Carmel Unified School District

4380 Carmel Valley Rd.
Carmel, CA 93923-7942
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 5%

Top Rankings

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

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 5%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 5%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 10%)
Student Attention
Lowest student-teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 4 public elementary schools serving 1,362 students in Carmel Unified School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 5% of public elementary schools in California.
Public Elementary Schools in Carmel Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 65% (versus the California public elementary school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 78% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 39% 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
9 Schools
7,671 Schools
# Students
2,152 Students
3,817,030 Students
# Teachers
138 Teachers
173,960 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Carmel Unified School District, which is ranked #80 of all 1,904 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 95% has decreased from 97% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#79 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 5%)
62%
34%
79%
47%
56%
29%
(21-22)
≥95%
87%
(2022-23)
21%
27.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.56
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
n/a
% Asian
4%
12%
% Hispanic
21%
56%
% Black
n/a
5%
% White
62%
20%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
13%
7%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $34,672 is higher than the state median of $20,100. The school district revenue/student has grown by 23% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $30,804 is higher than the state median of $18,512. The school district spending/student has grown by 21% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$75 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$66 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$34,672
$20,100
Spending / Student
$30,804
$18,512

Best Carmel Unified School District Public Elementary Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Carmel River Elementary School
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 80%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
Monte Verde St. And 15th Ave.
Carmel, CA 93922
(831) 624-4609
Gr: K-5 | 400 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 43%
Rank: #22.
Tularcitos Elementary School
(Math: 72% | Reading: 77%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
35 Ford Rd.
Carmel Valley, CA 93924
(831) 659-2276
Gr: K-5 | 447 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 35%
Rank: #33.
Carmel Middle School
(Math: 59% | Reading: 79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
4380 Carmel Valley Rd.
Carmel, CA 93922
(831) 624-2785
Gr: 6-8 | 468 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 37%
Rank: #44.
Captain Cooper Elementary School
(Math: 60-79% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
Highway 1
Big Sur, CA 93920
(831) 667-2452
Gr: K-5 | 47 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 62%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 2,152 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 16:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 38%
  • : ≥95% (Btm 50% in CA)
  • : Top 5%
  • : 62% (Top 10%)
  • : 79% (Top 5%)
  • : 56% (Top 10%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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