Best Schools in Oakdale, California
13 schools · 6 Elementary · 1 Middle · 4 High · 2 Other
Choosing a school in Oakdale?
Use this page to compare every school in Oakdale 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.
Sierra View Elementary
Elementary · Oakdale Joint Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Cloverland Elementary
Elementary · Oakdale Joint Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
Fair Oaks Elementary
Elementary · Oakdale Joint Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Oakdale for 2026 are Sierra View Elementary (7.2/10), Cloverland Elementary (6.8/10), and Fair Oaks Elementary (6.7/10), 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
13
10 public · 3 private
Avg Score
5.3
out of 10
Median Home
$479,900
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Schools
13
10 public · 3 private
Avg Score
5.3
out of 10
Median Home
$479,900
home value · ACS
Districts
2
serving the city
Rates 7.2/10 despite 46% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.5 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 Oakdale schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +8.9 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Oakdale schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Oakdale
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (12 of 13). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sierra View Elementary | 7.2 / 10 |
| 2 | Cloverland Elementary | 6.8 / 10 |
| 3 | Fair Oaks Elementary | 6.7 / 10 |
| 4 | Oakdale Junior High | 6.3 / 10 |
| 5 | Oakdale Charter | 6.0 / 10 |
| 6 | Oakdale High | 5.7 / 10 |
| 7 | East Stanislaus High | 5.0 / 10 |
| 8 | East Valley Education Center | 4.8 / 10 |
| 9 | Valley Oak Online Learning Academy | 4.3 / 10 |
| 10 | Magnolia Elementary | 4.2 / 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
- 5.3/10
- Median household income
- $91,381
- Median home value
- $479,900
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 24%
- Avg commute
- 35 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 69%
8% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Oakdale compares
California rank
#510 of 597
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-1.0
below California avg (6.3)
Median household income
$91k
92% of California median
Schools in this city
12
About Schools in Oakdale, California
Oakdale's public school system offers parents 10 ranked schools spanning elementary through high school. Across those campuses, the average score is 5.5 out of 10 — a midrange result that masks real variation between the city's top performers and its lower-scoring schools. Three schools, or 30% of the ranked total, clear the 7-point threshold, giving families with younger children a strong set of options to target.
Cloverland Elementary leads Oakdale at 8.5 out of 10, the city's clear top performer and a benchmark worth prioritizing for families with elementary-age children. Sierra View Elementary follows at 7.2, and Oakdale Junior High holds its own at 7.0 — a reassuring data point for parents planning ahead, since strong elementary scores don't always carry through middle school. In Oakdale, that transition holds.
The picture shifts at the high school level. East Stanislaus High scores 5.2, below the city average, indicating a performance drop from the elementary tier. Fair Oaks Elementary comes in at 6.1 — above average but a meaningful step below the city's top two elementary options. For parents weighing neighborhoods, the spread between Cloverland at 8.5 and Fair Oaks at 6.1 is wide enough to drive a real decision.
Practically, Oakdale rewards families who plan early. The strongest schools cluster at the elementary level, and both Cloverland and Sierra View outperform the city average by a significant margin. Families whose assigned school is one of those two are starting from a position of strength. The central question for every Oakdale parent is continuity — mapping which middle school and high school the elementary feeds into, since East Stanislaus High's 5.2 score signals that the upper-grade pipeline deserves a closer look before settling on a neighborhood.
Elementary Schools
6 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 627 students · Kindergarten–6th | 7.2 | ||
| 2 | 497 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.8 | ||
| 3 | 817 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.7 | ||
| 4 | 619 students · Kindergarten–6th | 4.2 | ||
| 5 | 498 students · Kindergarten–5th | 3.9 | ||
| Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Freedom Choice Day School
Private
24 students · Kindergarten–4th | — | ||
Middle Schools
1 school| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 800 students · 7th–8th | 6.3 |
High Schools
4 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 68 students · 7th–12th | 6.0 | ||
| 2 | 1,607 students · 9th–12th | 5.7 | ||
| 3 | 94 students · 9th–12th | 5.0 | ||
| Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | East Valley Education Center
Private
59 students · 6th–12th | 4.8 | ||
Other Schools
2 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.3 | ||
| Private Schools 1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Oakdale Christian Academy
Private
68 students · Kindergarten–12th | 2.9 | ||
Schools in Oakdale
Oakdale, California · 13 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 1 ZIP code
Median Income
$91,381
Median Home Value
$479,900
Median Rent
$1,496/mo
Population
35,024
College Educated
24%
Homeownership
69%
Avg Commute
35 min
Poverty Rate
12.0%
Community Profile
Oakdale has a median household income of $91,381. It is a community where 24% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $479,900, with a median rent of $1,496/month. The area has a poverty rate of 12.0%. The average commute in the area is 35 minutes, which is above the national average. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- California
- Elementary
- 6
- Middle
- 1
- High
- 4
- Other
- 2
Resources
Nearby Cities
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 Oakdale, California
How many schools are in Oakdale, California?
Oakdale has 13 schools, including 10 public and 3 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Oakdale, California?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Oakdale is 5.3 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 Oakdale, California?
The top-ranked school in Oakdale on MySchoolScout is Sierra View Elementary with a composite score of 7.2/10.
What is the best elementary school in Oakdale, California?
The top-ranked elementary school in Oakdale on MySchoolScout is Sierra View Elementary with a composite score of 7.2/10.
What is the best middle school in Oakdale, California?
The top-ranked middle school in Oakdale on MySchoolScout is Oakdale Junior High with a composite score of 6.3/10.
What is the best high school in Oakdale, California?
The top-ranked high school in Oakdale on MySchoolScout is Oakdale Charter with a composite score of 6.0/10.
How many school districts serve Oakdale, California?
Oakdale is served by 2 school districts: Riverbank Unified, Oakdale Joint Unified.
What is the education level in Oakdale, California?
According to Census data, 24% of adults in Oakdale have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Oakdale, California?
The median household income in Oakdale is approximately $91,381 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Oakdale, California?
Yes, Oakdale has 3 private schools alongside 10 public schools. The top-rated private school is East Valley Education Center with a score of 4.8/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Oakdale, California?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Oakdale is 23.8:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Oakdale, 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 Public Schools in California 2026: Top-Ranked Elementary, Middle & High Schoolsbest schools
- Best School Districts to Move To in 2026: A Data-Driven Guidebest schools
- Best Schools in Los Angeles, CA — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
- Best Schools in San Diego, CA — 2026 Rankingsbest schools
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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.