California · NCES F-33 finance data

School Spending in California

Schools in California ranked by their district's per-pupil expenditure, limited to schools with 50 or more students.

Compiled from official source data by PlainSchools. · Updated August 2026

The spending picture in one line

Imperial County Special Education tops the list: its district, Imperial County Office of Education, spends $89,771 per student, against a California average of $18,665.

$89,771
per-student spend in Imperial County Office of Education: $18,665
California average: $17,658
national average

Note: Spending reflects district-wide averages from NCES F-33 (FY 2022-23). Schools in the same district share the same figure.

#	School	District	Students	Per Student
1	Imperial County Special EducationEl Centro · other	Imperial County Office of Education	481	$89,771
2	Imperial Pathways CharterEl Centro · high	Imperial County Office of Education	246	$89,771
3	Valley AcademyEl Centro · other	Imperial County Office of Education	205	$89,771
4	Charter Alternative Program (Cap)El Dorado · elementary	El Dorado County Office of Education	295	$79,657
5	Charter Community School Home Study AcademyPlacerville · other	El Dorado County Office of Education	290	$79,657
6	Special EducationPlacerville · other	El Dorado County Office of Education	202	$79,657
7	William FinchOrland · other	Glenn County Office of Education	154	$79,428
8	Success One!Orland · high	Glenn County Office of Education	105	$79,428
9	Glenn County Special EducationWillows · other	Glenn County Office of Education	93	$79,428
10	Gould Educational CenterMadera · other	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	351	$71,630
11	Pioneer Technical CenterMadera · other	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	207	$71,630
12	Madera County Independent AcademyMadera · other	Madera County Superintendent of Schools	61	$71,630
13	Merced County Special EducationMerced · other	Merced County Office of Education	942	$65,270
14	Merced Scholars CharterMerced · other	Merced County Office of Education	334	$65,270
15	Valley Los Banos CommunityLos Banos · other	Merced County Office of Education	160	$65,270
16	Come Back CharterMerced · high	Merced County Office of Education	128	$65,270
17	Valley Atwater CommunityAtwater · other	Merced County Office of Education	122	$65,270
18	Valley Merced CommunityMerced · other	Merced County Office of Education	99	$65,270
19	Floyd a. SchelbyLivingston · other	Merced County Office of Education	89	$65,270
20	Yuba County Career Preparatory CharterMarysville · other	Yuba County Office of Education	250	$60,867
21	Yuba County Special EducationMarysville · other	Yuba County Office of Education	170	$60,867
22	Opportunities for Learning - DuarteDuarte · other	Opportunities for Learning - Duarte District	224	$56,591
23	Bolinas-Stinson ElementaryBolinas · elementary	Bolinas-Stinson Union	109	$55,614
24	Diamond Valley ElementaryMarkleeville · elementary	Alpine County Unified	51	$50,500
25	Santa Cruz County CommunitySanta Cruz · other	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	730	$47,221
26	Santa Cruz County Career Advancement CharterFreedom · high	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	207	$47,221
27	Santa Cruz County Special EducationSanta Cruz · other	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	105	$47,221
28	Urban Corps of San Diego County CharterSan Diego · high	Mono County Office of Education	198	$46,330
29	Mountain OaksSan Andreas · other	Calaveras County Office of Education	425	$45,512
30	New Village Girls AcademyLos Angeles · high	New Village Girls Academy District	86	$43,177
31	Desert Sands CharterLancaster · high	Desert Sands Charter District	727	$43,030
32	Opportunities for Learning - William S. HartValencia · other	Opportunities for Learning - Santa Clarita District	464	$41,855
33	Julian HighJulian · high	Julian Union High	112	$40,800
34	Horicon ElementaryAnnapolis · elementary	Horicon Elementary	69	$40,714
35	Mission AcademyLancaster · other	Mission Academy District	694	$40,688
36	Vista De Las CrucesGaviota · elementary	Vista Del Mar Union	65	$40,410
37	Pine Ridge ElementaryAuberry · elementary	Pine Ridge Elementary	67	$39,362
38	Montecito UnionSanta Barbara · elementary	Montecito Union Elementary	353	$39,348
39	Westside ElementaryFive Points · elementary	Westside Elementary	135	$38,706
40	Saint Helena HighSt. Helena · high	Saint Helena Unified	416	$38,622
41	Robert Louis Stevenson IntermediateSt. Helena · middle	Saint Helena Unified	257	$38,622
42	Saint Helena ElementarySt. Helena · elementary	Saint Helena Unified	229	$38,622
43	Saint Helena PrimarySt. Helena · elementary	Saint Helena Unified	193	$38,622
44	Dunsmuir HighDunsmuir · high	Dunsmuir Joint Union High	61	$37,939
45	Tomales ElementaryTomales · elementary	Shoreline Unified	160	$37,445
46	Tomales HighTomales · high	Shoreline Unified	127	$37,445
47	West Marin ElementaryPoint Reyes Station · elementary	Shoreline Unified	114	$37,445
48	Oakland Unity MiddleOakland · middle	Oakland Unity Middle District	132	$37,339
49	Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. AcademySausalito · elementary	Sausalito Marin City	262	$36,645
50	Woodside ElementaryWoodside · elementary	Woodside Elementary	385	$36,531
51	S.F. County Special EducationSan Francisco · other	San Francisco County Office of Education	120	$36,381
52	S.F. County Opportunity (Hilltop)San Francisco · other	San Francisco County Office of Education	67	$36,381
53	S.F. County Civic Center SecondarySan Francisco · other	San Francisco County Office of Education	65	$36,381
54	Dehesa ElementaryEl Cajon · elementary	Dehesa Elementary	399	$35,238
55	Opportunities for Learning - Baldwin ParkIrwindale · other	Opportunities for Learning - Baldwin Park District	219	$35,196
56	Mckittrick ElementaryMckittrick · elementary	Mckittrick Elementary	61	$35,152
57	Owens Valley ElementaryIndependence · elementary	Owens Valley Unified	76	$34,494
58	Monte Rio ElementaryMonte Rio · elementary	Monte Rio Union Elementary	68	$34,441
59	Sheppard ElementarySanta Rosa · elementary	Roseland	577	$34,119
60	Roseland Creek ElementarySanta Rosa · elementary	Roseland	534	$34,119
61	Roseland ElementarySanta Rosa · elementary	Roseland	471	$34,119
62	Lakeside ElementaryLos Gatos · elementary	Lakeside Joint	64	$33,784
63	Carmel HighCarmel · high	Carmel Unified	780	$33,741
64	Carmel MiddleCarmel · middle	Carmel Unified	468	$33,741
65	Tularcitos ElementaryCarmel Valley · elementary	Carmel Unified	447	$33,741
66	Carmel River ElementaryCarmel · elementary	Carmel Unified	400	$33,741
67	Cesar Chavez Ravenswood MiddleEast Palo Alto · middle	Ravenswood City Elementary	488	$33,564
68	Costano ElementaryEast Palo Alto · elementary	Ravenswood City Elementary	369	$33,564
69	Belle Haven ElementaryMenlo Park · elementary	Ravenswood City Elementary	312	$33,564
70	Los Robles-Ronald Mcnair AcademyEast Palo Alto · elementary	Ravenswood City Elementary	276	$33,564
71	Castle RockCrescent City · other	Del Norte County Office of Education	315	$33,503
72	Corte MaderaPortola Valley · elementary	Portola Valley Elementary	252	$32,905
73	Ormondale ElementaryPortola Valley · elementary	Portola Valley Elementary	243	$32,905
74	Banta ElementaryTracy · elementary	Banta Unified	202	$32,812
75	Big Pine ElementaryBig Pine · elementary	Big Pine Unified	121	$32,452
76	Van Duzen ElementaryMad River · elementary	Southern Trinity Joint Unified	54	$32,333
77	Antelope ElementaryColeville · elementary	Eastern Sierra Unified	105	$32,234
78	Lee Vining ElementaryLee Vining · elementary	Eastern Sierra Unified	101	$32,234
79	Bridgeport ElementaryBridgeport · elementary	Eastern Sierra Unified	50	$32,234
80	Lost Hills ElementaryLost Hills · elementary	Lost Hills Union Elementary	201	$31,618
81	A. M. Thomas MiddleLost Hills · middle	Lost Hills Union Elementary	90	$31,618
82	Baker ElementaryBaker · elementary	Baker Valley Unified	59	$31,573
83	Epic De Cesar ChavezTehachapi · high	Epic De Cesar Chavez District	614	$31,497
84	Salmon Creek School - a CharterOccidental · elementary	Harmony Union Elementary	162	$31,492
85	Harmony ElementaryOccidental · elementary	Harmony Union Elementary	71	$31,492
86	Concow ElementaryOroville · elementary	Golden Feather Union Elementary	67	$31,391
87	Para Los Ninos CharterLos Angeles · elementary	Para Los Ninos Charter District	301	$31,270
88	Kenwood ElementaryKenwood · elementary	Kenwood	124	$31,106
89	Ivytech CharterMoorpark · other	Ivytech Charter District	72	$30,930
90	Trona ElementaryTrona · elementary	Trona Joint Unified	147	$30,858
91	Trona HighTrona · other	Trona Joint Unified	111	$30,858
92	San Ardo ElementarySan Ardo · elementary	San Ardo Union Elementary	76	$30,848
93	La Entrada MiddleMenlo Park · elementary	Las Lomitas Elementary	612	$30,841
94	Las Lomitas ElementaryAtherton · elementary	Las Lomitas Elementary	522	$30,841
95	Kipp StocktonStockton · other	Kipp Stockton Kindergarten-12 Grade District	265	$30,797
96	Academia Avance CharterHighland Park · other	Academia Avance Charter District	207	$30,656
97	Cambria GrammarCambria · elementary	Coast Unified	202	$30,611
98	Coast Union HighCambria · high	Coast Unified	159	$30,611
99	Santa Lucia MiddleCambria · middle	Coast Unified	112	$30,611
100	San Pasqual Valley ElementaryWinterhaven · elementary	San Pasqual Valley Unified	259	$30,514

Per-pupil expenditure from NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey (FY 2022-23). Figures are district-wide averages. View national school spending rankings.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.