Berkeley Public Schools

Listed by NCES as Berkeley Unified (district ID 0604740)

Public school district · Alameda County · California · NCES district ID 0604740

Berkeley Public Schools spent $22,710 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23, more than 94% of the other California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 (median $16,855). Its 17 schools enrolled 9,116 students in 2024-25; 41.0% of its revenue came from the state. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,977 per student, up 9.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year). Its four-year graduation rate for the class of 2023 was 93% (California: 86.2%).

Spending per student among California districts of similar size

Current spending per student excludes construction and debt. The 9 districts closest to Berkeley Public Schools in enrollment (8,911 to 9,251 students) and Berkeley Public Schools itself.

Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Berkeley Public Schools, FY23San Mateo Union High $24,423; Berkeley Public Schools $22,710; Santa Maria Joint Union High $17,168; Greenfield Union $16,792; Lompoc Unified $16,048; Tulare City $15,574; Los Alamitos Unified $15,064; Castro Valley Unified $14,601; Saugus Union $14,043; Westside Union Elementary $13,324; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSan Mateo Union High$24,423Berkeley Public Schools$22,710Santa Maria Joint Union High$17,168Greenfield Union$16,792Lompoc Unified$16,048Tulare City$15,574Los Alamitos Unified$15,064Castro Valley Unified$14,601Saugus Union$14,043Westside Union Elementary$13,324State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Berkeley Public Schools, FY23San Mateo Union High $24,423; Berkeley Public Schools $22,710; Santa Maria Joint Union High $17,168; Greenfield Union $16,792; Lompoc Unified $16,048; Tulare City $15,574; Los Alamitos Unified $15,064; Castro Valley Unified $14,601; Saugus Union $14,043; Westside Union Elementary $13,324; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSan Mateo Union High$24,423Berkeley Public Schools$22,710Santa Maria Joint Union High$17,168Greenfield Union$16,792Lompoc Unified$16,048Tulare City$15,574Los Alamitos Unified$15,064Castro Valley Unified$14,601Saugus Union$14,043Westside Union Elementary$13,324State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Berkeley Public Schools, FY23San Mateo Union High $24,423; Berkeley Public Schools $22,710; Santa Maria Joint Union High $17,168; Greenfield Union $16,792; Lompoc Unified $16,048; Tulare City $15,574; Los Alamitos Unified $15,064; Castro Valley Unified $14,601; Saugus Union $14,043; Westside Union Elementary $13,324; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSan Mateo Union High$24,423Berkeley Public Schools$22,710Santa Maria Joint Union High$17,168Greenfield Union$16,792Lompoc Unified$16,048Tulare City$15,574Los Alamitos Unified$15,064Castro Valley Unified$14,601Saugus Union$14,043Westside Union Elementary$13,324State median, 1,000+ students $16,855
Current spending per student, California districts closest in size to Berkeley Public Schools, FY23San Mateo Union High $24,423; Berkeley Public Schools $22,710; Santa Maria Joint Union High $17,168; Greenfield Union $16,792; Lompoc Unified $16,048; Tulare City $15,574; Los Alamitos Unified $15,064; Castro Valley Unified $14,601; Saugus Union $14,043; Westside Union Elementary $13,324; State median, 1,000+ students $16,855.10k15k20k25kSan Mateo Union High$24,423Berkeley Public Schools$22,710Santa Maria Joint Union High$17,168Greenfield Union$16,792Lompoc Unified$16,048Tulare City$15,574Los Alamitos Unified$15,064Castro Valley Unified$14,601Saugus Union$14,043Westside Union Elementary$13,324State median, 1,000+ students $16,855

Where the money came from

$294,443,000 in revenue: 41.0% state, 55.7% local and 3.3% federal. Total spending including $52,728,000 of capital outlay was $280,619,000, or $30,929 per student; the figure above leaves capital out.

Berkeley Public Schools revenue by source, fiscal year 2022-23State $120,619,000; Local $164,013,000; Federal $9,811,000; total $294,443,000.
  • State$120,619,000 41%
  • Local$164,013,000 56%
  • Federal$9,811,000 3%

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23: current expenditures for elementary and secondary education divided by fall membership; the state median covers 646 districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022. Revenue by source (TOTALREV, TFEDREV, TSTREV, TLOCREV).

Enrollment rose from 2022-23 to 2024-25

9,024 students in 2022-23, 9,040 students in 2023-24, 9,116 students in 2024-25, counted across the schools that reported each year.

Berkeley Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 9,024, 2023-24: 9,040, 2024-25: 9,11602.5k5k7.5k10k2022-239,0242023-249,0402024-259,116
Berkeley Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 9,024, 2023-24: 9,040, 2024-25: 9,11602.5k5k7.5k10k2022-239,0242023-249,0402024-259,116
Berkeley Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 9,024, 2023-24: 9,040, 2024-25: 9,11602.5k5k7.5k10k2022-239,0242023-249,0402024-259,116
Berkeley Public Schools enrollment by school year2022-23: 9,024, 2023-24: 9,040, 2024-25: 9,11602.5k5k7.5k10k2022-239,0242023-249,0402024-259,116

Teachers and students per teacher

School yearStudentsTeachers (FTE)Per teacher
2022-239,024528.617.1
2023-249,040479.318.9
2024-259,116478.919.0

Source: NCES Common Core of Data membership and staff files, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25; sums over the schools reporting each year.

$62,315,000 in teacher salaries in fiscal year 2022-23, $6,868 per student

Berkeley Public Schools booked $62,315,000 of teacher salaries in its 2022-23 finance report and counted 529 full-time teachers in its Common Core of Data district staff file for 2022-23 (the school files behind the staffing figures on this page count teachers separately, so the two can differ), or $117,889 of salary spending per teacher. That is more than 79 in 100 California districts with a figure (state median $99,744, 1,149 districts). It is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, so the result can differ widely from the average salary the district publishes (its salary schedule gives pay); benefits are left out, and states book salaries differently, so compare districts within one state. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).

ProgramTeacher salariesShare
Regular programs$53,673,00086.1%
Special education$7,559,00012.1%
Vocational$508,0000.8%
Other programs$575,0000.9%

Teacher salaries per student, fiscal years 2018-19 to 2022-23

The district's teacher salary bill divided by its fall enrollment each year: $5,160 in 2018-19, $5,162 in 2019-20, $5,898 in 2020-21, $6,441 in 2021-22, $6,868 in 2022-23.

Berkeley Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,160, 2019-20: $5,162, 2020-21: $5,898, 2021-22: $6,441, 2022-23: $6,86802k4k6k8k2018-19$5,1602019-20$5,1622020-21$5,8982021-22$6,4412022-23$6,868
Berkeley Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,160, 2019-20: $5,162, 2020-21: $5,898, 2021-22: $6,441, 2022-23: $6,86802k4k6k8k2018-19$5,1602019-20$5,1622020-21$5,8982021-22$6,4412022-23$6,868
Berkeley Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,160, 2019-20: $5,162, 2020-21: $5,898, 2021-22: $6,441, 2022-23: $6,86802k4k6k8k2018-19$5,1602019-20$5,1622020-21$5,8982021-22$6,4412022-23$6,868
Berkeley Public Schools teacher salaries per student by fiscal year2018-19: $5,160, 2019-20: $5,162, 2020-21: $5,898, 2021-22: $6,441, 2022-23: $6,86802k4k6k8k2018-19$5,1602019-20$5,1622020-21$5,8982021-22$6,4412022-23$6,868

Source: NCES F-33 school district finance survey, fiscal years 2019 to 2023: teacher salaries in regular, special, vocational and other programs (Z35 to Z38) and fall membership (V33); NCES Common Core of Data LEA staff file 2022-23, teachers (full-time equivalent).

State test results, 2021-22

In 2021-22, the students tested in Berkeley Public Schools scored proficient or above: 66% in reading and 59% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. Each state writes its own test and sets its own proficiency bar, so compare these within California, not across states. Where a state published results by grade only, the grades tested are combined, weighted by the students tested in each.

Students proficient or above, 2021-22
SubjectThis districtCaliforniaStudents tested
Reading and language arts66%45%3,773
Math59%34%3,756

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results 2021-22, all students, from ED Data Express (the Data Rescue Project archive; ED has no 2022-23 result for this district): ED shows district results as ranges (for example 20-24%) to protect small groups.

Graduation rate, class of 2023

93% of the 853 students in Berkeley Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out, and counts those who earned a regular diploma by 2023. Every state computes it the same way under federal law, though each sets its own diploma requirements.

Four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rate, class of 2023
This districtCalifornia
Four-year graduation rate93%86.2%
Students in the class853495,492

Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates 2022-23, all students, from ED Data Express: ED shows district rates as ranges (for example 90-94%) and leaves out small classes.

12 elementary schools, 3,935 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Malcolm X Elementary46920.430.3%Not reported
Ruth Acty Elementary41021.621.2%Not reported
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier40721.426.8%Not reported
Washington Elementary40124.731.2%Not reported
Rosa Parks Environmental Science39320.430.3%Not reported
Sylvia Mendez Elementary37921.124.0%Not reported
Thousand Oaks Elementary33721.125.8%Not reported
John Muir Elementary29320.930.0%Not reported
Cragmont Elementary29021.526.9%Not reported
Emerson Elementary28321.826.5%Not reported
Oxford Elementary at West Campus25421.226.0%Not reported
Berkeley Independent Study K-8199.536.8%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

3 middle schools, 1,909 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Martin Luther King Middle85118.028.9%Not reported
Willard Middle59617.325.0%Not reported
Longfellow Arts and Technology Middle46214.539.6%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

2 high schools, 3,272 students

SchoolStudentsPer teacherFree lunchTitle I, 2021‑22
Berkeley High3,21818.422.2%Not reported
Berkeley Technology Academy549.153.7%Not reported

Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25; Title I status CCD 2021-22, the last year NCES published it. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count; not reported: the school sent NCES no meal count.

Contact Berkeley Public Schools

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, local education agency directory 2024-25. Enrollment, boundaries and school assignment are the district's to confirm.

What to look at next about Berkeley Public Schools

  1. California districts by spending per studentBerkeley Public Schools ranks 42 of 646 California districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 on current spending per student in fiscal year 2022-23 ($22,710).#42 of 646
  2. Every school district in CaliforniaBerkeley Public Schools is the number 170 by size of 1,991 California districts, with 9,073 students in fall 2022 (F-33).#170 of 1,991
  3. Saugus Union School DistrictThe next larger California district: 9,097 students in fall 2022, $14,043 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,043
  4. Lompoc UnifiedThe next smaller California district: 9,061 students in fall 2022, $16,048 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$16,048
  5. Compare Berkeley Public Schools with Saugus Union School DistrictEnrollment, spending, revenue sources and schools, side by side.
  6. Berkeley High, its largest high school3,218 students in 2024-25, 18.4 per teacher.3,218
  7. Teacher salary spending across CaliforniaBerkeley Public Schools spent $117,889 in salaries per full-time teacher in fiscal year 2022-23 (state median $99,744); spending, not a salary.$117,889
  8. Find the school district for an addressA home's district decides which public schools it can enroll in.

Source: NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student and fall 2022 membership; ranks among the state's districts that reported them); NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools).

Questions about Berkeley Public Schools

  1. How many schools and students are in Berkeley Public Schools?
    17 schools were open in 2024-25 (12 elementary, 3 middle, 2 high), enrolling 9,116 students, according to the NCES Common Core of Data.
  2. How much does Berkeley Public Schools spend per student?
    $22,710 per student on current operations in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), which leaves out construction and debt; the California median for districts with at least 1,000 students in fall 2022 is $16,855 and the U.S. figure is $16,260. Census Bureau figures for 2023-24 put it at $24,977 per student, up 9.9% on the year before (U.S. $17,619 that year).
  3. Where does Berkeley Public Schools' money come from?
    $294,443,000 in revenue in fiscal year 2022-23: 41.0% state, 55.7% local and 3.3% federal (NCES F-33).
  4. How many children in Berkeley Public Schools live in poverty?
    The Census Bureau estimates that 516 of the 10,299 children aged 5 to 17 living within the district's boundaries in 2024, 5.0%, were in families in poverty (Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates). It is a model-based estimate for everyone living in the district, not a count of its students; the free-meal shares in the school tables are counts of enrolled students.
  5. How much does Berkeley Public Schools spend on teacher salaries?
    $62,315,000 in fiscal year 2022-23 (NCES F-33), or $6,868 per student. Divided by the 529 full-time teachers in the NCES Common Core of Data for 2022-23 that is $117,889 per teacher, more than 79 in 100 California districts (state median $99,744). That is spending, not what a teacher is paid: the salary lines and the teacher count come from different files, and the result can differ widely from the average salary a district publishes. The district's salary schedule gives pay. For pay, the National Education Association put the average California teacher salary at $87,275 in 2021-22 (NCES Digest table 211.60).
  6. How do students in Berkeley Public Schools do on state tests?
    In 2021-22, the students tested in Berkeley Public Schools scored proficient or above: 66% in reading and 59% in math, against 45% in reading and 34% in math across California. California's own test sets what proficient means, so results compare within the state, not across states. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22.
  7. What is the graduation rate in Berkeley Public Schools?
    93% of the 853 students in Berkeley Public Schools' class of 2023 graduated within four years, against 86.2% across California. The four-year rate follows the students who started ninth grade in fall 2019, adjusted for those who moved in or out. Source: U.S. Department of Education, EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23.
  8. What is Berkeley Public Schools' NCES district ID?
    0604740. Each of its schools' 12-digit NCES IDs begins with these seven digits.

Reading these figures: how to choose a school district, what Title I means and what an absenteeism rate means. They are for information and are not a substitute for the school's or district's own records.

Sources

Every federal file behind this record
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2024-25: directory, membership, staff and lunch files. nces.ed.gov
  • NCES Common Core of Data, 2021-22 school characteristics: Title I status. nces.ed.gov
  • Civil Rights Data Collection, 2021-22: AP courses, gifted programs, counselors, discipline. civilrightsdata.ed.gov
  • EDFacts, 2022-23: chronic absenteeism. ed.gov
  • EDFacts four-year adjusted-cohort graduation rates, 2022-23: the class of 2023 for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • EDFacts state assessment results, 2021-22: reading and math proficiency for the district and its state (ED Data Express). eddataexpress.ed.gov
  • NCES Digest of Education Statistics, table 211.60 (2021-22): the state's average teacher salary, from the National Education Association. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates, 2024: children aged 5 to 17 and those in families in poverty, by school district. census.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2023-24: per pupil current spending for 2023-24 and 2022-23. census.gov
  • NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, fiscal year 2022-23: district spending and revenue. nces.ed.gov
  • U.S. Census Bureau geocoder and TIGER school districts: the district boundary used by the district finder. census.gov

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances Per pupil current spending by school system · FY 2023-24

Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey Revenue and expenditures by district · FY 2022-23

Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25