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6.6avg / 10

Pasadena Unified School District

School District · Pasadena, California

Students: 13,978
Teachers (FTE): 651

Avg Rating

6.6

out of 10

Schools

23

14 elem, 3 mid, 5 high

Enrollment

13,978

Student-Teacher Ratio

21.5:1

How this district compares

California rank

#248 of 713

districts by avg. composite

Vs. state average

+0.3

above California avg

Per-pupil spending

$21,565

+$3,918 vs California median

District size

13,978 students

Much larger than California median

The short answer

Pasadena Unified ranks #248 of 713 California districts by overall school rating. Pasadena Unified's schools with real test data average 6.6/10 across 23 schools. Its top-rated schools are Marshall Fundamental (8.1/10), Octavia E. Butler Magnet (8.1/10), and Norma Coombs Elementary (7.6/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.

Best value · beats the odds
Octavia E. Butler Magnet

Rates 8.1/10 despite 82% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 1.6 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 Pasadena Unified schools.

Most improved · 2022 → 2024
Altadena Elementary

STAAR proficiency rose +16.2 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among Pasadena Unified schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.

Top-Rated Schools in Pasadena Unified

Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (23 of 23). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.

#SchoolRating
1Marshall Fundamental8.1 / 10
2Octavia E. Butler Magnet8.1 / 10
3Norma Coombs Elementary7.6 / 10
4Sierra Madre Middle7.5 / 10
5Hamilton Elementary7.4 / 10
6Charles W. Eliot Middle7.4 / 10
7Pasadena High7.3 / 10
8John Muir High7.3 / 10
9Field (eugene) Elementary7.2 / 10
10Don Benito Fundamental7.2 / 10

See all 23 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.

About Pasadena Unified

Pasadena Unified is a Pasadena, California school district serving 23 schools.The district educates 13,978 students with a student-teacher ratio of 21.5:1. District-level spending was $21,565 per student in fiscal year 2023 (NCES F-33).

With an average rating of 6.6/10, Pasadena Unified demonstrates solid academic performance.

The highest-rated school in the district is Marshall Fundamental, which has a composite score of 8.1/10.

In standardized testing, Pasadena Unified students show an average math proficiency of 39.0% and ELA proficiency of 45.8%.

The district includes 14 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 5 high schools.

District Map

Schools in Pasadena Unified, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.

District Average Test Scores

Math Proficiency39.0%
School
State
Not reported
ELA Proficiency45.8%
School
State
Not reported

Average proficiency across all schools in Pasadena Unified with test data.

District Details

State
California
City
Pasadena
Total Enrollment
13,978
Teachers (FTE)
651
District spending per student
$21,565NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
Child poverty rate
10.7%Census SAIPE · 2024
District directory year
2023

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Pasadena Unified?

Pasadena Unified has 23 schools in total — 14 elementary, 3 middle, and 5 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.

What is the average rating for Pasadena Unified?

The average composite rating for Pasadena Unified is 6.6/10. 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 Pasadena Unified?

Pasadena Unified's district-level spending was $21,565 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 Pasadena Unified?

The average student-teacher ratio in Pasadena Unified is 21.5:1.

What is the top-rated school in Pasadena Unified?

Marshall Fundamental is the highest-rated school in Pasadena Unified with a composite score of 8.1/10.

What are the test scores in Pasadena Unified?

Across schools in Pasadena Unified with test data, the average math proficiency is 39.0% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 45.8%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.

How does Pasadena Unified compare to other districts in California?

Pasadena Unified has an average school rating of 6.6/10 across 23 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
6.6/10
Math Proficiency
39.0%
ELA Proficiency
45.8%

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

Other School Districts in CA

Compare Pasadena Unified with neighboring districts in the state.

See all districts in CA →

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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