2024 Best Middle Schools in California

Everything You Need to Know About Navigating Middle Schools In California

Middle school can be a challenging time for youth as they transition through adolescence. Spread across various cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, the state of California has a daunting amount of middle schools to choose from, the current total is 7172 - which is a whopping 8.8 times more than the average state. In terms of middle schools per resident, the state actually falls slightly below average (–6%) and lands in the #30 ranking spot. California middle schools on average score a B– which matches the national average. Most middle schools in California are between 400-500 students in size, with the precise average coming out at 465 students. This figure falls slightly above the national average by about 14%, which can mean the state offers a marginally larger academic environment than is typical in other states. Nearly half of all California middle schools fall above the national average (46%), which means there’s about 3308 different above average options for the active parent to choose from. This state also boasts a healthy 21 to 1 student to teacher ratio, which is 50% above the average class size in most states, this may contribute to great learning outcomes given the correlation between academic performance and individual attention from teachers.

Key Facts About Public Middle Schools in California

Jumping now into public schools, which make up 72% of all schools in the state, there are about 5138 school options. Most middle schools in the nation are around 400 Students, and in the state of California, the typical public school is about 35% larger than the national average, with the average public middle school having about 550 students in the state. The grade rating for public schools remains consistent with that of all schools in the state of california; B–.

Traditional Public Middle Schools

The largest type of public school in the state (and in the nation) traditional public schools, in other words those that are not charter, or magnet, or otherwise specialized. There are several thousand of those (4167 to be exact), and they also score better than the national average in California hailing a grade of a B– on average. Traditional schools make up about 81% of all public schools. Amongst those 4+ thousand schools, about 53% are rated above the national average. Although metrics like this shouldn't be your only input into a family's decision, it can be helpful to know that this 53% equates to about 2206 different middle schools that are scored above the national average. It's also worth noting that the typical traditional public school is likewise a bit larger than most middle schools; those in California are about 34% larger for example.

What is the Best Traditional Public Middle School in California

Shifting gears into which school is considered to be performing best amongst its peers - Riverside STEM Academy wins out as being number one amongst its traditional counterparts. The school has 655 students and an unspecified number of teachers however it’s likely around 65-70 based on student size and quality ranking. Parents often voice positive reviews about how well participating children do in academics especially due to advantageous class sizes with student to teacher ratio being below any specified rate..

All About Charter Schools in California

Another common type of public school nationally is charter school. Although these are less common than traditional public schools, there are still 790 available options in California - giving it 13th rank nationally per capita placing it above 1/3rd of all other states. So if you’re after a charter middle school option then you can rest assured knowing that there should be plenty of good options around you. Unfortunately charter schools have had less than ideal performance ratings across most states falling below the average - however California still manages to hold its own with an overall B grade - only slightly missing the national average. With 790 charter options, there are still 478 of which score above the national average in terms of quality rating, in other words, 61% of all options have proven to be very solid choices.

All you need to know about religious middle schools in California

Religious middle schools make up the majority of the private school options available in California. There are a total of 1203 options to choose from, and the average grade of all religious middle schools is an outstanding A. The volume of religious middle schools actaully ranks –16% lower than the average state per capita. Despite this, it's worth noting that the average school size is exactly equal to the state average, which beats the national average by 44%. Christian schools are by far the most popular choice in the state, making up 615 of those 1203 options.

What is the best religious middle school in California?

The Bishop's School located in San Diego takes first place for best religious middle school in California. This episcopal school has an exceptional A+ grade and has a student body size of just 800 students, which is well below the national average. The student-to-teacher ratio is 8:1, and this is also 43% more favorable than most other American middle schools.

What about private non-religious middle schools in California?

As we mentioned previously, private non-religious middle schools make up only 9% of all private school options in California. However, per capita that number is 41% higher than most states, which could be attributed to the tight knit network of esteemed academic institutions in the state. A+ grades are common among these private non-religious schools, with 187 of them scoring above the national average (29%, to be exact). Once again, school size is smaller than usual at 188 students on average (beating the national average by an impreessive 54%).

What is the best private non-religious middle school in California?

The highest rated private non-religious middle school in the state of California is The Nueva School located in Hillsborough. This high achieving school has an A+ grade and has a rather large student body of 853 students. What's even more impressive is that there are only six students per teacher/instructor, which means that students will have plenty of one-on-one time with faculty and staff. This ratio beats the national average by 57%, making it an ideal choice for parents looking for personalized learning experiences for their children.

Additional middle school options in California

What is the best all-boys middle school in California?

For parents seeking an all boys experience for their children’s middle school education there are 24 options available in California. Unfortunately these don't have a collective grade associated with them as a whole as some may score better than others but luckily there are several winners out there to choose from. One of those would be Army and Navy Academy located in Carlsbad which boasts an A+ grade and a student body size of just 240 students (about 8:1 student:teacher ratio beating national average by 43%).

What is the best all-girls middle school in California?

Parents looking for an all girls experience for their child’s middle school education will be pleased to learn that there are 20 such options available throughout California. Castilleja School located in Palo Alto stands out as one of the highest rated with an A+ grade and a student body size of 416 students (7:1 student:teacher ratio beats national average by 50%).

What is the best online middle school in California?

It's no secret that online education has become more popular year after year, and thankfully parents living in California have plenty of options at their fingertips with 141 uniquely online middle schools to choose from. The top option would be Stanford Online High School located near Redwood City which boasts an outstanding A+ grade and 923 total students enrolled (12:1 student:teacher ratio beats national average by 14%).