Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District

375 Via Almar
Palos Verdes Estates, CA 90274-1277
(District boundaries shown in map)
10/
10
Top 5%

Top Rankings

Palos Verdes Peninsula 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%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 4 public middle schools serving 2,429 students in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 5% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 71% (versus the California public middle school average of 32%), and reading proficiency score of 78% (versus the 46% statewide average).
The top-ranked public middle schools in Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District are Ridgecrest Intermediate, Palos Verdes Intermediate and Miraleste Intermediate. Overall testing rank is based on a school's combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Minority enrollment is 63% 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
18 Schools
3,496 Schools
# Students
10,336 Students
1,854,189 Students
# Teachers
456 Teachers
87,800 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
23:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, which is ranked #45 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 stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#43 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 5%)
75%
34%
80%
47%
65%
29%
98%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.72
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
32%
11%
% Hispanic
15%
55%
% Black
2%
5%
% White
39%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $14,755 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has grown by 11% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,060 is less than the state median of $18,395. The school district spending/student has grown by 8% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$153 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$145 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$14,755
$19,974
Spending / Student
$14,060
$18,395

Best Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Public Middle Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Ridgecrest Intermediate
(Math: 77% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 5%
28915 Northbay Rd.
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
(310) 544-2747
Gr: 6-8 | 917 students Student-teacher ratio: 26:1 Minority enrollment: 77%
Rank: #22.
Palos Verdes Intermediate
(Math: 72% | Reading: 79%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
2161 Via Olivera
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
(310) 544-4816
Gr: 6-8 | 709 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 51%
Rank: #33.
Miraleste Intermediate
(Math: 63% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
10/
10
Top 10%
29323 Palos Verdes Dr. East
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
(310) 732-0900
Gr: 6-8 | 746 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 57%
Rank: #44.
Palos Verdes Distance Learning Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≥50% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
38 Crest Rd. West
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274
(310) 378-9966
Gr: K-12 | 57 students Student-teacher ratio: 29:1 Minority enrollment: 70%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 18 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 10,336 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 23:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 62%
  • : 98% (Top 1% in CA)
  • : Top 5%
  • : 75% (Top 5%)
  • : 80% (Top 5%)
  • : 65% (Top 5%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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