NCES CCD 2024-25 234 schools CA

Best-Resourced Schools in San Jose, CA

234 public K-12 schools in San Jose from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.

234 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.

The highest-ranked of San Jose's 234 public schools is Evergreen Valley High, scoring 32/100, against a city average of 30.3/100. Computed live across every San Jose campus reporting to NCES.

Every public school in San Jose, CA, ranked by Resource Investment Index.

234
Schools
126,410
Students
30.3/100
Avg Quality
22.7:1
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio

How the San Jose Public-School Landscape Breaks Down

San Jose, CA enrolls 126,410 students across 234 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. Of those, 52 are charter schools, giving families genuine alternatives to the traditional neighbourhood assignment model. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 22.7:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 30.3/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.

The most-resourced campus in San Jose on this index is Evergreen Valley High, at 32/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 2,703 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.

San Jose spans 17 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.

San Jose school enrollment varies 4.3× across entities

San Jose school enrollment ranges from 627 students (lowest) to 2,703 students (highest), a spread of 2,076 students. That relatively narrow ratio reflects an unusually homogeneous school portfolio for a city this size. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

San Jose operates 17 school districts — one of the single most fragmented governance structures in the country

Each school district has independent budgeting, hiring, and service delivery authority, and the sheer count here puts it in the extreme tail of fragmentation nationally. The fragmentation reflects historical patterns of inter-municipal boundary lines that pre-date modern city growth, students in different parts of the same city can attend different districts with different per-pupil spending, calendars, and graduation requirements. Per-region variation is largest in fragmented systems because each school district sets its own budget, contracts, and priorities without higher-level coordination above the regulatory floor.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

San Jose student-teacher ratio is 22.7:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)

student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe NCES Common Core of Data, Public School Universe

San Jose has higher-than-average charter school authorisation eligibility — 22.2% of the population qualifies for charter-school enrollment options

charter-school enrollment options eligibility is the federal threshold for charter school authorisation funding allocations, established under the state-specific charter law. Eligibility here is approaching the 30% concentration-grant threshold; it does not yet unlock the extra funding tier but sits meaningfully above the baseline 10% majority mark. Regions with eligibility this high typically draw a substantially larger federal funding share relative to their local tax base, which can either offset or reinforce existing gaps depending on allocation policy.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

# School Score
1. Evergreen Valley High 32
2. Independence High 24
3. Silver Creek High 29
4. Santa Teresa High 31
5. Piedmont Hills High 33
6. Leigh High 26
7. Branham High 31
8. Lynbrook High 30
9. Yerba Buena High 29
10. Abraham Lincoln High 26
11. Andrew P. Hill High 24
12. Willow Glen High 25
13. Leland High 34
14. Pioneer High 33
15. Oak Grove High 22
16. William C. Overfelt High 22
17. Del Mar High 25
18. Willow Glen Middle 28
19. Union Middle 30
20. Joaquin Miller Middle 34
21. Mt. Pleasant High 27
22. Price Charter Middle 29
23. Easterbrook Discovery 39
24. Herbert Hoover Middle 27
25. Dartmouth Middle 27
26. San Jose High 25
27. Castillero Middle 37
28. James Lick High 29
29. Bret Harte Middle 40
30. Quimby Oak Middle 28
31. Merritt Trace Elementary 13
32. Chaboya Middle 30
33. Santa Clara County Special Education 32
34. Gunderson High 29
35. Sierramont Middle 25
36. Orchard Elementary 30
37. University Preparatory Academy Charter 44
38. Tom Matsumoto Elementary 41
39. Herman (Leonard) Intermediate 39
40. John Muir Middle 27
41. Booksin Elementary 36
42. Moreland Middle 24
43. Kathleen Macdonald High 40
44. Monroe Middle 28
45. Bernal Intermediate 40
46. Morrill Middle 23
47. Willow Glen Elementary 12
48. Escuela Popular/Center for Training and Careers Family Lrng 15
49. Carlton Elementary 38
50. Oster Elementary 38

Showing top 50 of 234 schools.

Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in San Jose

Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.

  1. 1 Discovery Charter Ii 76.8/100
  2. 2 Hammer Montessori at Galarza Elementary 76.2/100
  3. 3 Discovery Charter 75.5/100
  4. 4 Farnham Charter 74.9/100
  5. 5 Hacienda Science/Environmental Magnet 74.5/100

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best schools in San Jose, CA?

The highest-ranked school in San Jose is Evergreen Valley High with a quality score of 32/100. There are 234 public schools in San Jose with 126,410 total students.

How many schools are in San Jose, CA?

San Jose has 234 public schools with a total enrollment of 126,410 students. 52 are charter schools. Average student-teacher ratio: 22.7:1.

Other Cities in California

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Related Guides

Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.