Best Schools in Citrus Heights, California
19 schools · 11 Elementary · 2 Middle · 5 High · 1 Other
Choosing a school in Citrus Heights?
Use this page to compare every school in Citrus Heights by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Lichen K-8
Elementary · San Juan Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
San Juan High
High · San Juan Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Carriage Drive Elementary
Elementary · San Juan Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Citrus Heights for 2026 are Lichen K-8 (6.4/10), San Juan High (5.9/10), and Carriage Drive Elementary (5.8/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 12 rated schools. Ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment (plus college readiness for high schools), with equity shown as context, not scored; schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Schools
19
12 public · 7 private
Avg Score
4.9
out of 10
Median Home
$434,200
home value · ACS
District
1
serving the city
Schools
19
12 public · 7 private
Avg Score
4.9
out of 10
Median Home
$434,200
home value · ACS
District
1
serving the city
Rates 6.4/10 despite 63% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.6 points higher than its student-poverty level predicts. Roughly as clean a case of strong results without an affluent-ZIP price tag as you'll find among Citrus Heights schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +5.7 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Citrus Heights schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Citrus Heights
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 12 rated schools; 19 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lichen K-8 | 6.4 / 10 |
| 2 | San Juan High | 5.9 / 10 |
| 3 | Carriage Drive Elementary | 5.8 / 10 |
| 4 | Mesa Verde High | 5.5 / 10 |
| 5 | Cambridge Heights Elementary | 5.3 / 10 |
| 6 | Woodside K-8 | 5.1 / 10 |
| 7 | Arlington Heights Elementary | 4.5 / 10 |
| 8 | Kingswood K-8 | 4.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Sylvan Middle | 4.3 / 10 |
| 10 | Skycrest Elementary | 3.4 / 10 |
See every school — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
Family Snapshot
At a glance- Avg school rating
- 4.9/10
- Median household income
- $77,471
- Median home value
- $434,200
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 22%
- Avg commute
- 28 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 60%
0% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Citrus Heights compares
California rank
#581 of 599
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-1.5
below California avg (6.3)
Median household income
$77k
78% of California median
Schools in this city
15
San Juan Unified runs Citrus Heights's public schools
12 public schools. San Juan Unified is the only district on the page.
Every assigned public school in Citrus Heights is a San Juan Unified school (12 of 12).
Among 12 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 3.0 to 6.4 — the spread is inside Citrus Heights, not a citywide average.
About Schools in Citrus Heights, California
Citrus Heights has 12 ranked public schools, most of them elementary-level. The city's average school score sits at 5.2 out of 10 — a middle-of-the-pack result that reflects meaningful variation across campuses rather than uniformly weak performance. Only 1 school, or 8% of the ranked total, clears the 7-point threshold, so parents looking for standout options are working with a narrow field.
Cambridge Heights Elementary leads the city at 7.2 out of 10, the only school to break into high-performer territory. Skycrest Elementary follows at 6.8 — close enough to Cambridge Heights to warrant a serious look. Grand Oaks Elementary posts a 6.2. All three are elementary schools, which means families with younger children have the clearest path to above-average options in Citrus Heights. The gap is meaningful: Cambridge Heights scores nearly two full points above the 5.2 city average.
For older students, the picture narrows. San Juan High scores 5.8 out of 10 — above the city average but well below the top elementary tier. Lichen K-8, which covers the elementary and middle-school years, lands at 5.4, right at the city mean. Parents planning a full K-12 path should note that the strongest schools concentrate at the elementary level. The high school options carry noticeably less separation from the pack.
Practically, parents new to Citrus Heights should prioritize attendance zone research early. Cambridge Heights and Skycrest are the clear elementary targets — both outperform the city average by a solid margin, and Skycrest gives families a strong fallback if Cambridge Heights falls outside their zone. Families with middle- or high-school-age children should weigh San Juan High's profile against private or charter options in the broader Sacramento metro, where the performance ceiling is meaningfully higher. With just one school exceeding 7 out of 10 across the entire city, where you live in Citrus Heights carries disproportionate weight — especially at the elementary level, where the real performance gap plays out.
Elementary Schools
11 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 487 students · Kindergarten–8th | 6.4 | ||
| 2 | 425 students · Kindergarten–6th | 5.8 | ||
| 3 | 321 students · Kindergarten–5th | 5.3 | ||
| 4 | 420 students · Kindergarten–8th | 5.1 | ||
| 5 | 333 students · Kindergarten–5th | 4.5 | ||
| 6 | 555 students · Kindergarten–8th | 4.5 | ||
| 7 | 409 students · Kindergarten–5th | 3.4 | ||
| 8 | 336 students · Kindergarten–5th | 3.2 | ||
| 9 | 311 students · Kindergarten–5th | 3.0 | ||
Private Schools2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | St Mark's Lutheran SchoolPrivate 80 students · Kindergarten–8th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 11 elementary schools in Citrus Heights
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
2 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 627 students · 6th–8th | 4.3 | ||
Private Schools1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Faith Christian AcademyPrivate 94 students · 1st–8th | Not Rated | ||
High Schools
5 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 570 students · 9th–12th | 5.9 | ||
| 2 | 881 students · 9th–12th | 5.5 | ||
Private Schools3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Old School Home SchoolPrivate 22 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | 67 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | 50 students · 1st–12th | Not Rated | ||
Other Schools
1 school| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley Christian AcademyPrivate 260 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated |
Schools in Citrus Heights
Citrus Heights, California · 19 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 2 ZIP codes
Median Income
$77,471
Median Home Value
$434,200
Median Rent
$1,770/mo
Population
88,506
College Educated
22%
Homeownership
60%
Avg Commute
28 min
Poverty Rate
9.8%
Community Profile
Citrus Heights has a median household income of $77,471. It is a community where 22% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $434,200, with a median rent of $1,770/month. The local poverty rate of 9.8% is relatively low. The average commute for residents is 28 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- California
- Elementary
- 11
- Middle
- 2
- High
- 5
- Other
- 1
Resources
School District
Other Major Cities in California
Top metros statewide by school count.
How we rate schools
A clear 1–10 score built from public data — growth, academics, and learning environment. No hidden criteria, no pay-to-play.
See how we rateFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about schools in Citrus Heights, California
How many schools are in Citrus Heights, California?
Citrus Heights has 19 schools, including 12 public and 7 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Citrus Heights, California?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Citrus Heights is 4.9 out of 10, built from student growth, poverty-adjusted academic achievement, and school environment — plus college readiness for high schools.
What is the top-ranked school in Citrus Heights, California?
The top-ranked school in Citrus Heights on MySchoolScout is Lichen K-8 with a composite score of 6.4/10.
What is the best elementary school in Citrus Heights, California?
The top-ranked elementary school in Citrus Heights on MySchoolScout is Lichen K-8 with a composite score of 6.4/10.
What is the best middle school in Citrus Heights, California?
The top-ranked middle school in Citrus Heights on MySchoolScout is Sylvan Middle with a composite score of 4.3/10.
What is the best high school in Citrus Heights, California?
The top-ranked high school in Citrus Heights on MySchoolScout is San Juan High with a composite score of 5.9/10.
How many school districts serve Citrus Heights, California?
Citrus Heights is served by 1 school district: San Juan Unified.
What is the education level in Citrus Heights, California?
According to Census data, 22% of adults in Citrus Heights have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Citrus Heights, California?
The median household income in Citrus Heights is approximately $77,471 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Citrus Heights, California?
Yes, Citrus Heights has 7 private schools alongside 12 public schools. The top-rated private school is Valley Christian Academy with a score of 5.9/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Citrus Heights, California?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Citrus Heights is 19.9:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Citrus Heights, California?
MySchoolScout rates schools using publicly available data from the NCES Common Core of Data and state education departments. Each school receives a 1-10 composite score built from Student Growth, Poverty-Adjusted Academic Achievement, and School Environment — plus College Readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context but not scored.
Related reading
- Best Elementary Schools in America: 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Best School Districts to Move To in 2026: A Data-Driven Guidebest schools
- Best States for Public Schools in 2026: A Complete Rankingdata insights
- Charter Schools vs Public Schools: What the Data Actually Shows (2026)school choice
- Moving before 2027? The federal school choice tax credit follows the state, not youschool choice
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.