12 public K-12 schools in South San Francisco from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
12 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of South San Francisco's 12 public schools is South San Francisco High, scoring 45/100, against a city average of 30.9/100. Computed live across every South San Francisco campus reporting to NCES.
How the South San Francisco Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
South San Francisco, CA enrolls 6,475 students across 12 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 19.7:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 30.9/100. 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 South San Francisco on this index is South San Francisco High, at 45/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 1,239 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
South San Francisco spans 1 district, 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.
South San Francisco High accounts for 19.1% of all South San Francisco public-school enrollment
That concentration means South San Francisco-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
South San Francisco school enrollment varies 9.5× across entities
South San Francisco school enrollment ranges from 130 students (lowest) to 1,239 students (highest), a spread of 1,109 students. That spread sits on the tighter side of typical variation, though it still reflects typical urban portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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.
South San Francisco operates only 1 school district — among the most consolidated governance structures in the country
Most South San Francisco school districts are a single unified district covering the whole city, a structural feature that simplifies inter-school comparison but concentrates policy authority. Consolidation produces narrower variance because resources pool across larger populations, but it can also mask intra-school district inequities — sub-school district differences within a single school district are not visible at this aggregation level. Consolidated systems typically rely more heavily on top-down funding formulas than on local revenue variability.
South San Francisco student-teacher ratio is 19.7:1: on the high side (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.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in South San Francisco
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.
What are the best schools in South San Francisco, CA? ▼
The highest-ranked school in South San Francisco is South San Francisco High with a quality score of 45/100. There are 12 public schools in South San Francisco with 6,475 total students.
How many schools are in South San Francisco, CA? ▼
South San Francisco has 12 public schools with a total enrollment of 6,475 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 19.7:1.
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.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
