The Best Elementary, Middle Schools In San Diego County: U.S. News

SAN DIEGO, CA — Many elementary and middle schools in San Diego County are considered among the best in the state, according to new rankings released Tuesday by U.S. News & World Report.

The news outlet based its 2024 Best Elementary and Middle School rankings on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education, focusing on student proficiency in core subject areas.

These are the top 20 elementary schools in San Diego County, according to the report:

1. La Jolla Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, La Jolla
2. Pacific Rim Elementary, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad
3. Ocean Air Elementary, Del Mar Union Elementary, San Diego
4. Jerabek Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego
5. Carmel Del Mar Elementary, Del Mar Union Elementary, San Diego
6. Solana Highlands Elementary, Solana Beach Elementary, San Diego
7. Torrey Pines Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, La Jolla
8. Carmel Creek Elementary, Solana Beach Elementary, San Diego
9. Elevate, Elevate District, San Diego
10. Silver Gate Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego
11. Del Mar Heights Elementary, Del Mar Union Elementary, Del Mar
12. R. Roger Rowe Elementary, Rancho Santa Fe Elementary, Rancho Santa Fe
13. Bird Rock Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, La Jolla
14. Creekside Elementary, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
15. Park Village Elementary, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
16. Solana Vista Elementary, Solana Beach Elementary, Solana Beach
17. Del Mar Hills Elementary, Del Mar Union Elementary, Del Mar
18. Scripps Elementary, San Diego Unified School District, San Diego
19. Deer Canyon Elementary, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
20. Aviara Oaks Elementary, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad

These are the top 10 middle schools in San Diego County, according to the report:

1. Pacific Trails Middle, San Dieguito Union High, San Diego
2. Carmel Valley Middle, San Dieguito Union High, San Diego
3. R. Roger Rowe Middle, Rancho Santa Fe Elementary, Rancho Santa Fe
4. College Preparatory Middle, College Preparatory Middle District, Spring Valley
5. Arroyo Vista Charter, Arroyo Vista Charter District, Chula Vista
6. Aviara Oaks Middle, Carlsbad Unified School District, Carlsbad
7. Discovery Charter, Discovery Charter District Chula Vista
8. Oak Valley Middle, Poway Unified School District, San Diego
9. Muirlands Middle, San Diego Unified School District, La Jolla
10. Design 39 Campus, Poway Unified School District, San Diego

The U.S. News list includes data on more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools nationwide.

In the analysis, U.S. News looked closely at state assessments of students who were proficient or above-proficient in mathematics and reading/language arts, while also accounting for student backgrounds, achievement in core subjects, and how well schools are educating their students. Student-teacher ratios are applied to break ties in the overall score.

LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said the state and district-level rankings are intended to give parents a snapshot of their child's school and how well it's doing within its community.

"Easily accessible data on student-teacher ratio, district spending, and the number of school counselors available at the school can keep parents informed and involved," Jones said.

To be included in district-level rankings, at least two of the top performing schools must rank in the top 75 percent of the overall elementary or middle school rankings to qualify for district-level recognition.