San Francisco Unified School District
School District · San Francisco, California
Avg Rating
7.0
out of 10
Schools
106
76 elem, 13 mid, 17 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$22,909
Student-Teacher Ratio
20.6:1
Avg Rating
7.0
out of 10
Schools
106
76 elem, 13 mid, 17 high
Per-Pupil Spending
$22,909
Student-Teacher Ratio
20.6:1
Evaluating San Francisco Unified?
A district shares budget, policy, and attendance zones across its schools — use this page to judge San Francisco Unified as a whole, then compare how its individual schools differ.
Shortlist starter
Start with these real page-level signals, then use the full table and map below.
Roosevelt Middle
San Francisco · Middle. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
Lilienthal (claire) Elementary
San Francisco · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
King (thomas Starr) Elementary
San Francisco · Elementary. Compare this profile against district averages, level fit, and attendance-zone reality below.
How this district compares
California rank
#192 of 713
districts by avg. composite
Vs. state average
+0.7
above California avg
Per-pupil spending
$22,909
+$5,262 vs California median
District size
48,736 students
Much larger than California median
The short answer
San Francisco Unified ranks #192 of 713 California districts by overall school rating. San Francisco Unified's schools with real test data average 7.0/10 across 101 schools. Its top-rated schools are Roosevelt Middle (9.5/10), Lilienthal (claire) Elementary (9.4/10), and King (thomas Starr) Elementary (9.4/10). Schools with estimated (proxy) scores are excluded from this ranking.
Rates 9.2/10 despite 76% of students being economically disadvantaged. That's about 3.6 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 San Francisco Unified schools.
STAAR proficiency rose +18.6 points from 2022 to 2024. That's the biggest jump among San Francisco Unified schools across the two most recent comparable testing years.
Top-Rated Schools in San Francisco Unified
Ranked by MySchoolScout composite rating using only schools with real test data (101 of 106). "Value" = points above what student poverty predicts. Estimated (proxy) scores are excluded.
| # | School | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roosevelt Middle | 9.5 / 10 |
| 2 | Lilienthal (claire) Elementary | 9.4 / 10 |
| 3 | King (thomas Starr) Elementary | 9.4 / 10 |
| 4 | Peabody (george) Elementary | 9.4 / 10 |
| 5 | Lafayette Elementary | 9.3 / 10 |
| 6 | Chinese Immersion School at Deavila | 9.3 / 10 |
| 7 | Sunset Elementary | 9.2 / 10 |
| 8 | Sutro Elementary | 9.2 / 10 |
| 9 | Muir (john) Elementary | 9.2 / 10 |
| 10 | Ulloa Elementary | 9.1 / 10 |
See all 106 schools — including those with estimated data — in the full directory below. How we rate schools.
About San Francisco Unified
San Francisco Unified School District serves 48,736 students across 113 schools in San Francisco, California. Of those, 103 schools carry a ranking, averaging a solid 7.0 out of 10 — a respectable baseline that tells parents most schools here clear a meaningful performance bar before they even start comparing options.
At the top of that range sits Parker (Jean) Elementary, rated 9.5 out of 10 and the highest-scoring school in the district. Close behind are Chin (John Yehall) Elementary and Sutro Elementary, both earning 9.4s, while Harvey Milk Civil Rights Elementary rounds out the strong elementary tier at 9.3. Parents prioritizing elementary placement have several high-performing options to consider, and the concentration of top scores at this level suggests the district invests meaningfully in its youngest learners.
On the secondary side, Asawa (Ruth) SF School of the Arts stands out as the district's top-rated high school at 9.3 out of 10. It operates as a public school with an arts focus, giving families a specialized pathway that competes with the district's best elementary performers on raw score alone. For parents planning years ahead, that continuity — strong elementary options feeding toward a competitive arts-focused high school — represents a coherent academic track within a single public system.
With 113 total schools and a 48,736-student enrollment, San Francisco Unified is a large urban district where school-to-school variation matters. The 7.0 district average signals that mid-tier options are competitive, but the gap between the average and the top scorers — nearly 2.5 points — means location and school assignment decisions carry real weight. Parents comparing neighborhoods should check individual school scores carefully rather than relying on district-wide reputation alone. The data here gives families a concrete starting point for those comparisons.
District Map
Schools in San Francisco Unified, colored by MySchoolScout rank. Click a pin for details.
District Average Test Scores
Average proficiency across all schools in San Francisco Unified with test data.
Schools in San Francisco Unified
106 schools Elementary Schools 76
Middle Schools 13
High Schools 17
District Details
- State
- California
- City
- San Francisco
- Total Enrollment
- 48,736
- Teachers (FTE)
- 2,364
- Child Poverty Rate
- 0.1%
- Data Year
- 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools are in San Francisco Unified?
San Francisco Unified has 106 schools in total — 76 elementary, 13 middle, and 17 high schools. You can explore each school's ratings and details on this page.
What is the average rating for San Francisco Unified?
The average composite rating for San Francisco Unified is 7.0/10. This score is calculated from the individual ratings of all schools with academic data in the district.
What is the per-pupil spending in San Francisco Unified?
San Francisco Unified spends $22,909 per student per year.
What is the student-teacher ratio in San Francisco Unified?
The average student-teacher ratio in San Francisco Unified is 20.6:1.
What is the top-rated school in San Francisco Unified?
Roosevelt Middle is the highest-rated school in San Francisco Unified with a composite score of 9.5/10.
What are the test scores in San Francisco Unified?
Across schools in San Francisco Unified with test data, the average math proficiency is 48.4% and the average ELA (reading/writing) proficiency is 50.3%. These figures represent the percentage of students meeting or exceeding grade-level standards.
How does San Francisco Unified compare to other districts in California?
San Francisco Unified has an average school rating of 7.0/10 across 106 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
- 7.0/10
- Math Proficiency
- 48.4%
- ELA Proficiency
- 50.3%
Resources
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 San Francisco Unified with neighboring districts in the state.
- Los Angeles Unified (785)
- San Diego Unified (175)
- 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)
- West Contra Costa Unified (54)
- Stockton 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)
- Twin Rivers Unified (43)
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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