Palo Alto Unified School District

25 Churchill Ave
Palo Alto, CA 94306-1005
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 5%

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%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 5%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 1%)
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 2025-26 school year, there are 4 public middle schools serving 2,354 students in Palo Alto Unified School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 1% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Palo Alto Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 78% (versus the California public middle school average of 32%), and reading proficiency score of 83% (versus the 46% statewide average).
The top ranked public middle schools in Palo Alto Unified School District are Ellen Fletcher Middle School, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School and Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Minority enrollment is 73% of the student body (majority Asian), which is less than the California public middle school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
20 Schools
3,500 Schools
# Students
10,254 Students
1,853,978 Students
# Teachers
600 Teachers
87,804 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Palo Alto Unified School District, which is ranked #26 of all 1,910 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 98% has increased from 95% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#27 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 5%)
78%
34%
82%
47%
72%
29%
98%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.72
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
41%
11%
% Hispanic
16%
55%
% Black
2%
5%
% White
29%
22%
% Hawaiian
1%
n/a
% Two or more races
11%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $28,183 is higher than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $30,120 is higher than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$289 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$309 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$28,183
$19,974
Spending / Student
$30,120
$18,396

Best Palo Alto Unified School District Public Middle Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Ellen Fletcher Middle School
(Math: 79% | Reading: 88%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
655 Arastradero Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 856-9810
Gr: 6-8 | 549 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 74%
Rank: #22.
Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School
(Math: 81% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
480 East Meadow Dr.
Palo Alto, CA 94306
(650) 856-5188
Gr: 6-8 | 1,025 student Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 75%
Rank: #33.
Frank S. Greene Jr. Middle School
(Math: 73% | Reading: 79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
750 North California Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(408) 494-8120
Gr: 6-8 | 760 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 69%
Rank: n/an/a
725 Welch Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
(650) 497-8230
Gr: K-12 | 20 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1 Minority enrollment: 80%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 20 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 10,254 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 17:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 71%
  • : 98% (Top 1% in CA)
  • : Top 5%
  • : 78% (Top 5%)
  • : 82% (Top 5%)
  • : 72% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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