Cold Spring Elementary

Cold Spring Elementary serves 178 students in kindergarten through sixth grade in Santa Barbara, California. With a student-teacher ratio of 12.7:1, classes stay small — a meaningful advantage at the elementary level, where individual attention drives early academic habits. The school earns a composite score of 9.7 out of 10, rated Exceptional, with an academic score of 9.9 and a growth score of 9.5.

Those numbers carry real weight in context: Cold Spring ranks 4th out of 9,533 public schools statewide and 4th out of 5,817 California elementary schools. It outperforms 100 percent of California schools — a benchmark that places it at the very top of the state's public school landscape. Locally, the school holds the top spot among the 29 public schools in Santa Barbara.

For parents weighing options in the area, that district-wide ranking means Cold Spring isn't just performing well in the abstract — it leads the field in its own backyard. Families prioritizing academic rigor and consistent student growth at the elementary level will find Cold Spring's data compelling by any measure.

With an enrollment of 178 students, Cold Spring Elementary is a smaller school where families often find a close-knit community atmosphere. Smaller settings can mean more individual attention from teachers and staff, though they may offer fewer extracurricular options than larger schools.