Thousand Oaks Elementary vs John Muir Elementary
Thousand Oaks Elementary and John Muir Elementary are very closely rated, both scoring around 9.1 out of 10. In math proficiency, John Muir Elementary leads at 62.0%.
Thousand Oaks Elementary
Berkeley, CA
363 students
John Muir Elementary
Berkeley, CA
264 students
Ratings Comparison
| Metric | Thousand Oaks Elementary | John Muir Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Rating | 9.1 / 10 | 9.3 / 10 |
| Academic Score | 8.9 | 9.2 |
| Growth Score | 10.0 | 9.7 |
| Diversity Index | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 30.9% | 31.8% |
| Environment Score | 6.9 | 8.7 |
| State Rank | #149 of 9,533 | #55 of 9,533 |
| State Percentile | 98th | 99th |
Test Scores
| Subject | Thousand Oaks Elementary | John Muir Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Math Proficiency | 44.0% | 62.0% |
| Math (State Avg) | — | — |
| ELA Proficiency | 50.0% | 62.0% |
| ELA (State Avg) | — | — |
School Details
| Detail | Thousand Oaks Elementary | John Muir Elementary |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Elementary School | Elementary School |
| Grades | Kindergarten – 5th | Kindergarten – 5th |
| Enrollment | 363 | 264 |
| Student-Teacher Ratio | 24.2:1 | 20.3:1 |
| Per-Pupil Spending | — | — |
| Free/Reduced Lunch | 30.9% | 31.8% |
| Chronic Absenteeism | — | — |
| District | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley Unified |
| City | Berkeley | Berkeley |
Neighborhood
| Metric | Berkeley (94707) | Berkeley (94705) |
|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $196,591 | $163,254 |
| Median Home Value | $1,626,500 | $1,892,300 |
| Median Rent | $2,406 | $2,330 |
| College Educated (Bachelor's+) | 85.4% | 78.7% |
| Poverty Rate | 3.7% | 9.8% |
| Avg Commute | 34 min | 32 min |
The data story: Thousand Oaks Elementary vs John Muir Elementary
John Muir Elementary ranks #55 of 9,533 California schools, placing it in the top 1% statewide. Thousand Oaks Elementary holds a strong position at #149 of 9,533 — still top 2% — but John Muir's advantage is concrete: 94 rank positions separate two schools just 3.1 miles apart in Berkeley. The overall rating gap is 0.2 points, with John Muir Elementary at 9.3/10 against Thousand Oaks Elementary's 9.1/10, a narrow margin that masks more meaningful differences in the underlying components.
Academically, John Muir Elementary scores 9.2/10 against Thousand Oaks Elementary's 8.9/10 — a 0.3-point gap that reflects measurably stronger proficiency outcomes. The growth picture reverses: Thousand Oaks Elementary earns a perfect 10.0/10 growth score versus John Muir Elementary's 9.7/10, meaning students at Thousand Oaks are progressing faster relative to academic peers, even if John Muir's absolute proficiency ceiling is higher. Families who prioritize how much a school accelerates learning should weigh Thousand Oaks Elementary's growth edge seriously.
Thousand Oaks Elementary enrolls 363 students compared to John Muir Elementary's 264 — a 37% larger student body. That size difference drives a tangible classroom staffing gap: Thousand Oaks Elementary's student-teacher ratio is 24.2:1 while John Muir Elementary's is 20.3:1, nearly four fewer students per teacher. Free and reduced-price lunch eligibility is nearly identical — 31% at Thousand Oaks Elementary and 32% at John Muir Elementary — indicating comparable socioeconomic profiles and suggesting the rating gap is not explained by demographic differences.
Both schools serve grades KG–05, so families with children across the full elementary span face no structural difference in grade coverage. The divergence is purely in outcomes and resources: John Muir Elementary offers smaller classes and higher academic scores, while Thousand Oaks Elementary delivers exceptional student growth and a larger peer community within the same Berkeley Unified district.
Editorial summary generated April 2026 · sonnet
Who each school fits
Thousand Oaks Elementary
Thousand Oaks Elementary suits families who prioritize how fast their child will progress year-over-year — its perfect 10.0/10 growth score leads both schools. It also fits parents who want a larger school community with more peer diversity across 363 students, and who are comfortable with larger class sizes of roughly 24 students per teacher.
John Muir Elementary
John Muir Elementary is the better fit for families where smaller classrooms are a priority — 20.3 students per teacher versus 24.2 at Thousand Oaks — and for parents who want the highest absolute academic outcomes in Berkeley. Its #55 statewide rank makes it one of the top elementary schools in California.