schoolsbycounty

California Schools & Education

Public school metrics and education data for all 58 counties.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Avg Graduation Rate

87.5%

Avg Per-Pupil Spending

$8,762

Avg School Score

55/100

Total Schools

10,324

2,050 districts

State Overview

About Schools in California

This summary is generated from the NCES metrics shown on this page and reviewed against the source data by the Data Editor. It is not school advice.

California Matches Graduation Benchmarks with Leaner Budgets

California's average graduation rate of 87.5% slightly edges out the national average of 87.0%. Despite this competitive performance, the state spends just $8,762 per pupil, significantly trailing the national benchmark of $13,000.

Massive Variation Across 57 Educational Jurisdictions

Education quality fluctuates wildly across the state, with school scores ranging from a high of 86.6 to a low of 48.9. While Sierra County leads the state with a 95.0% graduation rate, Modoc County struggles at just 74.0%.

Alpine, Sierra, and Marin Lead the State

Alpine County tops the leaderboard with an 86.6 score, while Sierra County follows with a state-high 95.0% graduation rate. Marin County rounds out the top three, combining a 59.6 score with a moderate $10,425 per-pupil investment.

State Score Context

How California Counties Are Distributed

58 of 58 counties have enough NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data to receive a county school score. Use this distribution to understand whether the state has a concentrated cluster of high, midrange, or lower measured signals.

Scored county coverage

Counties with complete enough data for the composite score

100%

Higher measured signal

Score range 70-100

2

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

52

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

4

Scores are comparative signals from available federal data, not ratings of individual schools.

Best school counties

Best Counties for Public School Research in California

For a first-pass answer to parent searches about where the best schools are in California, start with county-level evidence, then open individual school and district records. SchoolsByCounty ranks counties by public education signals, not by private opinions or paid school ratings.

Short answer for California

Alpine County is the strongest county-level starting point in California by the current SchoolsByCounty score, with a measured school signal of 100/100. This is a county comparison signal, not a promise that every school in the county is the best fit for every family.

Ranking methodology

58 of 58 counties have enough federal education data for a county school score. The ranking favors counties with stronger available graduation-rate and school-finance signals, then asks parents to verify individual school fit locally. The table below should help parents choose what to compare next; it should not replace attendance-boundary checks, program eligibility, commute, services, or direct district confirmation.

State average per-pupil spending in this dataset: $8,762.

Top measured county school signals

Ranked by the county school score where enough federal data is available.

1Alpine CountyGraduation not reported · Spending $23,219100/1002Sierra CountyGraduation 95.0% · Spending $9,12483/1003Mariposa CountyGraduation 92.0% · Spending $8,48469/1004Humboldt CountyGraduation 91.6% · Spending $8,60468/1005Merced CountyGraduation 91.4% · Spending $8,65868/1006Santa Barbara CountyGraduation 91.3% · Spending $8,69168/1007Orange CountyGraduation 91.2% · Spending $8,70167/100
Graduation-focused starting point

Sierra County

95.0%

Sierra County has the strongest reported county graduation-rate signal in California. Use this as a broad county context, then review individual high-school records.

Funding context to inspect

Alpine County

$23,219

Alpine County reports the highest per-pupil spending among counties with available data. Higher spending is context, not a guarantee of student fit.

Counties to research carefully

Lake County

31/100

Lake County has one of the lowest measured county school signals in California. Review missing data, district context, and individual school records before drawing conclusions.

District research

Compare California public school districts before narrowing by address

California has 2,050 public school district records and 10,324 school records in the NCES file. Use the district hub to sort large district systems by enrollment, school count, county context, and generated district-guide coverage.

View District Rankings

Regional comparison guides

Compare California Counties in Real Relocation Shortlists

These static guides connect California county profiles to common metro-area school decisions. Each guide gives a direct answer, side-by-side NCES metrics, and links back into county profiles for deeper school and district research.

Bay Area

How do these Bay Area counties compare for school research?

Compare Bay Area school outcomes and spending across Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo counties.

Open guide
Southern California

Which Southern California county has the strongest measured school signal?

Compare public school signals across Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties for Southern California relocation research.

Open guide
Custom comparison

Build a three-county school comparison

Compare any California county with other county profiles using the same school score, graduation-rate, and spending fields.

Open compare tool

All California Counties

County-level school score, graduation rate, and per-pupil spending for California.
CountySchool Score
Alpine County
Graduation
—
Per pupil
$23,219
100/100
Sierra County
Graduation
95.0%
Per pupil
$9,124
83/100
Mariposa County
Graduation
92.0%
Per pupil
$8,484
69/100
Humboldt County
Graduation
91.6%
Per pupil
$8,604
68/100
Merced County
Graduation
91.4%
Per pupil
$8,658
68/100
Santa Barbara County
Graduation
91.3%
Per pupil
$8,691
68/100
Orange County
Graduation
91.2%
Per pupil
$8,701
67/100
Riverside County
Graduation
91.2%
Per pupil
$8,600
67/100
Calaveras County
Graduation
91.1%
Per pupil
$8,468
65/100
Tulare County
Graduation
90.9%
Per pupil
$8,603
65/100
Napa County
Graduation
90.2%
Per pupil
$8,785
65/100
San Mateo County
Graduation
88.5%
Per pupil
$10,097
65/100
San Luis Obispo County
Graduation
91.5%
Per pupil
$8,172
64/100
Marin County
Graduation
87.4%
Per pupil
$10,425
63/100
Colusa County
Graduation
92.5%
Per pupil
$7,563
63/100
El Dorado County
Graduation
93.3%
Per pupil
$7,327
63/100
Del Norte County
Graduation
90.4%
Per pupil
$8,212
61/100
Kings County
Graduation
91.1%
Per pupil
$7,933
61/100
Placer County
Graduation
92.4%
Per pupil
$7,358
60/100
Tehama County
Graduation
88.8%
Per pupil
$8,854
60/100
Glenn County
Graduation
89.7%
Per pupil
$8,431
59/100
Butte County
Graduation
87.2%
Per pupil
$9,336
59/100
San Francisco County
Graduation
86.1%
Per pupil
$10,192
58/100
San Diego County
Graduation
88.3%
Per pupil
$8,561
57/100
Nevada County
Graduation
87.3%
Per pupil
$8,898
57/100
Alameda County
Graduation
87.4%
Per pupil
$8,694
56/100
Imperial County
Graduation
86.8%
Per pupil
$9,181
56/100
Sacramento County
Graduation
88.7%
Per pupil
$8,138
54/100
Los Angeles County
Graduation
86.4%
Per pupil
$9,002
54/100
Ventura County
Graduation
88.5%
Per pupil
$8,122
54/100
Contra Costa County
Graduation
88.6%
Per pupil
$8,051
54/100
Monterey County
Graduation
86.8%
Per pupil
$8,795
54/100
Inyo County
Graduation
84.8%
Per pupil
$9,510
53/100
Yolo County
Graduation
88.8%
Per pupil
$7,970
53/100
Shasta County
Graduation
87.1%
Per pupil
$8,378
53/100
Fresno County
Graduation
86.3%
Per pupil
$8,707
52/100
Mono County
Graduation
80.8%
Per pupil
$10,800
51/100
Madera County
Graduation
87.9%
Per pupil
$7,979
51/100
Santa Clara County
Graduation
82.9%
Per pupil
$9,513
50/100
Trinity County
Graduation
83.7%
Per pupil
$9,233
50/100
Stanislaus County
Graduation
84.9%
Per pupil
$8,694
49/100
Tuolumne County
Graduation
84.8%
Per pupil
$8,703
49/100
San Bernardino County
Graduation
85.1%
Per pupil
$8,572
49/100
Sonoma County
Graduation
83.5%
Per pupil
$8,942
48/100
Siskiyou County
Graduation
84.7%
Per pupil
$8,461
47/100
Kern County
Graduation
86.4%
Per pupil
$8,004
47/100
Lassen County
Graduation
89.4%
Per pupil
$7,265
46/100
Amador County
Graduation
89.6%
Per pupil
$7,114
45/100
Solano County
Graduation
87.1%
Per pupil
$7,541
44/100
Santa Cruz County
Graduation
85.7%
Per pupil
$7,901
44/100
Plumas County
Graduation
87.0%
Per pupil
$7,580
44/100
Sutter County
Graduation
86.4%
Per pupil
$7,699
43/100
Mendocino County
Graduation
80.8%
Per pupil
$8,674
43/100
Yuba County
Graduation
86.6%
Per pupil
$7,628
43/100
Modoc County
Graduation
74.0%
Per pupil
$8,750
39/100
San Joaquin County
Graduation
80.7%
Per pupil
$8,144
39/100
San Benito County
Graduation
83.8%
Per pupil
$7,690
38/100
Lake County
Graduation
79.7%
Per pupil
$7,483
31/100

— = data not available for this county.

Compare county school profiles in California

Use the comparison tool to review school scores, graduation rates, and spending side by side.

Compare Counties

Frequently Asked Questions About California Schools

Which California counties have the highest graduation rates?
Sierra County (95.0%), El Dorado County (93.3%), and Colusa County (92.5%) currently lead California among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in California?
Across California counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,762. The highest current county values are Alpine County ($23,219), Mono County ($10,800), and Marin County ($10,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
Which regional school comparisons include California counties?
Bay Area, Southern California include California counties in curated regional school comparisons. Use these guides for broad county shortlists, then verify school assignment and district rules locally.
What are the best school counties in California?
Alpine County, Sierra County, Mariposa County have the strongest measured county-level school signals in California, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data. These are county context rankings, not individual school ratings.
Which California county has the strongest measured school score?
Alpine County has the highest school score in California with a score of 100/100, based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data.
What is the average graduation rate in California?
The average high school graduation rate across California counties is 87.5%, based on NCES data.

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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