Santa Clara County Schools & Education
Santa Clara County, California
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataSchool Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
Score Band
Midrange Signal
Graduation Rate
82.9%
National avg 87.5%
Education Statistics
Graduation Rate
82.9%
National avg 87.5%
State avg 87.5%
Per-Pupil Spending
$9,513
National avg $13,239
State avg $8,762
School Score
50/100
Percentile-style score
State avg 55/100
State Score Position
#39
of 58 counties by score
Education Data Brief: Santa Clara County
Measured School Summary
Santa Clara County has midrange measured school signals (score: 50/100) with a graduation rate of 82.9%, which warrants review in official state and district records.
Funding Context
Santa Clara County spends $9,513 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 9% below the California average, and its graduation rate trails the state average by 4.6 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 9% higher than the state norm.
School Data Brief
How to read Santa Clara 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
411 public schools and 79 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
50/100
Mixed county signal. Ranks #39 of 58 California counties with school score data.
Completion
82.9%
4.6 pts below the state average
Funding context
$9,513
$751 above the state average
School coverage
411
79 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
Santa Clara County has 411 public schools across 79 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.
What Santa Clara 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
Santa Clara 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
#39
of 58 California counties with school score data. The county score is 5 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 Jose Unified
Elementary to high school visible
25,351 students
42 listed schools in this county slice.
East Side Union High
High school only in this slice
20,915 students
16 listed schools in this county slice.
Santa Clara Unified
Elementary to high school visible
13,884 students
30 listed schools in this county slice.
Cupertino Union
Elementary and middle visible
13,455 students
23 listed schools in this county slice.
District reality check
San Jose Unified is the largest listed district slice, with 42 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 Santa Clara County?
Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Santa Clara 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?
Comparison context
Compare Santa Clara County With Nearby School Markets
Santa Clara County appears in curated regional school comparisons where parents commonly weigh county lines, housing tradeoffs, commute, and district boundaries before narrowing to individual schools.
Bay Area
Alameda County vs Santa Clara County vs San Mateo County Schools
This comparison is for families weighing East Bay, South Bay, and Peninsula school signals alongside commute and housing cost.
Compared with
Alameda County, CA and San Mateo County, CA
Current leader
San Mateo County, CA at 65/100
Graduation-rate leader: San Mateo County, CA at 88.5%
Education Overview
About Schools in Santa Clara County, California
This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.
The Epicenter of Silicon Valley Education
Santa Clara County manages a massive network of 411 public schools, educating 235,111 students within 79 districts. This vast system includes 255 elementary schools and 79 high schools, reflecting the region's dense population. Charter schools are highly prevalent here, with 63 campuses making up over 15% of the county's total schools.
Massive Districts and High-Enrollment Campuses
San Jose Unified is the region's heavyweight, managing 42 schools and 25,351 students. Other major players include Santa Clara Unified and Cupertino Union, which together serve over 27,000 students. Individual high schools are notably large; Milpitas High leads with 3,026 students, while Evergreen Valley High serves 2,767.
Dynamic Urban Environments and Large Classes
Education in Santa Clara County is overwhelmingly urban, with 342 schools located in city settings. The average school size is 583 students, but many high schools function as mini-cities with enrollments exceeding 2,300 students. This creates a high-energy, diverse academic environment typical of a major metropolitan hub.
School Overview
Total Schools
411
in Santa Clara County
Reported Enrollment
235,111
407 schools reporting
School Districts
79
districts
Charter Schools
63
15% of total
School Level Breakdown
79 School Districts in Santa Clara County
San Jose Unified
GuideEast Side Union High
GuideSanta Clara Unified
GuideCupertino Union
GuideGilroy Unified
GuidePalo Alto Unified
GuideFremont Union High
GuideMilpitas Unified
GuideEvergreen Elementary
GuideOak Grove Elementary
Guide411 Public Schools in Santa Clara County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 48 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 411 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milpitas High | Profile | Milpitas Unified | Milpitas, 95035City: Small | 9–12 | High | 3,026 |
| Evergreen Valley High | Profile | East Side Union High | San Jose, 95148City: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,767 |
| Independence High | Profile | East Side Union High | San Jose, 95133City: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,517 |
| Silver Creek High | Profile | East Side Union High | San Jose, 95121City: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,315 |
| Homestead High | Profile | Fremont Union High | Cupertino, 95014City: Small | 9–12 | High | 2,311 |
| Mountain View High | Profile | Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | Mountain View, 94040City: Small | 9–12 | High | 2,220 |
| Santa Teresa High | Profile | East Side Union High | San Jose, 95123City: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,196 |
| Fremont High | Profile | Fremont Union High | Sunnyvale, 94087City: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 2,171 |
| Los Altos High | Profile | Mountain View-Los Altos Union High | Los Altos, 94022Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,141 |
| Los Gatos High | Profile | Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High | Los Gatos, 95030Suburb: Large | 9–12 | High | 2,067 |
| Cupertino High | Profile | Fremont Union High | Cupertino, 95014City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,997 |
| Palo Alto High | Profile | Palo Alto Unified | Palo Alto, 94301City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,992 |
| Branham High | Profile | Campbell Union High | San Jose, 95118City: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,990 |
| Piedmont Hills High | Profile | East Side Union High | San Jose, 95132City: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,925 |
| Adrian Wilcox High | Profile | Santa Clara Unified | Santa Clara, 95051City: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,859 |
| Santa Clara High | Profile | Santa Clara Unified | Santa Clara, 95051City: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 1,849 |
| Leigh High | Profile | Campbell Union High | San Jose, 95124City: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,812 |
| Henry M. Gunn High | Profile | Palo Alto Unified | Palo Alto, 94306City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,787 |
| Monta Vista High | Profile | Fremont Union High | Cupertino, 95014City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,751 |
| Lynbrook High | Profile | Fremont Union High | San Jose, 95129City: Large | 9–12 | High | 1,741 |
Milpitas High
Milpitas Unified
Milpitas, 95035 / City: Small
Evergreen Valley High
East Side Union High
San Jose, 95148 / City: Large
Independence High
East Side Union High
San Jose, 95133 / City: Large
Silver Creek High
East Side Union High
San Jose, 95121 / City: Large
Homestead High
Fremont Union High
Cupertino, 95014 / City: Small
Mountain View High
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High
Mountain View, 94040 / City: Small
Santa Teresa High
East Side Union High
San Jose, 95123 / City: Large
Fremont High
Fremont Union High
Sunnyvale, 94087 / City: Midsize
Los Altos High
Mountain View-Los Altos Union High
Los Altos, 94022 / Suburb: Large
Los Gatos High
Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High
Los Gatos, 95030 / Suburb: Large
Cupertino High
Fremont Union High
Cupertino, 95014 / City: Small
Palo Alto High
Palo Alto Unified
Palo Alto, 94301 / City: Small
Branham High
Campbell Union High
San Jose, 95118 / City: Large
Piedmont Hills High
East Side Union High
San Jose, 95132 / City: Large
Adrian Wilcox High
Santa Clara Unified
Santa Clara, 95051 / City: Midsize
Santa Clara High
Santa Clara Unified
Santa Clara, 95051 / City: Midsize
Leigh High
Campbell Union High
San Jose, 95124 / City: Large
Henry M. Gunn High
Palo Alto Unified
Palo Alto, 94306 / City: Small
Monta Vista High
Fremont Union High
Cupertino, 95014 / City: Small
Lynbrook High
Fremont Union High
San Jose, 95129 / City: Large
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.
- Westmont High
- Gilroy High
- Yerba Buena High
- Andrew P. Hill High
- Abraham Lincoln High
- Christopher High
- Willow Glen High
- Leland High
- Oak Grove High
- Ann Sobrato High
- Pioneer High
- Prospect High
- William C. Overfelt High
- Del Mar High
- Mt. Pleasant High
- Saratoga High
- Willow Glen Middle
- Live Oak High
- Cupertino Middle
- Joaquin Miller Middle
- Bullis Charter
- Raymond J. Fisher Middle
- Union Middle
- Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle
- Herbert Hoover Middle
- Sunnyvale Middle
- Easterbrook Discovery
- San Jose High
Education Funding Detail
Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure
$9,513
State avg $8,762
Compare Nearby Counties
Review Santa Clara County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.
Open CompareBrowse Public Schools
See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.
View SchoolsFrequently Asked Questions
Which California counties have the highest graduation rates?
What is per-pupil spending like in California?
How should I read the school score in Santa Clara County?
What is the graduation rate in Santa Clara County?
How much does Santa Clara County spend per student?
Frequently Asked Questions
Schools in Santa Clara County, California — FAQ
What does the school system look like in Santa Clara County, California?
Santa Clara County manages a massive network of 411 public schools, educating 235,111 students within 79 districts. This vast system includes 255 elementary schools and 79 high schools, reflecting the region's dense population. Charter schools are highly prevalent here, with 63 campuses making up over 15% of the county's total schools.
What are the major school districts in Santa Clara County, California?
San Jose Unified is the region's heavyweight, managing 42 schools and 25,351 students. Other major players include Santa Clara Unified and Cupertino Union, which together serve over 27,000 students. Individual high schools are notably large; Milpitas High leads with 3,026 students, while Evergreen Valley High serves 2,767.
What is the school experience like in Santa Clara County?
Education in Santa Clara County is overwhelmingly urban, with 342 schools located in city settings. The average school size is 583 students, but many high schools function as mini-cities with enrollments exceeding 2,300 students. This creates a high-energy, diverse academic environment typical of a major metropolitan hub.
Counties with Similar School Profile
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.