Can I use Contra Costa County's school score to choose a house?

No. Use the Contra Costa County school score as a first-pass county screen, then verify the exact district, attendance boundary, transfer rules, and grade pathway for any address you are considering.

Does SchoolsByCounty confirm school attendance boundaries in Contra Costa County?

No. SchoolsByCounty publishes NCES and Census-backed public-school records. Attendance zones, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, transportation, and transfer rules must be confirmed with local districts.

How should parents compare public schools in Contra Costa County?

Start with the 278 listed public schools and 40 district entries, then compare similar grade bands and confirm the address-level rules locally.

Contra Costa County Schools & Education

Name: Contra Costa County, California Education Data
Creator: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/

Contra Costa County, California

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

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

88.6%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

88.6%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.5%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,051

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,762

School Score

54/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#31

of 58 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Contra Costa County

Measured School Summary

Contra Costa County performs at an average level with a school score of 54/100 and a solid graduation rate of 88.6%.

Funding Context

Contra Costa County spends $8,051 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 3% below the California average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 1.1 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 8% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Contra Costa County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

278 public schools and 40 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

54/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #31 of 58 California counties with school score data.

Completion

88.6%

1.1 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,051

$711 below the state average

School coverage

278

40 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Contra Costa County has 278 public schools across 40 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public Schools Compare Counties

Parent decision brief

What Contra Costa County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

Contra Costa County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#31

of 58 California counties with school score data. The county score is 1 points below the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 99% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

San Ramon Valley Unified

Elementary to high school visible

29,639 students

Elementary 22Middle 8High 5Other 2

37 listed schools in this county slice.

Mt. Diablo Unified

Elementary to high school visible

28,921 students

Elementary 32Middle 9High 10Other 1

52 listed schools in this county slice.

West Contra Costa Unified

Elementary to high school visible

25,626 students

Elementary 38Middle 6High 8Other 2

54 listed schools in this county slice.

Antioch Unified

Elementary to high school visible

15,038 students

Elementary 15Middle 4High 5Other 1

25 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

West Contra Costa Unified is the largest listed district slice, with 54 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Contra Costa County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Contra Costa County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Data Story

Large Suburban Districts Define Contra Costa County Education Landscape

Education data brief for Contra Costa County, California.

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorPublished Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Lead metric:District structure

Contra Costa County is home to a massive suburban school infrastructure, with 234 of its 278 schools classified as suburban locales. The county serves 167,431 students across 40 districts, with San Ramon Valley Unified being the largest, enrolling 29,639 students. Mt. Diablo Unified and West Contra Costa Unified also serve large populations of 28,921 and 25,626 students, respectively. The county’s graduation rate of 88.6% is higher than the national average of 87.0% and the state average of 87.5%. However, per-pupil expenditure is $8,051, which is below the state average of $8,762 and the national average of $13,000. The composite school score of 53.5 is slightly lower than the state average of 55.4 but above the national median of 50.0. Pittsburg Senior High is the largest school, with 3,494 students. See the NCES Common Core of Data for school-level records.

Sources

NCES Common Core of Data
U.S. Census Bureau ACS

School Overview

Total Schools

278

in Contra Costa County

Reported Enrollment

167,431

275 schools reporting

School Districts

districts

Charter Schools

8% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary167

Middle44

High56

Other11

40 School Districts in Contra Costa County

San Ramon Valley Unified

Mt. Diablo Unified

West Contra Costa Unified

Antioch Unified

Pittsburg Unified

Brentwood Union Elementary

Liberty Union High

Acalanes Union High

Oakley Union Elementary

Martinez Unified

278 Public Schools in Contra Costa County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 37 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

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

Search schools

Level

Sort

Showing 20 of 278 matching schools

Public schools in Contra Costa County, including district, location, profile availability, grades, type, and enrollment.
School Name	Profile	District	Location	Grades	Type / Flags	Reported Enrollment
Pittsburg Senior High	Profile	Pittsburg Unified	Pittsburg, 94565Suburb: Large	9–12	High	3,494
Dougherty Valley High	Profile	San Ramon Valley Unified	San Ramon, 94582City: Small	9–12	High	3,255
California High	Profile	San Ramon Valley Unified	San Ramon, 94583City: Small	9–12	High	2,879
Liberty High	Profile	Liberty Union High	Brentwood, 94513Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,786
Heritage High	Profile	Liberty Union High	Brentwood, 94513Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,559
Freedom High	Profile	Liberty Union High	Oakley, 94561Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,527
Clayton Valley Charter High	Profile	Clayton Valley Charter High District	Concord, 94521Suburb: Large	9–12	Charter	2,381
Monte Vista High	Profile	San Ramon Valley Unified	Danville, 94526Suburb: Large	9–12	High	2,243
San Ramon Valley High	Profile	San Ramon Valley Unified	Danville, 94526Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,981
Antioch High	Profile	Antioch Unified	Antioch, 94509Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,960
College Park High	Profile	Mt. Diablo Unified	Pleasant Hill, 94523Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,956
Deer Valley High	Profile	Antioch Unified	Antioch, 94531Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,851
Las Lomas High	Profile	Acalanes Union High	Walnut Creek, 94596City: Small	9–12	High	1,571
El Cerrito High	Profile	West Contra Costa Unified	El Cerrito, 94530Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,522
Northgate High	Profile	Mt. Diablo Unified	Walnut Creek, 94598City: Small	9–12	High	1,507
Mt. Diablo High	Profile	Mt. Diablo Unified	Concord, 94520Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,498
Richmond High	Profile	West Contra Costa Unified	Richmond, 94804Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,431
Campolindo High	Profile	Acalanes Union High	Moraga, 94556Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,343
Pinole Valley High	Profile	West Contra Costa Unified	Pinole, 94564Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,280
Acalanes High	Profile	Acalanes Union High	Lafayette, 94549Suburb: Large	9–12	High	1,259

Pittsburg Senior High

Pittsburg Unified

Pittsburg, 94565 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High3,494 students

Dougherty Valley High

San Ramon Valley Unified

San Ramon, 94582 / City: Small

Profile9–12High3,255 students

California High

San Ramon Valley Unified

San Ramon, 94583 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,879 students

Liberty High

Liberty Union High

Brentwood, 94513 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,786 students

Heritage High

Liberty Union High

Brentwood, 94513 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,559 students

Freedom High

Liberty Union High

Oakley, 94561 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,527 students

Clayton Valley Charter High

Clayton Valley Charter High District

Concord, 94521 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12Charter2,381 students

Monte Vista High

San Ramon Valley Unified

Danville, 94526 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,243 students

San Ramon Valley High

San Ramon Valley Unified

Danville, 94526 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,981 students

Antioch High

Antioch Unified

Antioch, 94509 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,960 students

College Park High

Mt. Diablo Unified

Pleasant Hill, 94523 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,956 students

Deer Valley High

Antioch Unified

Antioch, 94531 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,851 students

Las Lomas High

Acalanes Union High

Walnut Creek, 94596 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,571 students

El Cerrito High

West Contra Costa Unified

El Cerrito, 94530 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,522 students

Northgate High

Mt. Diablo Unified

Walnut Creek, 94598 / City: Small

Profile9–12High1,507 students

Mt. Diablo High

Mt. Diablo Unified

Concord, 94520 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,498 students

Richmond High

West Contra Costa Unified

Richmond, 94804 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,431 students

Campolindo High

Acalanes Union High

Moraga, 94556 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,343 students

Pinole Valley High

West Contra Costa Unified

Pinole, 94564 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,280 students

Acalanes High

Acalanes Union High

Lafayette, 94549 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High1,259 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

17 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,051

State avg $8,762

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Contra Costa County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

How should I read the school score in Contra Costa County?

Contra Costa County has a school score of 54/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.

What is the graduation rate in Contra Costa County?

The high school graduation rate in Contra Costa County is 88.6%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.

How much does Contra Costa County spend per student?

Contra Costa County spends $8,051 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Monterey County

California

0 pts

54/100

School score

Ventura County

California

+0 pts

54/100

School score

Inyo County

California

-0 pts

53/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Jul 7, 2026Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

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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