School district · Riverside County

Riverside Unified schools

Riverside Unified’s 32 public elementary schools run from the 5th to the 88th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). They sit in all four bands, from Strong to Needs Support.

Elementary · 32 schools

from 5th to 88th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Benjamin Franklin Elementary: 88th percentile, Strong
  • John F. Kennedy Elementary: 82nd percentile, Strong
  • Riverside Virtual: 75th percentile, Strong
  • Lake Mathews Elementary: 72nd percentile, Solid
  • Tomas Rivera Elementary: 72nd percentile, Solid
  • Castle View Elementary: 70th percentile, Solid
  • Mark Twain Elementary: 69th percentile, Solid
  • Mountain View Elementary: 63rd percentile, Solid
  • REACH Leadership STEAM Academy: 60th percentile, Solid
  • Bryant Elementary: 58th percentile, Solid
  • Pachappa Elementary: 58th percentile, Solid
  • Magnolia Elementary: 53rd percentile, Solid
  • Monroe Elementary: 46th percentile, Developing
  • Adams Elementary: 45th percentile, Developing
  • Washington Elementary: 40th percentile, Developing
  • Victoria Elementary: 40th percentile, Developing
  • Woodcrest Elementary: 38th percentile, Developing
  • Hawthorne Elementary: 36th percentile, Developing
  • Alcott Elementary: 32nd percentile, Developing
  • Fremont Elementary: 32nd percentile, Developing
  • Patricia Beatty Elementary: 32nd percentile, Developing
  • William Howard Taft Elementary: 29th percentile, Developing
  • Jefferson Elementary: 28th percentile, Developing
  • Harrison Elementary: 26th percentile, Developing
  • Highgrove Elementary: 25th percentile, Developing
  • Liberty Elementary: 22nd percentile, Needs Support
  • Madison Elementary: 21st percentile, Needs Support
  • Emerson Elementary: 21st percentile, Needs Support
  • Casa Blanca Elementary: 15th percentile, Needs Support
  • Harada Elementary: 15th percentile, Needs Support
  • Jackson Elementary: 8th percentile, Needs Support
  • Longfellow Elementary: 5th percentile, Needs Support
7Needs Support
13Developing
9Solid
3Strong

One dot per school.

Middle and high school pictures

Middle · 10 schools

from 21st to 96th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Riverside STEM Academy: 96th percentile, Strong
  • Riverside Virtual: 90th percentile, Strong
  • Frank Augustus Miller Middle: 81st percentile, Strong
  • Amelia Earhart Middle: 79th percentile, Strong
  • REACH Leadership STEAM Academy: 55th percentile, Solid
  • Matthew Gage Middle: 49th percentile, Developing
  • Central Middle: 34th percentile, Developing
  • University Heights Middle: 29th percentile, Developing
  • Sierra Middle: 27th percentile, Developing
  • Chemawa Middle: 21st percentile, Needs Support
1Needs Support
4Developing
1Solid
4Strong

High · 7 schools

from 28th to 98th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Riverside STEM Academy: 98th percentile, Strong
  • Martin Luther King Jr. High: 73rd percentile, Solid
  • Polytechnic High: 58th percentile, Solid
  • Riverside Virtual: 54th percentile, Solid
  • Arlington High: 37th percentile, Developing
  • Ramona High: 33rd percentile, Developing
  • John W. North High: 28th percentile, Developing
0Needs Support
3Developing
3Solid
1Strong

One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 3 of the 45 ranked schools teach more than one level, 1 of them all three, so they appear in more than one picture.

  • 45 ranked schools
  • 2 schools not ranked statewide

Schools around Riverside Unified

47 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 Riverside Unified score highest?

Benjamin Franklin Elementary is highest, at the 88th percentile.

That’s higher than 88 in 100 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Riverside Unified

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

Show the other 29 elementary schools
Context

The average elementary school in Riverside Unified had 16 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 Riverside Unified score highest?

Riverside STEM Academy is highest, at the 96th percentile.

That’s higher than 96 in 100 of the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in Riverside Unified

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

Show the other 7 middle schools
Context

The average middle school in Riverside Unified had 14 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 Riverside Unified score highest?

Riverside STEM Academy is highest, at the 98th percentile.

That’s higher than 98 in 100 of the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in Riverside Unified

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

Show the other 4 high schools
Context

The average high school in Riverside Unified had 13 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 enroll students differently from a regular school, so each is compared only with schools of its kind.

The district

Where does Riverside Unified’s money go?

Riverside Unified spent $20,502 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 61 cents of every Riverside 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

  • Instruction61%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services11%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance9%
  • Other1%

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, 38,678 students
1. Hispanic or Latino: 69%2. White: 16%3. Black or African American: 6%4. Asian: 4%5. Two or more races: 2%6. Not reported: 2%7. Filipino: 1%8. Pacific Islander: <1%9. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. Hispanic or Latino69%
  2. White16%
  3. Black or African American6%
  4. Asian4%
  5. Two or more races2%
  6. Not reported2%
  7. Filipino1%
  8. Pacific Islander<1%
  9. American Indian or Alaska Native<1%
Shares use the district's own October enrollment counts from the CDE, including its charter schools.

Free or reduced-price meals

74%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 28,606 of 38,573 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 Riverside 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, 46% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (2,111 of 4,579 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

2 schools getting state support, 2025–26

Alcott Elementary (Extra targeted support) · Madison Elementary (Extra 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 (5)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in Riverside Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Benjamin Franklin Elementary, 88th percentile (Strong). Middle: Riverside STEM Academy, 96th percentile (Strong). High: Riverside STEM Academy, 98th 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 Riverside 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 Riverside Unified good?

Riverside Unified’s 32 public elementary schools run from the 5th to the 88th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 3 Strong, 9 Solid, 13 Developing and 7 Needs Support. Riverside Unified’s 10 public middle schools run from the 21st to the 96th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 4 Strong, 1 Solid, 4 Developing and 1 Needs Support. Riverside Unified’s 7 public high schools run from the 28th to the 98th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 1 Strong, 3 Solid and 3 Developing. 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 Riverside Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in Riverside Unified had 16 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 Riverside Unified had 14 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in Riverside Unified had 13 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 Riverside Unified spend per student?

Riverside Unified spent $20,502 per student in the 2024–25 school year. That’s close to the typical California district, which spent $20,491. About 61 cents of every Riverside 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 Riverside 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.