Best Schools in Novato, California

Novato's public school landscape spans 15 ranked schools with an average score of 6.9 out of 10 — a solid mid-range baseline that masks real performance variation across the city. Six of those 15 schools, or 40%, clear the 7-point threshold, giving families genuine choices at the higher end of the performance band.

Elementary schools dominate the top tier. Loma Verde Elementary leads the city at 8.5 out of 10, the highest score among all 15 ranked schools. Rancho Elementary and San Ramon Elementary both score 8.4, making Novato's elementary cohort unusually competitive — three schools within one-tenth of a point of each other at the top. Lynwood Elementary rounds out the strong elementary group at 7.9. That cluster of high-performing elementary schools is one of Novato's clearest assets for families with younger children.

At the secondary level, San Marin High scores 8.2 out of 10, placing it well above the city average and among the strongest schools in Novato regardless of grade level. Parents with middle or high school-age children have a clearly defined anchor school in San Marin.

The 6.9 city average tells an honest story: the top quarter of Novato schools performs well above that mark, but a meaningful share of the 15 ranked schools sits below the 7-point line. The gap between the three leading elementary schools and the city mean runs nearly 1.5 points — significant in practical terms. Families should verify which school their address maps to before assuming proximity to a high-scoring school guarantees enrollment. Attendance boundaries in Novato's elementary zone vary enough that address research delivers real returns. For parents prioritizing performance at every stage, the combination of strong elementary options and a high-scoring high school makes Novato a competitive choice within Marin County — provided families land in the right attendance zone.