School district · San Francisco County

San Francisco Unified schools

San Francisco Unified has public schools at every stage: 73 of the 5,726 California elementary schools we score, 27 of 2,529 middle and 17 of 1,498 high. Every stage has schools in all four bands, Strong to Needs Support (spring 2026 tests; high schools, spring 2025).

Elementary · 73 schools

from bottom 1% to 99th · among 5,726 California elementary schools we score · spring 2026 tests

23Needs Support
8Developing
14Solid
28Strong

Each column counts the schools in one five-percentile step; the number above it is that count.

Middle and high school pictures

Middle · 27 schools

from 3rd to 98th · among 2,529 California middle schools we score · spring 2026 tests

  • Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary: 98th percentile, Strong
  • Yu (Alice Fong) Elementary: 97th percentile, Strong
  • Lawton Alternative: 92nd percentile, Strong
  • Presidio Middle: 92nd percentile, Strong
  • Giannini (A.P.) Middle: 92nd percentile, Strong
  • Roosevelt Middle: 90th percentile, Strong
  • Rooftop Elementary: 86th percentile, Strong
  • Aptos Middle: 80th percentile, Strong
  • Brown Jr. (Willie L) Middle: 77th percentile, Strong
  • Marina Middle: 75th percentile, Strong
  • Hoover (Herbert) Middle: 74th percentile, Solid
  • Creative Arts Charter: 73rd percentile, Solid
  • KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy: 59th percentile, Solid
  • Mission Preparatory: 59th percentile, Solid
  • Gateway Middle: 56th percentile, Solid
  • Thomas Edison Charter Academy: 42nd percentile, Developing
  • Francisco Middle: 37th percentile, Developing
  • KIPP Bayview Academy: 28th percentile, Developing
  • King Jr. (Martin Luther) Academic Middle: 22nd percentile, Needs Support
  • Buena Vista/ Horace Mann K-8: 22nd percentile, Needs Support
  • Lick (James) Middle: 21st percentile, Needs Support
  • Denman (James) Middle: 20th percentile, Needs Support
  • Visitacion Valley Middle: 12th percentile, Needs Support
  • Carmichael (Bessie)/FEC: 7th percentile, Needs Support
  • Revere (Paul) Elementary: 5th percentile, Needs Support
  • Everett Middle: 4th percentile, Needs Support
  • San Francisco Community Alternative: 3rd percentile, Needs Support
9Needs Support
3Developing
5Solid
10Strong

High · 17 schools

from bottom 1% to 96th · among 1,498 California high schools we score · spring 2025 tests

  • Lowell High: 96th percentile, Strong
  • Asawa (Ruth) SF Sch of the Arts, A Public School: 93rd percentile, Strong
  • Washington (George) High: 77th percentile, Strong
  • Gateway High: 75th percentile, Strong
  • Lincoln (Abraham) High: 74th percentile, Solid
  • Balboa High: 60th percentile, Solid
  • Galileo High: 56th percentile, Solid
  • Wallenberg (Raoul) Traditional High: 46th percentile, Developing
  • Burton (Phillip and Sala) Academic High: 42nd percentile, Developing
  • KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory: 41st percentile, Developing
  • City Arts & Leadership Academy: 29th percentile, Developing
  • Independence High: 13th percentile, Needs Support
  • O'Connell (John) High: 6th percentile, Needs Support
  • Jordan (June) School for Equity: 4th percentile, Needs Support
  • Mission High: 2nd percentile, Needs Support
  • Marshall (Thurgood) High: bottom 1%, Needs Support
  • S.F. International High: bottom 1%, Needs Support
6Needs Support
4Developing
3Solid
4Strong

Each column counts the schools in one five-percentile step; the number above it is that count. One dot per school. Each stage is placed only among California schools at its own level. 11 of the 106 ranked schools teach two levels, so they appear in more than one picture.

  • 106 ranked schools
  • 4 schools not ranked statewide

Schools around San Francisco Unified

110 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 San Francisco Unified score highest?

Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila is highest, at the 99th percentile.

That’s higher than 99 in 100 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in San Francisco Unified

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

Show the other 70 elementary schools
Context

The average elementary school in San Francisco Unified had 27 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 San Francisco Unified score highest?

Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary is highest, at the 98th percentile.

That’s higher than 98 in 100 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests).

Highest in San Francisco Unified

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

Show the other 24 middle schools
Context

The average middle school in San Francisco Unified had 26 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 San Francisco Unified score highest?

Lowell High is highest, at the 96th percentile.

That’s higher than 96 in 100 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests).

Highest in San Francisco Unified

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

Show the other 14 high schools
Context

The average high school in San Francisco Unified had 41 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California high school we score had 22 in 100.

4 high schools not ranked statewide

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

The district

Where does San Francisco Unified’s money go?

San Francisco Unified spent $26,762 per student in the 2024–25 school year.

The typical California district spent $20,491. About 59 cents of every San Francisco 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

  • Instruction59%
  • Instruction support12%
  • Student services15%
  • Administration6%
  • Buildings & maintenance7%
  • 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, 55,840 students
1. Hispanic or Latino: 37%2. Asian: 28%3. White: 13%4. Two or more races: 8%5. Black or African American: 7%6. Filipino: 3%7. Not reported: 3%8. Pacific Islander: <1%9. American Indian or Alaska Native: <1%Student mix2024–25
  1. Hispanic or Latino37%
  2. Asian28%
  3. White13%
  4. Two or more races8%
  5. Black or African American7%
  6. Filipino3%
  7. Not reported3%
  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

54%

Across California, 63% of students qualify.

2024–25 · 30,186 of 55,494 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 San Francisco Unified extra help in 2026. A student group had the Dashboard’s lowest results (red) on two or more measures three years in a row.

It also qualified the year before.

Which students, on which measures

Homeless students
English and math
Students with disabilities
English and math

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

From spring 2025 to spring 2026, 43% of the district’s English learners moved up at least one level on the state’s English test (ELPAC), or stayed at the top (3,902 of 9,078 students). California: 47%. It counts students moving up the test’s levels, so a student can count here before becoming fluent.

19 schools getting state support, 2025–26

3 in most intensive support · 4 in extra targeted support · 12 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 (5)

Districts nearby

Common questions

Which public schools in San Francisco Unified rank highest?

Elementary: Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila, 99th percentile (Strong). Middle: Lilienthal (Claire) Elementary, 98th percentile (Strong). High: Lowell High, 96th 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 San Francisco 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 San Francisco Unified good?

San Francisco Unified’s 73 public elementary schools run from the bottom 1% to the 99th percentile among the 5,726 California elementary schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 28 Strong, 14 Solid, 8 Developing and 23 Needs Support. San Francisco Unified’s 27 public middle schools run from the 3rd to the 98th percentile among the 2,529 California middle schools we score (spring 2026 tests). By band: 10 Strong, 5 Solid, 3 Developing and 9 Needs Support. San Francisco Unified’s 17 public high schools run from the bottom 1% to the 96th percentile among the 1,498 California high schools we score (spring 2025 tests). By band: 4 Strong, 3 Solid, 4 Developing and 6 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 San Francisco Unified compare with California?

The average elementary school in San Francisco Unified had 27 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 San Francisco Unified had 26 in 100 students chronically absent in 2025–26; the average California middle school we score had 18 in 100. The average high school in San Francisco Unified had 41 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 San Francisco Unified spend per student?

San Francisco Unified spent $26,762 per student in the 2024–25 school year. The typical California district spent $20,491. About 59 cents of every San Francisco 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 San Francisco 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.