Best Schools in Stockton, California
128 schools · 82 Elementary · 8 Middle · 25 High · 13 Other
Choosing a school in Stockton?
Use this page to compare every school in Stockton 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.
Kipp University Park
Elementary · Kipp University Park District. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
Health Careers Academy
High · Stockton Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
John Mccandless Charter
Elementary · Lincoln Unified. Ranked from real test data; compare it on the map and table below.
The short answer
The top-rated schools in Stockton for 2026 are Kipp University Park (8.8/10), Health Careers Academy (8.6/10), and John Mccandless Charter (8.1/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 107 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
128
109 public · 19 private
Avg Score
5.5
out of 10
Median Home
$394,209
home value · ACS
Districts
20
serving the city
Schools
128
109 public · 19 private
Avg Score
5.5
out of 10
Median Home
$394,209
home value · ACS
Districts
20
serving the city
Rates 8.8/10 despite 95% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.8 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 Stockton schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +9.8 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Stockton schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Stockton
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (Top 10 of 107 rated schools; 128 schools in the directory). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kipp University Park | 8.8 / 10 |
| 2 | Health Careers Academy | 8.6 / 10 |
| 3 | John Mccandless Charter | 8.1 / 10 |
| 4 | Edward C. Merlo Institute of Environmental Studies | 8.1 / 10 |
| 5 | Stockton Early College Academy | 7.9 / 10 |
| 6 | Brookside | 7.7 / 10 |
| 7 | Glenwood Elementary | 7.7 / 10 |
| 8 | Middle College High | 7.3 / 10 |
| 9 | Ansel Adams | 7.2 / 10 |
| 10 | Rio Calaveras Elementary | 7.2 / 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
- 5.5/10
- Median household income
- $74,195
- Median home value
- $394,209
- Bachelor's degree or higher
- 19%
- Avg commute
- 33 min
- Owner-occupied homes
- 52%
12% of schools rated 7+
Census ACS, ZIPs in this city
Owner-occupied units
Adults 25+
Workers age 16+
Of occupied housing units
How Stockton compares
California rank
#533 of 599
cities by avg. school score
Vs. state average
-0.8
below California avg (6.3)
Median household income
$74k
74% of California median
Schools in this city
119
Education Snapshot
Stockton, CaliforniaStockton's 131 schools span 20 districts and enroll approximately 69,790 students. The average MySchoolScout composite rating is 5.4/10 across 120 scored schools, nearly a full point below California's state average of 6.3/10. The school mix skews heavily elementary: 86 elementary buildings against just 7 middle schools and 25 high schools, with 13 combined or alternative programs completing the inventory. Nineteen charter schools offer additional public pathways, giving families meaningful choice beyond the traditional district assignment. The rating gap tracks closely with economic conditions: Stockton's median household income of $78,698 sits 25% below California's statewide median of $105,206, and only 18% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Parents scrolling the school list should expect wide performance variance — the 5.4 composite average masks individual schools that significantly outperform and underperform the city mean.
20 districts draw attendance lines through Stockton
Stockton is not one school system. 20 districts cut across the city limits, and the largest still holds only 50% of the public campuses.
Stockton Unified is the largest slice at 54 of 109 public schools — not a majority. Choosing a Stockton address is choosing a district first.
Among 107 public schools with real test data, composite scores run from 2.6 to 8.8 — the spread is inside Stockton, not a citywide average.
19 of the 109 public schools are charters (17%), so the district split is not the whole market.
- Stockton Unified54 public · 50%
- Lodi Unified22 public · 20%
- Lincoln Unified12 public · 11%
- Linden Unified3 public · 3%
- San Joaquin County Office of Education3 public · 3%
About Schools in Stockton, California
Stockton Unified and its neighboring districts cover 109 ranked public schools across the city, giving families a wide range of options at every grade level. The city's average school score sits at 5.7 out of 10, which reflects a landscape where quality varies significantly from one neighborhood to the next. That spread makes school selection one of the most consequential decisions a Stockton family will make.
The top performers are worth knowing. Pacific Law Academy leads the city with a score of 8.7 out of 10, the highest in Stockton, and offers a specialized focus that sets it apart at the high school level. Weber Institute also ranks among the city's strongest high schools at 8.0. On the elementary side, Sutherland Elementary scores 8.1 and Valentine Peyton Elementary earns an 8.0, both standing well above the city average. Across all grade levels, 17 schools — roughly 16% of ranked schools — score 7 or higher, meaning parents who prioritize academics have real options, but those options require active searching.
The majority of Stockton schools fall in the mid-range or below the city average, so geography alone should not drive enrollment decisions. Parents living in a lower-scoring attendance zone have practical routes to stronger schools through magnet programs, interdistrict transfers, and specialized academies like Pacific Law Academy, which draws students based on program interest rather than home address.
The practical takeaway: start with the 17 schools scoring 7 or above and work backward from there. Check each school's current enrollment policies and transfer deadlines early, since seats at higher-scoring schools fill fast. For elementary families, Sutherland and Valentine Peyton are strong anchors to research first. For high school, Pacific Law Academy's 8.7 rating makes it the clear benchmark — compare any other option against it. Stockton's school landscape rewards parents who dig into the data rather than defaulting to proximity, and MySchoolScout's ratings give you a direct way to do that comparison before committing to a neighborhood or enrollment decision.
Elementary Schools
82 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 269 students · Kindergarten–8th | 8.8 |
| 2 | 448 students · Kindergarten–8th | 8.1 |
| 3 | 761 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.7 |
| 4 | 377 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.7 |
| 5 | 630 students · Kindergarten–6th | 7.2 |
| 6 | 850 students · Kindergarten–8th | 7.2 |
| 7 | 597 students · Kindergarten–6th | 7.1 |
| 8 | 498 students · Kindergarten–8th | 6.8 |
| 9 | 662 students · Kindergarten–8th | 6.7 |
| 10 | 411 students · Kindergarten–6th | 6.7 |
Show all 82 elementary schools in Stockton
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Middle Schools
8 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 270 students · 4th–8th | 6.8 | ||
| 2 | 333 students · 5th–8th | 6.6 | ||
| 3 | 582 students · 7th–8th | 6.5 | ||
| 4 | 576 students · 7th–8th | 6.3 | ||
| 5 | 699 students · 7th–8th | 6.3 | ||
| 6 | 715 students · 7th–8th | 5.6 | ||
| 7 | 172 students · 6th–8th | 4.5 | ||
Private Schools1 school Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | La EscuelaPrivate 7 students · 7th–7th | Not Rated | ||
High Schools
25 schools| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 404 students · 9th–12th | 8.6 |
| 2 | 216 students · 9th–12th | 8.1 |
| 3 | 424 students · 9th–12th | 7.9 |
| 4 | 338 students · 9th–12th | 7.3 |
| 5 | 198 students · 7th–12th | 6.6 |
| 6 | 2,891 students · 9th–12th | 6.5 |
| 7 | 344 students · 9th–12th | 6.3 |
| 8 | 1,880 students · 9th–12th | 6.0 |
| 9 | 236 students · 6th–12th | 5.9 |
| 10 | 2,188 students · 6th–12th | 5.8 |
Show all 25 high schools in Stockton
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Other Schools
13 schools| # | School | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,191 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.4 | ||
| 2 | 101 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.4 | ||
| 3 | 49 students · Kindergarten–12th | 6.2 | ||
| 4 | 1,613 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.9 | ||
| 5 | 102 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.6 | ||
| 6 | 103 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.5 | ||
| 7 | 838 students · Kindergarten–12th | 5.5 | ||
| 8 | 1,046 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.9 | ||
| 9 | 1,149 students · Kindergarten–12th | 4.6 | ||
Private Schools4 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types. | ||||
| 1 | Stockton Baptist SchoolPrivate 52 students · Pre-K–10th | Not Rated | ||
Show all 13 other schools in Stockton
Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.
Schools in Stockton
Stockton, California · 128 schools
Community Demographics
Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 11 ZIP codes
Median Income
$74,195
Median Home Value
$394,209
Median Rent
$1,498/mo
Population
387,093
College Educated
19%
Homeownership
52%
Avg Commute
33 min
Poverty Rate
17.2%
Community Profile
Stockton has a median household income of $74,195. It is a community where 19% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $394,209, with a median rent of $1,498/month. The area has a poverty rate of 17.2%. The average commute for residents is 33 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.
Schools by Level
- State
- California
- Elementary
- 82
- Middle
- 8
- High
- 25
- Other
- 13
Resources
School Districts (20)
ABLE Charter District
1 school · 1,191 students
Dr. Lewis Dolphin Stallworth Sr. Charter District
1 school · 241 students
Stockton Collegiate International Secondary District
1 school · 455 students
TEAM Charter District
1 school · 506 students
Venture Academy District
1 school · 1,613 students
Team Charter Academy District
1 school · 172 students
Stockton Collegiate International Elementary District
1 school · 377 students
one.Charter District
1 school · 1,149 students
Aspire Stockton 6-12 Secondary Academy District
1 school · 236 students
Aspire Arts & Sciences Academy District
1 school · 297 students
KIPP Stockton District
1 school · 101 students
KIPP University Park District
1 school · 269 students
Astronaut Jose' M. Hernandez Academy District
1 school · 206 students
Escalon Unified
7 schools · 2,724 students
Lincoln Unified
14 schools · 8,773 students
Linden Unified
6 schools · 2,275 students
Lodi Unified
49 schools · 27,172 students
Manteca Unified
30 schools · 25,000 students
Stockton Unified
54 schools · 34,544 students
San Joaquin County Office of Education
3 schools · 1,937 students
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 Stockton, California
How many schools are in Stockton, California?
Stockton has 128 schools, including 109 public and 19 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.
What is the average school rating in Stockton, California?
The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Stockton is 5.5 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 Stockton, California?
The top-ranked school in Stockton on MySchoolScout is Kipp University Park with a composite score of 8.8/10.
What is the best elementary school in Stockton, California?
The top-ranked elementary school in Stockton on MySchoolScout is Kipp University Park with a composite score of 8.8/10.
What is the best middle school in Stockton, California?
The top-ranked middle school in Stockton on MySchoolScout is Elkhorn with a composite score of 6.8/10.
What is the best high school in Stockton, California?
The top-ranked high school in Stockton on MySchoolScout is Health Careers Academy with a composite score of 8.6/10.
How many school districts serve Stockton, California?
Stockton is served by 20 school districts: Able Charter District, Dr. Lewis Dolphin Stallworth Sr. Charter District, Stockton Collegiate International Secondary District, Team Charter District, Venture Academy District, Team Charter Academy District, Stockton Collegiate International Elementary District, One.charter District, Aspire Stockton 6-12 Secondary Academy District, Aspire Arts & Sciences Academy District, Kipp Stockton District, Kipp University Park District, Astronaut Jose' M. Hernandez Academy District, Escalon Unified, Lincoln Unified, Linden Unified, Lodi Unified, Manteca Unified, Stockton Unified, San Joaquin County Office of Education.
What is the education level in Stockton, California?
According to Census data, 19% of adults in Stockton have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the median income in Stockton, California?
The median household income in Stockton is approximately $74,195 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.
Are there private schools in Stockton, California?
Yes, Stockton has 19 private schools alongside 109 public schools. The top-rated private school is Stockton Baptist School with a score of 7.5/10.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Stockton, California?
The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Stockton is 21.2:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Stockton, 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.