Murrieta Valley Unified School District
School District · Murrieta, California
Avg Rating
6.8
out of 10
Schools
20
11 elem, 4 mid, 4 high
Enrollment
22,317
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
Avg Rating
6.8
out of 10
Schools
20
11 elem, 4 mid, 4 high
Enrollment
22,317
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
How this district compares
California rank
#182 of 713
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
+0.5
above California avg
Per-pupil spending
$15,074
$2,573 vs California median
District size
22,317 students
Much larger than California median
The short answer
Murrieta Valley Unified ranks #182 of 713 California districts by overall school rating. Murrieta Valley Unified's schools with real test data average 6.8/10 across 19 schools. Its top-rated schools are Alta Murrieta Elementary (8.2/10), Antelope Hills Elementary (7.9/10), and Murrieta Elementary (7.8/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 8.2/10 despite 58% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.5 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 Murrieta Valley Unified schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +9.3 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Murrieta Valley Unified schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in Murrieta Valley Unified
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (19 of 20). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alta Murrieta Elementary | 8.2 / 10 |
| 2 | Antelope Hills Elementary | 7.9 / 10 |
| 3 | Murrieta Elementary | 7.8 / 10 |
| 4 | Murrieta Mesa High | 7.5 / 10 |
| 5 | Murrieta Canyon Academy | 7.5 / 10 |
| 6 | Dorothy Mcelhinney Middle | 7.4 / 10 |
| 7 | Vista Murrieta High | 7.3 / 10 |
| 8 | Rail Ranch Elementary | 7.2 / 10 |
| 9 | E. Hale Curran Elementary | 7.1 / 10 |
| 10 | Cole Canyon Elementary | 7.0 / 10 |
See all 20 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About Murrieta Valley Unified
Murrieta Valley Unified serves 22,317 students across 21 schools in Murrieta, California. The district spans kindergarten through twelfth grade, and 19 of its 21 campuses carry MySchoolScout rankings — giving parents solid coverage for side-by-side comparisons at every level.
Across those 19 ranked schools, the district-wide average score sits at 6.1 out of 10. That number is a starting point, not a verdict. The more telling figure is the spread: the top school, Murrieta Valley High, scores 8.5 — nearly two and a half points above the district mean. When the highest-rated campus sits that far above average, it signals real variation in outcomes across campuses. Parents comparing options here are choosing between genuinely different schools, not near-identical ones.
Murrieta Valley High anchors the upper tier at 8.5 out of 10 and stands as the district's strongest-performing school by a clear margin. At the elementary level, Tovashal Elementary scores 8.0, the top result among the district's younger-grade campuses. The high school tier is where the district shows the most depth: Vista Murrieta High and Murrieta Mesa High both score 7.3, giving families in different parts of the city two additional strong options beyond the flagship. Murrieta Canyon Academy rounds out the top five at 7.7.
Three of the district's five top-rated schools are high schools, all scoring above the 6.1 average — a concentration that makes the secondary tier a clear strength. The elementary picture is more uneven: Tovashal at 8.0 stands apart, while remaining elementary campuses pull the district figure toward the middle. For families weighing their options, individual school pages on MySchoolScout provide test score breakdowns, enrollment data, and grade configuration details that matter beyond any single district-wide number.
District Map
Schools in Murrieta Valley Unified, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in Murrieta Valley Unified with test data.
Schools in Murrieta Valley Unified
20 schoolsElementary Schools11
Middle Schools4
High Schools4
Other Schools1
District Details
- State
- California
- City
- Murrieta
- Total Enrollment
- 22,317
- Teachers (FTE)
- 929
- District spending per student
- $15,074NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
- Child poverty rate
- 6.6%Census SAIPE · 2024
- District directory year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in Murrieta Valley Unified?
Murrieta Valley Unified has 20 schools in total — 11 elementary, 4 middle, and 4 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for Murrieta Valley Unified?
The average composite rating for Murrieta Valley Unified is 6.8/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the district spending per student in Murrieta Valley Unified?
Murrieta Valley Unified's district-level spending was $15,074 per student in fiscal year 2023, according to NCES F-33. This is district context, not an individual-school expense.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Murrieta Valley Unified?
The average student-teacher ratio in Murrieta Valley Unified is 24:1.
What is the top-rated school in Murrieta Valley Unified?
Alta Murrieta Elementary is the highest-rated school in Murrieta Valley Unified with a composite score of 8.2/10.
What are the test scores in Murrieta Valley Unified?
Across schools in Murrieta Valley Unified with test data, the average math proficiency is 51.9% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 61.6%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does Murrieta Valley Unified compare to other districts in California?
Murrieta Valley Unified has an average school rating of 6.8/10 across 20 schools. Families can compare this to other districts in California by visiting individual district pages. Factors like school size, available programs, and community demographics also play a role in choosing the right fit.
How does MySchoolScout rate schools?
MySchoolScout ratings blend student growth, poverty-adjusted academic performance, and learning environment — plus college readiness for high schools. Weights vary by school level, and equity data is shown for context without being factored into the score. Learn more about our rating system on our methodology page.
District Averages
- Overall Rating
- 6.8/10
- Math Proficiency
- 51.9%
- ELA Proficiency
- 61.6%
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 rateOther School Districts in CA
Compare Murrieta Valley Unified with neighboring districts in the state.
- Los Angeles Unified (785)
- San Diego Unified (175)
- San Francisco Unified (113)
- Fresno Unified (101)
- Long Beach Unified (82)
- Oakland Unified (82)
- San Bernardino City Unified (76)
- Sacramento City Unified (73)
- San Juan Unified (68)
- Elk Grove Unified (67)
- Garden Grove Unified (66)
- Capistrano Unified (59)
- Stockton Unified (54)
- West Contra Costa Unified (54)
- Corona-Norco Unified (53)
- Mt. Diablo Unified (52)
- Santa Ana Unified (52)
- Clovis Unified (50)
- Lodi Unified (49)
- Riverside Unified (49)
- Bakersfield City (45)
- Irvine Unified (45)
- Fontana Unified (44)
- Fremont Unified (44)
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.
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