Best Schools in Glendale, California

Glendale's public school system gives parents meaningful choices. The city has 22 ranked public schools carrying an average score of 6.5 out of 10 — a solid baseline that sits within reach of the city's high performers. Eight of those schools, or 36% of the total, score 7.0 or higher, meaning more than a third of Glendale's ranked schools clear a strong performance threshold.

The strongest results cluster at the elementary level. Thomas Edison Elementary leads the city at 8.4 out of 10, the highest score in Glendale. Verdugo Woodlands Elementary follows at 8.2, while Benjamin Franklin Elementary and Horace Mann Elementary both earn an 8.1. Columbus Elementary rounds out the top five at 7.9. Five schools scoring within half a point of each other is a meaningful pattern — it means families in different neighborhoods have access to comparably strong K–5 options rather than a single school dominating the top spot.

The 6.5 city average reflects real spread across school levels and neighborhoods. Edison's 8.4 sits nearly two full points above that midpoint, which tells parents the upper tier here is genuinely strong, not just marginally above average. The gap between Glendale's best schools and its midrange ones is real, so neighborhood boundaries matter. Glendale's top elementaries are distributed across different parts of the city rather than concentrated in one zone, which is worth mapping before assuming proximity to a high scorer.

For families beginning their search, the practical starting point is the elementary tier — that's where Glendale's performance data is clearest and the top options most concentrated. Use each school's individual profile to compare test score breakdowns, demographic context, and year-over-year growth trends. The eight schools scoring 7.0 or higher give Glendale parents a solid field to work from. Confirm enrollment eligibility by address early, since boundary lines determine which of these options are actually available to you.