School district · Los Angeles County

Pasadena Unified schools

In Pasadena Unified, 12 of 17 public elementary schools sit at or above the 50th percentile among California elementary schools we score; 2 of 10 public middle schools do (spring 2026 tests).

Elementary · 17 schools

from 2nd to 92nd · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Field (Eugene) Elementary: 92nd percentile, Strong
  • Sierra Madre Elementary: 89th percentile, Strong
  • Hamilton Elementary: 87th percentile, Strong
  • Aveson School of Leaders: 77th percentile, Strong
  • Willard Elementary: 76th percentile, Strong
  • Don Benito Fundamental: 73rd percentile, Solid
  • San Rafael Elementary: 69th percentile, Solid
  • Altadena Elementary: 62nd percentile, Solid
  • Norma Coombs Elementary: 58th percentile, Solid
  • Mary W. Jackson STEAM Multilingual Magnet Elementary: 57th percentile, Solid
  • Webster Elementary: 53rd percentile, Solid
  • OCS - South: 51st percentile, Solid
  • Longfellow (Henry W.) Elementary: 39th percentile, Developing
  • Pasadena Rosebud Academy: 26th percentile, Developing
  • Washington Elementary STEM Magnet: 13th percentile, Needs Support
  • Madison Elementary: 8th percentile, Needs Support
  • McKinley: 2nd percentile, Needs Support
3Needs Support
2Developing
7Solid
5Strong

Middle · 10 schools

from 7th to 84th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Sierra Madre Middle: 84th percentile, Strong
  • OCS - South: 65th percentile, Solid
  • CIS Academy: 39th percentile, Developing
  • Thurgood Marshall Secondary: 38th percentile, Developing
  • Octavia E. Butler Magnet: 33rd percentile, Developing
  • Aveson Global Leadership Academy: 31st percentile, Developing
  • Blair High: 29th percentile, Developing
  • Charles W. Eliot Middle: 28th percentile, Developing
  • Pasadena Rosebud Academy: 28th percentile, Developing
  • McKinley: 7th percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
7Developing
1Solid
1Strong

High · 5 schools

from 21st to 76th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Thurgood Marshall Secondary: 76th percentile, Strong
  • Pasadena High: 62nd percentile, Solid
  • John Muir High: 56th percentile, Solid
  • Blair High: 33rd percentile, Developing
  • CIS Academy: 21st percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
1Developing
2Solid
1Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 6 of the 26 ranked schools teach two levels, so they appear in more than one picture.

  • 26 ranked schools
  • 2 schools not ranked statewide

Schools around Pasadena Unified

28 listed public schools with mapped locations.

Open full map →

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Percentile among California schools at the same level

  • Strong75th+
  • Solid50–74th
  • Developing25–49th
  • Needs Supportbelow 25th
  • Not scored

The school lists on this page are also available without the map.

Elementary schools

Which elementary schools in Pasadena Unified score highest?

Field (Eugene) Elementary is highest, at the 92nd percentile.

That’s higher than 92 in 100 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Pasadena Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level. What patterns mean

Show the other 14 elementary schools
Context

The average elementary school in Pasadena Unified had 21 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once.

Middle schools

Which middle schools in Pasadena Unified score highest?

Sierra Madre Middle is highest, at the 84th percentile.

That’s higher than 84 in 100 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Pasadena Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

  • Sierra Madre MiddleSierra Madre
    84thStrongScope Score 58
  • OCS - SouthAltadena · Charter school. Check how it admits students.
    65thSolidScope Score 45
  • CIS AcademyPasadena · Check how it admits students.
    39thDevelopingScope Score 34
Show the other 7 middle schools
Context

The average middle school in Pasadena Unified had 27 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100.

High schools

Which high schools in Pasadena Unified score highest?

Thurgood Marshall Secondary is highest, at the 76th percentile.

That’s higher than 76 in 100 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Pasadena Unified

Each percentile compares a school with California schools at its own level.

Show the other 2 high schools
  • Blair HighPasadena
    33rdDevelopingScope Score 50
  • CIS AcademyPasadena · Check how it admits students.
    21stNeeds SupportScope Score 46
Context

The average high school in Pasadena Unified had 31 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100.

2 high schools not ranked statewide

Continuation schools and alternative schools enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with schools of its kind.

The district

Where does Pasadena Unified’s money go?

Pasadena Unified spent $30,937 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

The typical California district spent $20,491. About 45 cents of every Pasadena Unified dollar went to classroom instruction.

Spending by function

Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from the district’s annual financial report (SACS) to the California Department of Education. District-wide: it includes central administration and costs never assigned to one campus.

Share by function, 2024–25

  • Instruction45%
  • Instruction support14%
  • Student services9%
  • Administration7%
  • Buildings & maintenance25%

Shares of the same spending total, by the report’s spending categories, rounded so they add up to 100. Names are simplified from the report’s own categories.

The district’s plan

Every California district publishes a yearly plan, the LCAP: its goals and what it will spend to reach them. Search it for a program, grade or student group you care about.

Sources: Plans (California School Dashboard) ↗

Who goes to the district’s schools
Who attends

Student mix

2024–25 · October enrollment count, 15,009 students
1. Hispanic or Latino: 56%2. White: 18%3. Black or African American: 10%4. Asian: 6%5. Two or more races: 6%6. Filipino: 2%7. Not reported: 2%8. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%9. Pacific Islander: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. Hispanic or Latino56%
  2. White18%
  3. Black or African American10%
  4. Asian6%
  5. Two or more races6%
  6. Filipino2%
  7. Not reported2%
  8. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
  9. Pacific Islander<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.

Free or reduced-price meals

59%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 8,780 of 14,891 students qualify, summed from the CDE’s meal counts for every school it lists under the district, charters included. It comes from a different CDE file than the student mix, so the two totals differ.

The district’s state records

Is the state giving the district extra help?

The state is giving Pasadena Unified extra help in 2026, the second year after it qualified on the 2025 Dashboard.

How English learners moved up on the state’s English test

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 45% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (511 of 1,128 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

4 schools getting state support, 2025–26

1 in most intensive support · 1 in extra targeted support · 2 in targeted support

This list covers the district’s own schools; each charter school’s page shows its record. Federal designation under the Every Student Succeeds Act, 2025–26.

Sources: District help (CDE) ↗ · English learner progress (CDE) ↗ · School support (CDE) ↗. State results from the 2026 California School Dashboard.

Which places nearby can you look at next?

Cities in the district

More places (6)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in Pasadena Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Field (Eugene) Elementary, 92nd percentile (Strong). Middle: Sierra Madre Middle, 84th percentile (Strong). High: Thurgood Marshall Secondary, 76th percentile (Strong). Each percentile is among the California schools at the same level we score. A rank doesn’t decide fit or whether a child can enroll.

Does living in the Pasadena Unified district decide which school my child attends?

Not by itself. Attendance boundaries, programs, transfers and space all matter. Confirm the school for your address, grade and program with the district.
More questions (4)

Are the public schools in Pasadena Unified good?

Pasadena Unified’s 17 public elementary schools run from the 2nd to the 92nd percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 5 Strong, 7 Solid, 2 Developing and 3 Needs Support. Pasadena Unified’s 10 public middle schools run from the 7th to the 84th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 1 Solid, 7 Developing and 1 Needs Support. Pasadena Unified’s 5 public high schools run from the 21st to the 76th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 2 Solid, 1 Developing and 1 Needs Support. A percentile compares a school with California public schools at the same level that we score. How we score schools.

How does chronic absence in Pasadena Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Pasadena Unified had 21 in 100 students chronically absent (missed 10% or more of school days) in 2025–26; the average California elementary school we score had 17 in 100. Both are averages of school rates, each school counted once. The average middle school in Pasadena Unified had 27 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in Pasadena Unified had 31 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100. These are averages of school rates: each school counts once, whatever its size.

How much does Pasadena Unified spend per student?

Pasadena Unified spent $30,937 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 45 cents of every Pasadena Unified dollar went to classroom instruction. Day-to-day spending per student in average daily attendance, from its annual financial report to the California Department of Education. The district’s spending, by function.

Where do these results come from?

California’s state tests (CAASPP): spring 2026 for elementary and middle schools, spring 2025 for high schools, and chronic-absence rates for 2025–26, published by the California Department of Education. Percentiles, bands and Scope Scores are SchoolScope’s calculations. How we score schools.

Sources and methodology

This page lists the public schools governed and funded by Pasadena Unified, with the district’s spending and state accountability records.

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.

View CDE data ↗ (opens in a new tab)How Scope Scores work →

Download these schools (CSV)Free to use under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.