5.8 avg / 10

Best Schools in Ventura, California

42 schools · 27 Elementary · 4 Middle · 8 High · 3 Other

Last updated: July 2026

Public: 28

Private: 14

Districts: 3

Avg Rating: 5.8/10

Move-ready shortlistcity map + schools

Choosing a school in Ventura?

Use this page to compare every school in Ventura by level, neighborhood, and district — and find the right fit, not just the top of the list.

Explore the map How we rate schools

Shortlist starter

Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.

Elementary · Ventura Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

High · Ventura Unified. Ranked from real test data; use the map and table below to check address fit.

The short answer

The top-rated schools in Ventura for 2026 are Loma Vista Elementary (8.3/10), Homestead (alternative) (7.8/10), and Foothill Technology High (7.2/10), based on MySchoolScout's analysis of real test data across 35 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.

Best value · beats the odds

Homestead (alternative)

Rates 7.8/10 despite 53% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.9 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 Ventura schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024

Lemon Grove

STAAR proficiency rose +9.7 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Ventura schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Ventura

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite using only schools with real test data (35 of 42). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#	School	Rating	Level	Value	State %ile
1	Loma Vista Elementary	8.3 / 10	Elementary	+1.8	88th
2	Homestead (alternative)	7.8 / 10	Elementary	+1.9	79th
3	Foothill Technology High	7.2 / 10	High	+0.8	67th
4	Mound Elementary	7.1 / 10	Elementary	+0.6	65th
5	Montalvo Elementary	7.0 / 10	Elementary	+1.4	62th
6	Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy	7.0 / 10	Elementary	+1.2	62th
7	Pierpont Elementary	6.8 / 10	Elementary	+0.3	58th
8	Holy Cross School @ San Buenaventura Mission	6.8 / 10	Elementary	—	68th
9	De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts	6.6 / 10	Middle	+1.3	54th
10	EL Camino High	6.5 / 10	High	+0.1	52th

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: 5.8/10
Median household income: $95,717
Median home value: $795,425
Bachelor's degree or higher: 40%
Avg commute: 26 min
Owner-occupied homes: 61%

How Ventura compares

California rank

#420 of 597

cities by avg. school score

Vs. state average

-0.4

below California avg (6.3)

Median household income

$96k

96% of California median

Schools in this city

35

About Schools in Ventura, California

Ventura's public school system spans 28 ranked schools with a citywide average score of 5.5 out of 10 — a spread that signals meaningful performance variation and rewards careful research. The elementary tier carries most of the city's top performers, and five schools, 18% of the ranked pool, clear the 7-out-of-10 threshold that marks consistently strong academic outcomes. That concentration at the top is encouraging, but it also means the majority of schools land in the middle of the scale or below.

Will Rogers Elementary leads the city at 7.9 out of 10, the highest score in Ventura's public system. Lemon Grove (7.8) and Loma Vista Elementary (7.7) cluster just behind it, giving families in those attendance zones a strong option without a private-school premium. Elmhurst Elementary (7.1) and the Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy (7.0) round out the top five. The Academy's specialized tech-and-leadership focus adds an academic pathway dimension that the other top schools don't offer — worth noting for parents who want more than a strong general curriculum at the elementary level.

Below the top five, scores drift toward the 5.5 citywide average. That number sits in the middle of the national scale — not a red flag in isolation, but not a safe default. Parents whose address falls outside a high-scoring attendance zone should verify their assigned school's score directly rather than assuming proximity to strong performers means similar results.

For anyone benchmarking Ventura against comparable Southern California cities, the 18% rate of 7-plus schools is the sharpest comparison point. Roughly one in five public schools performs well above the midpoint; four in five do not. Families with K–5 children have the most leverage here, since the city's highest-scoring options concentrate at the elementary level. Identify which top-five school your address feeds into early — transfer waitlists at high-demand schools fill quickly, and choice options require lead time to navigate.

Filter by Level: All Levels (42) Elementary (27) Middle (4) High (8)

Filter by Type: All Types (42) Public (28) Private (14)

Filter by Rating: All Ratings (42) Academics (28) Growth (28) Diversity (28) Resources (28)

Filter by ZIP: 93003 (23) 93001 (12) 93004 (5)

Elementary Schools

27 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Loma Vista Elementary 404 students · Kindergarten–5th	404	Kindergarten–5th	8.3
2	Homestead (alternative) 49 students · Kindergarten–8th	49	Kindergarten–8th	7.8
3	Mound Elementary 525 students · Kindergarten–5th	525	Kindergarten–5th	7.1
4	Montalvo Elementary 374 students · Kindergarten–5th	374	Kindergarten–5th	7.0
5	Academy of Technology & Leadership at Saticoy 424 students · Kindergarten–7th	424	Kindergarten–7th	7.0
6	Pierpont Elementary 293 students · Kindergarten–5th	293	Kindergarten–5th	6.8
7	Will Rogers Elementary 404 students · Kindergarten–5th	404	Kindergarten–5th	6.5
8	Portola Elementary 501 students · Kindergarten–5th	501	Kindergarten–5th	6.4
9	Juanamaria Elementary 400 students · Kindergarten–5th	400	Kindergarten–5th	5.9
10	Lemon Grove 304 students · Kindergarten–8th	304	Kindergarten–8th	5.8

Show all 27 elementary schools in Ventura

Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models, so scores are not directly comparable across school types.

Poinsettia Elementary Sheridan Way Elementary Elmhurst Elementary E. P. Foster Elementary Junipero Serra Elementary Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education Citrus Glen Elementary Lincoln Elementary Holy Cross School @ San Buenaventura Mission Private City Christian School Private Sacred Heart Elementary School Private Ventura Missionary School Private Our Lady of the Assumption School Private Ventura Missionary Christian Private Coastline Bible Day School Private Ventura Montessori School Private Goldenwest Montessori Schools Private

Middle Schools

4 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts 548 students · 6th–8th	548	6th–8th	6.6
2	Anacapa Middle 635 students · 6th–8th	635	6th–8th	6.1
3	Cabrillo Middle 867 students · 6th–8th	867	6th–8th	5.5
4	Balboa Middle 941 students · 6th–8th	941	6th–8th	5.1

High Schools

8 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Foothill Technology High 962 students · 9th–12th	962	9th–12th	7.2
2	EL Camino High 218 students · 9th–12th	218	9th–12th	6.5
3	Ventura High 2,036 students · 9th–12th	2,036	9th–12th	5.9
4	Buena High 1,685 students · 9th–12th	1,685	9th–12th	5.6
5	Pacific High 198 students · 9th–12th	198	9th–12th	4.1
Private Schools 3 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	St Bonaventure High School Private 378 students · 9th–12th	378	9th–12th	5.6
2	Ditch School Private 65 students · 8th–12th	65	8th–12th	Not Rated
3	Saint Bonaventure High School Private 412 students · 9th–12th	412	9th–12th	Not Rated

Other Schools

3 schools

#	School	Enrollment	Grades	Rating
1	Golden Valley Charter 502 students · Kindergarten–12th	502	Kindergarten–12th	5.7
Private Schools 2 schools Private and public school ratings use different data sources and scoring models. Scores are not directly comparable across school types.
1	Ventura County Christian School Private 159 students · Pre-K–12th	159	Pre-K–12th	6.1
2	Ventura Christian Academy Private 19 students · Kindergarten–12th	19	Kindergarten–12th	—

Schools in Ventura

Ventura, California · 42 schools

Community Demographics

Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates across 4 ZIP codes

Median Income

$95,717

Median Home Value

$795,425

Median Rent

$2,066/mo

Population

137,281

College Educated

40%

Homeownership

61%

Avg Commute

26 min

Poverty Rate

10.9%

Community Profile

Ventura has a median household income of $95,717. It is a well-educated community where 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The median home value in the area is $795,425, with a median rent of $2,066/month. The area has a poverty rate of 10.9%. The average commute for residents is 26 minutes. Source: U.S. Census ACS 2022 5-Year Estimates.

Schools by Level

State: California
Elementary: 27
Middle: 4
High: 8
Other: 3

Resources

🔍 Google "Ventura schools" 🏫 GreatSchools Ventura 📊 Niche Ventura Rankings 📍 Google Maps: Schools

School Districts (3)

Golden Valley Charter District

1 school · 502 students

Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education District

1 school · 449 students

Ventura Unified

27 schools · 14,672 students

Nearby Cities

San Buenaventura (ventura) (1 school)

Port Hueneme (4 schools)

Santa Paula (14 schools)

11 mi

Somis (2 schools)

11 mi

Camarillo (29 schools)

13 mi

Carpinteria (8 schools)

18 mi

Newbury Park (13 schools)

18 mi

Fillmore (7 schools)

20 mi

Moorpark (11 schools)

21 mi

Summerland (1 school)

23 mi

Thousand Oaks (35 schools)

22 mi

Other Major Cities in California

Top metros statewide by school count.

Los Angeles 928 schools San Diego 412 schools San Jose 335 schools San Francisco 297 schools Sacramento 273 schools

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 rate

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about schools in Ventura, California

How many schools are in Ventura, California?

Ventura has 42 schools, including 28 public and 14 private schools spanning elementary, middle, and high school levels.

What is the average school rating in Ventura, California?

The average MySchoolScout composite score for schools in Ventura is 5.8 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 Ventura, California?

The top-ranked school in Ventura on MySchoolScout is Loma Vista Elementary with a composite score of 8.3/10.

What is the best elementary school in Ventura, California?

The top-ranked elementary school in Ventura on MySchoolScout is Loma Vista Elementary with a composite score of 8.3/10.

What is the best middle school in Ventura, California?

The top-ranked middle school in Ventura on MySchoolScout is De Anza Academy of Technology and the Arts with a composite score of 6.6/10.

What is the best high school in Ventura, California?

The top-ranked high school in Ventura on MySchoolScout is Foothill Technology High with a composite score of 7.2/10.

How many school districts serve Ventura, California?

Ventura is served by 3 school districts: Golden Valley Charter District, Ventura Charter School of Arts and Global Education District, Ventura Unified.

What is the education level in Ventura, California?

According to Census data, 40% of adults in Ventura have earned a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the median income in Ventura, California?

The median household income in Ventura is approximately $95,717 according to Census ACS 2022 estimates.

Are there private schools in Ventura, California?

Yes, Ventura has 14 private schools alongside 28 public schools. The top-rated private school is Holy Cross School @ San Buenaventura Mission with a score of 6.8/10.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Ventura, California?

The average student-teacher ratio across schools in Ventura is 20.8:1. This ratio varies by school, so families should check individual school profiles for specific classroom sizes.

How does MySchoolScout rate schools in Ventura, 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.