Best public middle schools in California

Written by:
August 19, 2025
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Best public middle schools in California

Stacker compiled a list of the best public middle schools in California using data from the Niche. Niche uses five weighted factors for its rankings: academics grade, teachers grade, district overall grade, culture & diversity grade, and parent / student surveys. You can read more about the methodology here. Online schools were not included in the list.

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1 / 10
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#10. Pacific Trails Middle School

- School grades: 7-8
- Location: San Dieguito Union High School District, CA
- Enrollment: 980 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

2 / 10
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#9. Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School

- School grades: 6-8
- Location: Palo Alto Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 1,025 (15:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

3 / 10
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#8. Fletcher Middle School

- School grades: 6-8
- Location: Palo Alto Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 549 (14:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

4 / 10
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#7. The Preuss School UC San Diego

- School grades: 6-12
- Location: La Jolla, CA
- Enrollment: 826 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

5 / 10
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#6. Rancho Learning Center

- School grades: K-12
- Location: Arcadia Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 72 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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6 / 10
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#5. Granada Hills Charter

- School grades: K-12
- Location: Granada Hills, CA
- Enrollment: 6,014 (25:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

7 / 10
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#4. The Science Academy STEM Magnet

- School grades: 6-12
- Location: Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 513 (24:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

8 / 10
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#3. Riverside STEM Academy

- School grades: 5-12
- Location: Riverside Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 659 (26:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

9 / 10
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#2. Mt. Everest Academy

- School grades: K-12
- Location: San Diego Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 205 (17:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

10 / 10
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#1. Girls Academic Leadership Academy: Dr. Michelle King School for STEM

- School grades: 6-12
- Location: Los Angeles Unified School District, CA
- Enrollment: 718 (19:1 student to teacher ratio)
- Niche grade: A+

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