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Towns with the best schools in California
Ranked by our Schools score out of 100, which is based on how many high-school students take AP, IB or college classes, how many students miss a lot of school, the graduation rate and class size, for the public schools in the town. Of the 499 towns in California with 1,000 or more people, these are the top 25.
Oak Hills ranks first with a score of 76. Loomis and St. Helena follow, with 75 and 74. Scores compare each town with all 27,850 towns we track across the US.
| Rank | Town | Score | High-school students in AP or IB classes | High-school students taking college classes | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oak Hills | 76 | 29.3% | 39.4% | 9,013 |
| 2 | Loomis | 75 | 22.6% | 27.6% | 6,853 |
| 3 | St. Helena | 74 | 33.3% | 11.7% | 5,318 |
| 4 | Palo Cedro | 73 | 36.2% | 41.4% | 3,685 |
| 5 | Carlsbad | 71 | 30.3% | 28.7% | 114,373 |
| 6 | Encinitas | 71 | 42.2% | 20.4% | 61,480 |
| 7 | Monterey | 70 | 68.9% | 20.1% | 29,613 |
| 8 | Solvang | 70 | 21.7% | 28.8% | 6,034 |
| 9 | Cambria | 70 | 64.0% | 50.9% | 5,978 |
| 10 | Palo Alto | 70 | 50.7% | 7.6% | 67,237 |
| 11 | Calabasas | 69 | 40.6% | 16.8% | 22,669 |
| 12 | Reedley | 69 | 17.1% | 26.7% | 25,609 |
| 13 | Danville | 68 | 45.7% | 2.7% | 43,401 |
| 14 | San Ramon | 68 | 46.3% | 1.8% | 85,993 |
| 15 | Rocklin | 68 | 34.1% | 12.6% | 73,327 |
| 16 | Goleta | 67 | 17.8% | 28.8% | 32,685 |
| 17 | Fremont | 67 | 35.1% | 12.2% | 228,295 |
| 18 | Newark | 67 | 24.6% | 21.8% | 46,903 |
| 19 | Mammoth Lakes | 67 | 30.6% | 31.7% | 7,214 |
| 20 | Orinda | 66 | 53.8% | 0.0% | 19,514 |
| 21 | Moraga | 66 | 55.9% | 0.0% | 16,769 |
| 22 | Walnut | 66 | 36.3% | 3.1% | 27,611 |
| 23 | El Dorado Hills | 66 | 35.4% | 7.0% | 51,026 |
| 24 | Piedmont | 66 | 49.5% | 1.7% | 10,945 |
| 25 | Millbrae | 65 | 23.4% | 13.7% | 22,689 |
This is not a test-score ranking, and graduation rates are from 2018 or 2019. Only towns with a high school of their own are listed, and a town does not show up when its students go to school elsewhere. Only towns with 1,000 or more people are ranked. Scores compare each town with all towns we track. See how we score towns and where the figures come from. These are estimates, so check official sources before you decide.
More rankings for California
- Most affordable towns to live in
- Towns with the most affordable housing
- Fastest-growing towns
- Towns with the best jobs and income
- Most walkable towns
- Towns with the lowest property taxes
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