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%.

High Spending Drives Alpine's Exceptional Results

The state maintains a 56.0 school score average, outperforming the national median of 50.0. While overall state spending is low, Alpine County demonstrates a clear return on investment by spending $23,219 per student to achieve the state's highest school score.

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

Midrange measured signal

Score range 40-69

Lower measured signal

Score range 0-39

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

Highest Measured School Signals

Alpine County

100/100

School score

Sierra County

83/100

School score

Mariposa County

69/100

School score

Humboldt County

68/100

School score

Merced County

68/100

School score

Lowest Measured School Signals

#1 lowest

Lake County

31/100

School score

#2 lowest

San Benito County

38/100

School score

#3 lowest

San Joaquin County

39/100

School score

#4 lowest

Modoc County

39/100

School score

#5 lowest

Yuba County

43/100

School score

All California Counties

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

— = 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 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.

Which county in California has the lowest school score?

Lake County has the lowest school score in California with a score of 31/100. School scores reflect available graduation-rate and per-pupil spending signals.

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.

Back to All States

Explore more data for California

Property Tax Cost of Living Crime Income Health Disaster Risk Water Quality Weather County Score