Top 10 Best Counties with Best Public Schools in California (2021)
The top ranked counties for public schools in California are listed below (2021).
The ranking below is based on the percentage of schools within a county which have placed in the top 10% of all schools statewide.
A school's overall rank is based on its combined math and reading proficiency test score ranking. Schools are ranked and compared within their own state only.
Top Ranked Counties with Best Public Schools in California (2021)
County
% of Schools in
Top 10% Statewide
Top 10% Statewide
Top Ranked Schools
(Math Proficiency % | Reading Proficiency %)
(Math Proficiency % | Reading Proficiency %)
29%
(23 out of 78)
(23 out of 78)
- Old Mill Elementary School
Rank: #24 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: 90-94%) - Wade Thomas Elementary School
Rank: #93 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 85-89%) - Brookside Elementary School
Rank: #155 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 85-89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Marin County, CA Schools
27%
(115 out of 420)
(115 out of 420)
25%
(46 out of 183)
(46 out of 183)
- North Star Academy
Rank: #5 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 96% | Reading: 96%) - Ormondale Elementary School
Rank: #24 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: 90-94%) - College Park Elementary School
Rank: #70 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 92% | Reading: 87%) - View Full List of Top Ranked San Mateo County, CA Schools
21%
(57 out of 274)
(57 out of 274)
- Del Rey Elementary School
Rank: #39 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 92% | Reading: 90%) - Glorietta Elementary School
Rank: #48 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 89% | Reading: 91%) - Windemere Ranch Middle School
Rank: #54 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 89% | Reading: 90%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Contra Costa County, CA Schools
21%
(130 out of 627)
(130 out of 627)
19%
(75 out of 404)
(75 out of 404)
- Mission San Jose High School
Rank: #15 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 94% | Reading: 94%) - Mission San Jose Elementary School
Rank: #23 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 92% | Reading: 93%) - Beach Elementary School
Rank: #24 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: 90-94%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Alameda County, CA Schools
16%
(19 out of 118)
(19 out of 118)
- Oakhills Elementary School
Rank: #155 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 85-89%) - Valley View Elementary School
Rank: #292 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 78% | Reading: 84%) - Granite Bay High School
Rank: #299 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 74% | Reading: 89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Placer County, CA Schools
16%
(121 out of 770)
(121 out of 770)
14%
(18 out of 133)
(18 out of 133)
- Lowell High School
Rank: #76 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85% | Reading: 92%) - Chinese Immersion School At Deavila
Rank: #93 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 85-89%) - Mission Preparatory
Rank: #155 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 85-89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked San Francisco County, CA Schools
13%
(9 out of 68)
(9 out of 68)
- Oak Meadow Elementary School
Rank: #316 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 78% | Reading: 83%) - Lakeview Elementary School
Rank: #442 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 78% | Reading: 79%) - Rolling Hills Middle School
Rank: #630 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 72% | Reading: 78%) - View Full List of Top Ranked El Dorado County, CA Schools
11%
(9 out of 79)
(9 out of 79)
- Pacific Collegiate Charter
Rank: #260 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 77% | Reading: 86%) - Happy Valley Elementary School
Rank: #473 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 80-84%) - Mountain Elementary School
Rank: #473 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 70-74% | Reading: 80-84%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Santa Cruz County, CA Schools
9%
(194 out of 2,270)
(194 out of 2,270)
- Whitney (Gretchen) High School
Rank: #1 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 97% | Reading: ≥99%) - Millikan Science Technical Engineering And Math (STEM) Magnet
Rank: #2 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: ≥99% | Reading: 97%) - California Academy Of Mathematics And Science
Rank: #6 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: ≥95% | Reading: ≥95%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Los Angeles County, CA Schools
8%
(5 out of 65)
(5 out of 65)
- Robert E. Willett Elementary School
Rank: #327 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 77% | Reading: 83%) - Pioneer Elementary School
Rank: #556 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 76% | Reading: 78%) - Davis Senior High School
Rank: #576 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 72% | Reading: 80%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Yolo County, CA Schools
7%
(23 out of 347)
(23 out of 347)
7%
(16 out of 235)
(16 out of 235)
6%
(7 out of 126)
(7 out of 126)
- Cold Spring Elementary School
Rank: #24 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: 90-94%) - Montecito Union
Rank: #91 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85% | Reading: 91%) - Ballard Elementary School
Rank: #238 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 75-79% | Reading: 85-89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Santa Barbara County, CA Schools
5%
(20 out of 386)
(20 out of 386)
- Russell Ranch Elementary School
Rank: #124 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 86% | Reading: 87%) - Sandra J. Gallardo Elementary School
Rank: #136 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 84% | Reading: 87%) - Arnold Adreani Elementary School
Rank: #173 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 83% | Reading: 86%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Sacramento County, CA Schools
5%
(4 out of 81)
(4 out of 81)
- Teach Elementary School
Rank: #11 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: ≥95%) - Bellevue-santa Fe Charter
Rank: #93 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 85-89%) - Los Ranchos Elementary School
Rank: #463 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 77% | Reading: 79%) - View Full List of Top Ranked San Luis Obispo County, CA Schools
5%
(9 out of 185)
(9 out of 185)
- Petaluma Accelerated Charter
Rank: #11 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 90-94% | Reading: ≥95%) - Liberty Elementary School
Rank: #93 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 85-89% | Reading: 85-89%) - Technology High School
Rank: #121 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: 90-94%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Sonoma County, CA Schools
4%
(6 out of 151)
(6 out of 151)
- Robert Down Elementary School
Rank: #277 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 79% | Reading: 84%) - Carmel Middle School
Rank: #440 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 71% | Reading: 85%) - Pacific Grove High School
Rank: #498 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 65-69% | Reading: 85-89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Monterey County, CA Schools
4%
(21 out of 555)
(21 out of 555)
- Richardson Prep High School
Rank: #196 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 77% | Reading: 92%) - Day Creek Intermediate
Rank: #386 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 78% | Reading: 81%) - John L. Golden Elementary School
Rank: #412 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 75% | Reading: 82%) - View Full List of Top Ranked San Bernardino County, CA Schools
3%
(3 out of 89)
(3 out of 89)
- Union Street Charter
Rank: #200 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-89% | Reading: 80-89%) - Jacoby Creek
Rank: #575 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 69% | Reading: 82%) - Freshwater Charter Middle School
Rank: #746 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 70-79% | Reading: 70-79%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Humboldt County, CA Schools
3%
(7 out of 237)
(7 out of 237)
- Elkhorn
Rank: #6 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 95% | Reading: 96%) - Middle College High School
Rank: #112 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 80-84% | Reading: ≥95%) - Aspire Benjamin Holt College Preparatory Academy
Rank: #664 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 60-64% | Reading: 85-89%) - View Full List of Top Ranked San Joaquin County, CA Schools
2%
(9 out of 511)
(9 out of 511)
- Riverside Stem Academy
Rank: #19 of 9,602 (Top 1%)
(Math: 92% | Reading: 94%) - Western Center Academy
Rank: #367 of 9,602 (Top 5%)
(Math: 70% | Reading: 92%) - Temescal Valley Elementary School
Rank: #511 of 9,602 (Top 10%)
(Math: 73% | Reading: 81%) - View Full List of Top Ranked Riverside County, CA Schools
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