Berkeley Unified School District

2020 Bonar St.
Berkeley, CA 94702-1793
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 10%

Top Rankings

Berkeley Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 10%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 15 public elementary schools serving 5,844 students in Berkeley Unified School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public elementary schools in California.
Public Elementary Schools in Berkeley Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 64% (versus the California public elementary school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 67% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 59% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public elementary school average of 80% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
18 Schools
7,664 Schools
# Students
9,116 Students
3,815,621 Students
# Teachers
479 Teachers
173,890 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
19:1
19:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Berkeley Unified School District, which is ranked #173 of all 1,903 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 93% has increased from 86% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#172 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 10%)
62%
34%
66%
47%
50%
29%
93%
86.2%
(2022-23)
14.7%
27.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.75
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
9%
12%
% Hispanic
23%
56%
% Black
11%
5%
% White
41%
20%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
16%
7%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $32,300 is higher than the state median of $26,022. The school district revenue/student has grown by 17% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $30,783 is higher than the state median of $22,604. The school district spending/student has grown by 9% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$294 MM
$150,628 MM
Spending
$281 MM
$130,845 MM
Revenue / Student
$32,300
$26,022
Spending / Student
$30,783
$22,604

Best Berkeley Unified School District Public Elementary Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Ruth Acty Elementary School
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 80-84%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
1465 Acton St.
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 644-6298
Gr: K-5 | 410 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 59%
Rank: #22.
Rosa Parks Environmental Science
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 75-79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
920 Allston Way
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 644-8812
Gr: K-5 | 393 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 57%
Rank: #3 - 43. - 4.
Berkeley Arts Magnet At Whittier
Magnet School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
1645 Milvia St.
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 644-6225
Gr: K-5 | 407 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 53%
Rank: #3 - 43. - 4.
Emerson Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2800 Forest Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 644-6890
Gr: K-5 | 283 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #55.
Willard Middle School
(Math: 69% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2425 Stuart St.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 644-6330
Gr: 6-8 | 596 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #66.
Cragmont Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
830 Regal Rd.
Berkeley, CA 94708
(510) 644-8810
Gr: K-5 | 290 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 62%
Rank: #77.
Martin Luther King Middle School
(Math: 64% | Reading: 71%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1781 Rose St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 644-6280
Gr: 6-8 | 851 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 58%
Rank: #88.
Oxford Elementary At West Campus
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1222 University Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 644-6300
Gr: K-5 | 254 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 60%
Rank: #99.
Washington Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2300 Martin Luther King Jr. Wa
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 644-6310
Gr: K-5 | 401 students Student-teacher ratio: 25:1 Minority enrollment: 61%
Rank: #1010.
Malcolm X Elementary School
(Math: 60% | Reading: 64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
1731 Prince St.
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 644-6313
Gr: K-5 | 469 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 58%
Rank: #1111.
Sylvia Mendez Elementary School
(Math: 55-59% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2840 Ellsworth St.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 644-6290
Gr: K-5 | 379 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 77%
Rank: #1212.
John Muir Elementary School
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 55-59%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
2955 Claremont Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94705
(510) 644-6410
Gr: K-5 | 293 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 49%
Rank: #1313.
Thousand Oaks Elementary School
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 50-54%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
840 Colusa Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94707
(510) 644-6368
Gr: K-5 | 337 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 56%
Rank: #1414.
Longfellow Arts And Technology Middle School
(Math: 40% | Reading: 46%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1701 San Pablo Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94702
(510) 644-6360
Gr: 6-8 | 462 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 71%
Rank: n/an/a
Berkeley Independent Study K-8
Alternative School
2701 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Berkeley, CA 94703
(510) 644-6159
Gr: K-8 | 19 students Student-teacher ratio: 10:1 Minority enrollment: 78%

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Quick Facts (2026-27)

  • District size: 18 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 9,116 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 19:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 59%
  • : 93% (Top 20% in CA)
  • : Top 10%
  • : 62% (Top 10%)
  • : 66% (Top 20%)
  • : 50% (Top 20%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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