Top Rankings
Palo Alto 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 5%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 5%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
Student Attention
Lowest student:teacher ratio (Top 1%)
For the 2024 school year, there are 4 public high schools serving 3,977 students in Palo Alto Unified School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 1% of public high schools in California.
Public High Schools in Palo Alto Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 84% (versus the California public high school average of 34%), and reading proficiency score of 86% (versus the 56% statewide average).
The top ranked public high schools in Palo Alto Unified School District are Henry M. Gunn High School, Palo Alto High School and Greendell. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Public High School in Palo Alto Unified School District have a Graduation Rate of 96%, which is more than the California average of 85%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Henry M. Gunn High School, with 97% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in California or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 65% of the student body (majority Asian), which is less than the California public high school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
19 Schools
2,819 Schools
# Students
10,463 Students
2,202,926 Students
# Teachers
638 Teachers
101,134 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
16:1
16:1
District Rank
Palo Alto Unified School District, which is ranked #29 of all 1,167 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2020-2021 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 95% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#33 out of 1200 school districts
(Top 5%)
(Top 5%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
79%
34%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
80%
49%
Graduation Rate
95%
84%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.72
0.64
# American Indian Students
9 Students
11,449 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
4,108 Students
253,504 Students
% Asian Students
39%
12%
# Hispanic Students
1,558 Students
1,210,360 Students
% Hispanic Students
15%
55%
# Black Students
183 Students
118,808 Students
% Black Students
2%
5%
# White Students
3,352 Students
492,258 Students
% White Students
32%
22%
# Hawaiian Students
94 Students
9,615 Students
% Hawaiian Students
1%
n/a
# Two or more races Students
1,155 Students
103,544 Students
% of Two or more races Students
11%
5%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
-
-
# Students in K Grade:
709
24,268
# Students in 1st Grade:
681
22,398
# Students in 2nd Grade:
663
23,183
# Students in 3rd Grade:
706
23,195
# Students in 4th Grade:
733
23,339
# Students in 5th Grade:
710
23,640
# Students in 6th Grade:
755
31,567
# Students in 7th Grade:
756
40,814
# Students in 8th Grade:
817
43,546
# Students in 9th Grade:
906
484,001
# Students in 10th Grade:
947
494,744
# Students in 11th Grade:
1,036
478,449
# Students in 12th Grade:
1,044
489,782
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $27,620 is higher than the state median of $19,806. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $29,519 is higher than the state median of $18,241. The school district spending/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$289 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$309 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$27,620
$19,806
Spending / Student
$29,519
$18,241
Best Palo Alto Unified School District Public High Schools (2024)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Henry M. Gunn High School
(Math: 88% | Reading: 90%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 1%10
780 Arastradero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 354-8200
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 354-8200
Grades: 9-12
| 1,868 students
Rank: #22.
Palo Alto High School
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 85-89%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
50 Embarcadero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-3701
Palo Alto, CA 94301
(650) 329-3701
Grades: 9-12
| 2,010 students
Rank: #33.
Greendell
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
4120 Midfield Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 856-0833
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 856-0833
Grades: K-12
| 82 students
Rank: n/an/a
725 Welch Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 497-8230
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 497-8230
Grades: K-12
| 17 students
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