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 is 1 public preschool serving 15 students in Palo Alto Unified School District.
Public Preschools in Palo Alto Unified School District have a diversity score of 0.69, which is less than the California public preschool average of 0.74.
Minority enrollment is 60% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public preschool average of 80% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
20 Schools
48 Schools
# Students
10,254 Students
20,442 Students
# Teachers
600 Teachers
646 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
17:1
17:1

District Rank

Palo Alto Unified School District, which is ranked #26 of all 1,908 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
0.74
% American Indian
n/a
2%
% Asian
41%
7%
% Hispanic
16%
44%
% Black
2%
12%
% White
29%
21%
% Hawaiian
1%
2%
% Two or more races
11%
4%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $28,183 is higher than the state median of $19,978. 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 $18,399. 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
$19,978
Spending / Student
$30,120
$18,399

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

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Greendell
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 70-74% )
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
4120 Middlefield Rd.
Palo Alto, CA 94303
(650) 856-0833
Gr: K | 15 students Student-teacher ratio: 15:1 Minority enrollment: 60%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 20 schools
  • Grades: K-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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