 79 and 55.5% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier Berkeley Unified High Ceiling | 55.5% | Strong 79/100 |
| 2 | Ruth Acty Elementary Berkeley Unified High Ceiling | 62.7% | Strong 79/100 |
| 3 | Rosa Parks Environmental Science Berkeley Unified High Ceiling | 50.7% | Strong 72/100 |
| 4 | Cragmont Elementary Berkeley Unified Building Momentum | 46.5% | Strong 71/100 |
| 5 | John Muir Elementary Berkeley Unified Building Momentum | 45.5% | Strong 70/100 |
| 6 | Washington Elementary Berkeley Unified Strong All-Around | 45.7% | Solid 69/100 |
| 7 | Malcolm X Elementary Berkeley Unified Solid Base | 42.2% | Solid 65/100 |
| 8 | Oxford Elementary at West Campus Berkeley Unified Growth Engine | 45.9% | Solid 64/100 |
| 9 | Emerson Elementary Berkeley Unified Solid Base | 50.5% | Solid 63/100 |
| 10 | Thousand Oaks Elementary Berkeley Unified Strong All-Around | 39.2% | Solid 62/100 |
| 11 | Sylvia Mendez Elementary Berkeley Unified Strong All-Around | 33.0% | Solid 61/100 |
Middle Schools (3)
Berkeley Unified has 3 ranked middle schools averaging a Scope Score of 69.3 — 26.7 points above the state average of 42.6. 1 of 3 middle schools score above 70.
Growth is essentially flat at -0.1pp.
The highest-scoring middle school is Willard Middle with a Scope Score of 79 and 50.1% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Willard Middle Berkeley Unified High Ceiling | 50.1% | Strong 79/100 |
| 2 | Longfellow Arts and Technology Middle Berkeley Unified Building Momentum | 34.4% | Solid 67/100 |
| 3 | Martin Luther King Middle Berkeley Unified Strong All-Around | 40.1% | Solid 62/100 |
High Schools (2)
Berkeley Unified has 2 ranked high schools averaging a Scope Score of 56.4 — 12.7 points above the state average of 43.7.
The highest-scoring high school is Berkeley High with a Scope Score of 67 and 38.3% exceeding standard.
| # | School | Exceeded | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley High Berkeley Unified Strong All-Around | 38.3% | Solid 67/100 |
| 2 | Berkeley Technology Academy Berkeley Unified Building Momentum | 6.8% | Developing 46/100 |
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.
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 resources are distributed across schools within the district. Full methodology