Best Schools in San Francisco, California
257 schools · 167 Elementary · 25 Middle · 56 High · 9 Other
Choosing a school in San Francisco?
Use this page to compare every school in San Francisco 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.
Lowell High
High · San Francisco Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Mission Preparatory
Elementary · Mission Preparatory District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Roosevelt Middle
Middle · San Francisco Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in San Francisco for 2026 are Lowell High (9.2/10), Mission Preparatory (9.0/10), and Roosevelt Middle (8.8/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 117 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
257
124 public · 133 private
Avg Score
6.4
out of 10
Median Home
$1,456,529
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Schools
257
124 public · 133 private
Avg Score
6.4
out of 10
Median Home
$1,456,529
home value · ACS
Districts
16
serving the city
Rates 9.0/10 despite 78% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.4 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 San Francisco schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +18.6 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among San Francisco schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in San Francisco
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 117 rated schools; 257 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lowell High | 9.2 / 10 |
| 2 | Mission Preparatory | 9.0 / 10 |
| 3 | Roosevelt Middle | 8.8 / 10 |
| 4 | Stevenson (robert Louis) Elementary | 8.6 / 10 |
| 5 | Argonne Elementary | 8.5 / 10 |
| 6 | Jefferson Elementary | 8.5 / 10 |
| 7 | Asawa (ruth) Sf Sch of the Arts a Public School | 8.5 / 10 |
| 8 | Presidio Middle | 8.5 / 10 |
| 9 | Brown Jr. (willie L) Middle | 8.4 / 10 |
| 10 | Yu (alice Fong) Elementary | 8.4 / 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
- 6.4/10
- Median household income
- $148,348
- Median home value
- $1,456,529
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 62%
- Avg commute
- 31 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 36%
42% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How San Francisco compares
California rank
#294 of 599
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
+0.1
above California avg (6.3)
Median household income
$148k
149% of California median
Schools in this city
206
Education Snapshot
San Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco serves roughly 95,682 students across 297 schools operated by 16 separate school districts. The level distribution skews toward elementary: 192 campuses sit at that level, compared to 72 high schools and 23 middle schools, with 10 other or combined-level programs also in the count. Fourteen charter schools are available among the 297 total. Of those schools, 194 carry a MySchoolScout composite score and average 6.8/10 — half a point above California's state average of 6.3/10, though that figure covers roughly two-thirds of the city's total school count. On the economic side, median household income of $144,967 runs 38% above California's $105,206 median, and 60% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. With 16 distinct districts operating across one city, individual school ratings are more informative than the city-wide composite for families comparing specific enrollment choices.
San Francisco Unified runs 85% of San Francisco's public schools
San Francisco touches 16 districts, but San Francisco Unified is the one most addresses actually attend.
San Francisco Unified accounts for 106 of 124 public schools (85%). The other 15 districts hold the remaining 18.
Among 117 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 1.7 to 9.2 — the spread is inside San Francisco, not a citywide average.
14 of the 124 public schools are charters (11%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- San Francisco Unified106 public · 85%
- San Francisco County Office of Education4 public · 3%
- City Arts & Leadership Academy District1 public · 1%
- Creative Arts Charter District1 public · 1%
- Five Keys Charter (sf Sheriff's) District1 public · 1%
About Schools in San Francisco, California
San Francisco's public school system spans 119 ranked schools, giving parents a wide field to evaluate. The city average sits at 6.9 out of 10 — a solid baseline, and one that understates how much high-end performance exists here. Exactly half of ranked schools, 60 in total, score 7 or above, meaning parents have a genuine range of strong options rather than a handful of outliers carrying the city's reputation.
Elementary schools dominate the top of the rankings. Parker (Jean) Elementary leads the city with a 9.5 out of 10, the highest score among all 119 ranked public schools. Chin (John Yehall) Elementary and Sutro Elementary both score 9.4, and Harvey Milk Civil Rights Elementary rounds out the top five at 9.3. That concentration of high-scoring elementaries signals that San Francisco's strongest academic performance tends to emerge early in the pipeline. At the high school level, Asawa (Ruth) SF School of the Arts — a public magnet focused on arts integration — holds a 9.3, making it one of the few secondary schools matching the top elementary tier.
The breadth of the 7-plus scoring group matters practically. With 60 schools above that threshold, parents aren't limited to chasing a short list of elite campuses. San Francisco Unified School District uses a choice-based enrollment system, so families submit ranked preferences rather than defaulting to a neighborhood school. Understanding how that process works — application windows, sibling preferences, and language programs — is as important as reading the school scores themselves.
Parents researching San Francisco should use the 6.9 city average as a calibration point. A school scoring 7 or 8 here is genuinely above the local norm, not just average. Start with the top-rated elementaries if you have young children, but don't overlook mid-tier schools that may offer specialized programs or shorter commutes. Given the competitive enrollment landscape, identifying two or three realistic options across the performance range — not just reach schools — is the most practical approach to navigating this city's public school market.
Elementary Schools
167 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 490 students · Kindergarten–8th | 9.0 |
| 2 | 438 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.6 |
| 3 | 368 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.5 |
| 4 | 502 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.5 |
| 5 | 589 students · Kindergarten–8th | 8.4 |
| 6 | 344 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.4 |
| 7 | 650 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.2 |
| 8 | 381 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.2 |
| 9 | 247 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.1 |
| 10 | 562 students · Kindergarten–5th | 8.0 |
Show all 167 elementary schools in San Francisco
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
25 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 657 students · 6th–8th | 8.8 |
| 2 | 980 students · 6th–8th | 8.5 |
| 3 | 313 students · 6th–8th | 8.4 |
| 4 | 266 students · 5th–8th | 8.2 |
| 5 | 948 students · 6th–8th | 7.8 |
| 6 | 185 students · 5th–8th | 7.7 |
| 7 | 654 students · 6th–8th | 7.7 |
| 8 | 281 students · 6th–8th | 7.6 |
| 9 | 857 students · 6th–8th | 7.6 |
| 10 | 1,193 students · 6th–8th | 7.6 |
Show all 25 middle schools in San Francisco
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
High Schools
56 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2,540 students · 9th–12th | 9.2 |
| 2 | 680 students · 9th–12th | 8.5 |
| 3 | 265 students · 9th–12th | 8.3 |
| 4 | 2,037 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 |
| 5 | 551 students · 9th–12th | 7.6 |
| 6 | 260 students · 9th–12th | 7.5 |
| 7 | 1,251 students · 9th–12th | 7.4 |
| 8 | 483 students · 9th–12th | 7.1 |
| 9 | 197 students · 9th–12th | 6.9 |
| 10 | 475 students · 9th–12th | 6.8 |
Show all 56 high schools in San Francisco
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Other Schools
9 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 251 students · Kindergarten–12th | 3.8 | ||
Private Schools8 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | San Francisco Waldorf SchoolPrivate 334 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 2 | Sterne SchoolPrivate 181 students · 4th–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 3 | BrightworksPrivate 116 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 4 | BrightworksPrivate 116 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 5 | 264 students · Pre-K–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 6 | 37 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 7 | 1,198 students · Kindergarten–12th | Not Rated | ||
| 8 | The Discovery Center SchoolPrivate 6 students · 3rd–10th | Not Rated | ||
Schools in San Francisco
San Francisco, California · 257 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 26 ZIP codes
Median Income
$148,348
Median Home Value
$1,456,529
Median Rent
$2,565/mo
Population
835,843
College Educated
62%
Homeownership
36%
Avg Commute
31 min
Poverty Rate
11.5%
Community Profile
San Francisco has a median household income of $148,348. It is a well-educated community where 62% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $1,456,529, with a median rent of $2,565/month. The area has a poverty rate of 11.5%. The average commute for residents is 31 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- California
- Elementary
- 167
- Middle
- 25
- High
- 56
- Other
- 9
Resources
School Districts (16)
KIPP Bayview Elementary District
1 school · 144 students
KIPP San Francisco Bay Academy District
1 school · 266 students
Gateway Middle District
1 school · 281 students
KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory District
1 school · 260 students
Five Keys Charter (SF Sheriff's) District
1 school · 153 students
Thomas Edison Charter Academy District
1 school · 557 students
City Arts & Leadership Academy District
1 school · 407 students
Five Keys Independence HS (SF Sheriff's) District
1 school · 3,172 students
Creative Arts Charter District
1 school · 429 students
KIPP Bayview Academy District
1 school · 185 students
Mission Preparatory District
1 school · 490 students
Gateway High District
1 school · 475 students
The New School of San Francisco District
1 school · 444 students
Life Learning Academy Charter District
1 school · 41 students
San Francisco Unified
113 schools · 48,736 students
San Francisco County Office of Education
4 schools · 468 students
Other Major Cities in California
Top metros statewide by school count.
Featured Rankings
See our in-depth rankings with interactive maps, score breakdowns, and school spotlights.
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 San Francisco, California
How many schools are in San Francisco, California?
San Francisco has 257 schools, including 124 public and 133 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in San Francisco, California?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in San Francisco is 6.4 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 San Francisco, California?
The top-ranked school in San Francisco on MySchoolScout is Lowell High with a composite score of 9.2/10.
What is the best elementary school in San Francisco, California?
The top-ranked elementary school in San Francisco on MySchoolScout is Mission Preparatory with a composite score of 9.0/10.
What is the best middle school in San Francisco, California?
The top-ranked middle school in San Francisco on MySchoolScout is Roosevelt Middle with a composite score of 8.8/10.
What is the best high school in San Francisco, California?
The top-ranked high school in San Francisco on MySchoolScout is Lowell High with a composite score of 9.2/10.
How many school districts serve San Francisco, California?
San Francisco is served by 16 school districts: Kipp Bayview Elementary District, Kipp San Francisco Bay Academy District, Gateway Middle District, Kipp San Francisco College Preparatory District, Five Keys Charter (sf Sheriff's) District, Thomas Edison Charter Academy District, City Arts & Leadership Academy District, Five Keys Independence HS (sf Sheriff's) District, Creative Arts Charter District, Kipp Bayview Academy District, Mission Preparatory District, Gateway High District, The New School of San Francisco District, Life Learning Academy Charter District, San Francisco Unified, San Francisco County Office of Education.
What is the education level in San Francisco, California?
According to Census data, 62% of adults in San Francisco have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in San Francisco, California?
The median household income in San Francisco is approximately $148,348 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in San Francisco, California?
Yes, San Francisco has 133 private schools alongside 124 public schools. The top-rated private school is Chinese American Intl Middle School with a score of 8.5/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in San Francisco, California?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in San Francisco is 15.1:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in San Francisco, 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.