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Best public schools in Santa Cruz, CA

28 public schools in Santa Cruz: 12 elementary · 3 middle · 7 high · 2 K-8 · 3 combined · 1 schools. Ranked by our score, based on 2024-25 state test results.

Rankings renumber to share equal ranks and fill gaps when schools are hidden. Scores compare each school with schools of the same type across California.

Elementary schools

12 schools in Santa Cruz, best first
1
Happy Valley Elementary 95.5
Happy Valley Elementary · Grades K-6 · 122 students
ELA 80%Math 83%Science 64%
#210 of 4,688 in California
2
Westlake Elementary 84.1
Santa Cruz City Elementary · Grades K-5 · 471 students
ELA 67%Math 65%Science 63%
#744 of 4,688 in California
3
Brook Knoll Elementary 83.4
Scotts Valley Unified · Grades K-5 · 467 students
ELA 73%Math 65%Science 44%
#777 of 4,688 in California
4
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch 78.2
Santa Cruz City Elementary · Grades K-5 · 121 students
ELA 68%Math 48%Science 71%
#1,021 of 4,688 in California
5
Bonny Doon Elementary 74.4
Bonny Doon Union Elementary · Grades K-6 · 97 students
ELA 57%Math 52%Science 64%
#1,199 of 4,688 in California
6
De Laveaga Elementary 67.8
Santa Cruz City Elementary · Grades K-5 · 507 students
ELA 56%Math 47%Science 42%
#1,508 of 4,688 in California
7
Bay View Elementary 66.3
Santa Cruz City Elementary · Grades K-5 · 378 students
ELA 55%Math 47%Science 39%
#1,579 of 4,688 in California
8
Santa Cruz Gardens Elementary 57.8
Soquel Union Elementary · Grades K-5 · 204 students
ELA 49%Math 36%Science 44%
#1,977 of 4,688 in California
9
Gault Elementary 55.3
Santa Cruz City Elementary · Grades K-5 · 291 students
ELA 47%Math 38%Science 33%
#2,094 of 4,688 in California
10
Green Acres Elementary 55.0
Live Oak Elementary · Grades K-5 · 301 students
ELA 46%Math 44%Science 25%
#2,108 of 4,688 in California
11
Del Mar Elementary 46.6
Live Oak Elementary · Grades K-5 · 310 students
ELA 40%Math 38%Science 22%
#2,502 of 4,688 in California
12
Live Oak Elementary 41.7
Live Oak Elementary · Grades K-5 · 362 students
ELA 39%Math 30%Science 28%
#2,731 of 4,688 in California

Middle schools

3 schools in Santa Cruz, best first
1
Mission Hill Middle 78.1
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 6-8 · 500 students
ELA 59%Math 49%Science 49%
#291 of 1,326 in California
2
Branciforte Middle 72.3
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 6-8 · 435 students
ELA 60%Math 40%Science 41%
#368 of 1,326 in California
3
Shoreline Middle 68.0
Live Oak Elementary · Grades 6-8 · 463 students
ELA 50%Math 36%Science 53%
#425 of 1,326 in California

High schools

7 schools in Santa Cruz, best first
1
Pacific Collegiate Charter 97.0
Pacific Collegiate Charter District · Grades 7-12 · Charter · 540 students
ELA 86%Math 64%Science 69%
#52 of 1,729 in California
2
Santa Cruz High 86.0
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 9-12 · 1,104 students
ELA 69%Math 51%Science 51%
#242 of 1,729 in California
3
Harbor High 65.4
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 9-12 · 1,040 students
ELA 60%Math 26%Science 34%
#598 of 1,729 in California
4
Santa Cruz County Community 26.9
Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Grades 7-12 · 733 students
ELA 31%Math 6%Science 18%
#1,264 of 1,729 in California
5
Costanoa Continuation High 5.0
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 9-12 · 87 students
ELA 4%Math 0%Science 8%
#1,643 of 1,729 in California
–
Santa Cruz County Court —
Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Grades 7-12 · 24 students
No published test results
 –
Santa Cruz County ROP —
Santa Cruz County ROP · Grades 10-12 · 0 students
No published test results

K-8 schools

2 schools in Santa Cruz, best first
1
Tierra Pacifica Charter 76.1
Live Oak Elementary · Grades K-8 · Charter · 163 students
ELA 52%Math 52%Science 43%
#265 of 1,107 in California
2
Ocean Alternative Education Center 70.0
Live Oak Elementary · Grades K-8 · 74 students
ELA 50%Math 39%Science 60%
#333 of 1,107 in California

Combined schools

3 schools in Santa Cruz, best first
1
Alternative Family Education 90.6
Santa Cruz City High · Grades K-12 · 110 students
ELA 64%Math 38%Science 67%
#54 of 569 in California
2
Ark Independent Studies 56.9
Santa Cruz City High · Grades 6-12 · 52 students
ELA 53%Math 13%Science 26%
#246 of 569 in California
–
Santa Cruz County Special Education —
Santa Cruz County Office of Education · Grades K-12 · 99 students
No published test results

Schools

1 school in Santa Cruz
–
Special Education Preschool —
Live Oak Elementary · Grades M
No published test results

School districts serving Santa Cruz

Nearby cities and towns