Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier vs Cragmont Elementary
Cragmont Elementary has a higher overall rating of 7.8/10 compared to 7.2/10. In math proficiency, Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier leads at 70.0%.
Attendance data is under correction. A public school's existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating shown here may still reflect an unverified attendance input.
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier
Berkeley, CA
404 students
Cragmont Elementary
Berkeley, CA
294 students
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| Metric | Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier | Cragmont Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 7.2 / 10 | 7.8 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 9.3 | 9.0 |
| Growth Score | 5.2 | 6.6 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 23.3% | 28.2% |
| Environment Score | 8.9 | 8.8 |
| State Rank | #2,817 of 9,557 | #1,576 of 9,557 |
| State Percentile | 71th | 84th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier | Cragmont Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 70.0% | 57.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 72.0% | 67.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
Neighborhood
| Metric | Berkeley (94709) | Berkeley (94708) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $95,223 | $229,004 |
| Median Home Value | $1,240,500 | $1,517,100 |
| Median Rent | $1,988 | $2,926 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 79.6% | 88.1% |
| Poverty Rate | 15.6% | 5.3% |
| Avg Commute | 27 min | 35 min |
The data story: Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier vs Cragmont Elementary
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier and Cragmont Elementary sit just 1.2 miles apart in Berkeley, California, and their overall ratings are functionally identical — both score 9.2/10. In California state rankings, Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier lands at #138 of 9,533 schools while Cragmont Elementary places at #140 of 9,533, a two-position gap that carries no practical weight. Parents choosing between these schools are not choosing between a strong school and a weak one; they are making finer-grained trade-offs.
Academically, the gap is more visible: Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier earns a 9.4/10 academic score versus Cragmont Elementary's 8.9/10 — a 0.5-point difference that reflects higher measured proficiency on state assessments. The dynamic flips on growth. Cragmont Elementary posts a 9.5/10 growth score against Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier's 9.3/10, meaning students at Cragmont are outpacing academic-growth benchmarks by a slightly wider margin relative to their starting points. A family prioritizing absolute achievement levels leans toward Berkeley Arts Magnet; a family weighting year-over-year student progress leans toward Cragmont.
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier enrolls 404 students compared to Cragmont Elementary's 294, making Cragmont the noticeably smaller campus — roughly 27% fewer students. Both schools run nearly identical student-teacher ratios (21.3:1 at Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier versus 21.0:1 at Cragmont), so class size alone does not explain the enrollment difference; Cragmont simply operates fewer classrooms. On socioeconomic mix, Cragmont Elementary serves 28% free/reduced-lunch students against Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier's 23% — a 5-point difference indicating a modestly broader income range at Cragmont.
Both schools cover grades KG–05, so neither offers an extended grade span advantage. The defining programmatic distinction is in Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier's identity as an arts-integration magnet, where visual arts, music, theater, and dance are woven into core academics across all grade levels. Cragmont operates as a traditional neighborhood elementary without a magnet designation, drawing primarily from its attendance zone.
Editorial summary generated May 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier
Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier suits families who specifically want arts integration embedded in daily academics — not as an elective, but as a teaching methodology — and who prioritize the school's 0.5-point academic score advantage. The larger campus also suits families who prefer a bigger peer community and broader extracurricular critical mass at the elementary level.
Cragmont Elementary
Cragmont Elementary fits families who value a smaller, neighborhood-feel campus and are drawn to its slightly stronger growth trajectory (9.5/10 vs. 9.3/10), suggesting students make impressive gains regardless of entry level. It's also the better fit for families already in the Cragmont attendance zone who want a high-performing school without navigating magnet enrollment.