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 2026-27 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
7,664 Schools
# Students
2,152 Students
3,815,621 Students
# Teachers
138 Teachers
173,890 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Carmel Unified School District, which is ranked #80 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 95% has decreased from 97% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#79 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 5%)

Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓

62%
34%

Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓

79%
47%

Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓

56%
29%
(21-22)
≥95%
87%

Showing 2013–2022. Full 12-year historical data available below ↓

(2022-23)
21%
27.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.56
0.64

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% American Indian
n/a
n/a

Showing 2001–2011. Full 16-year historical data available below ↓

% Asian
4%
12%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% Hispanic
21%
56%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% Black
n/a
5%

Showing 2007–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% White
62%
20%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓

% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
13%
7%

Showing 2014–2023. Full 15-year historical data available below ↓

All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $39,835 is higher than the state median of $26,022. The school district revenue/student has grown by 12% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $37,511 is higher than the state median of $22,604. The school district spending/student has grown by 14% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$86 MM
$150,628 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending
$81 MM
$130,845 MM

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Revenue / Student
$39,835
$26,022

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

Spending / Student
$37,511
$22,604

Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓

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

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 (26-27)

  • 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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