Best counties for school ratings in California
Top 25 of 58 counties with data.
Ranked by school district rating (NCES EDFacts via Urban Institute, 2024-25), highest first.
Best counties for school ratings in California
| Rank | County | Value |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Marin7.0 County page | |
| 02 | Placer6.9 County page | |
| 03 | Orange6.7 County page | |
| 04 | San Mateo6.6 County page | |
| 05 | El Dorado6.6 County page | |
| 06 | Alameda6.5 County page | |
| 07 | County page | |
| 08 | San Diego6.2 County page | |
| 09 | Trinity6.2 County page | |
| 10 | County page | |
| 11 | Nevada6.1 County page | |
| 12 | Contra Costa6.1 County page | |
| 13 | Los Angeles5.9 County page | |
| 14 | Yolo5.8 County page | |
| 15 | Ventura5.7 County page | |
| 16 | Alpine5.7 County page | |
| 17 | Sacramento5.7 County page | |
| 18 | Kings5.6 County page | |
| 19 | Napa5.6 County page | |
| 20 | Fresno5.6 County page | |
| 21 | Sierra5.5 County page | |
| 22 | Riverside5.5 County page | |
| 23 | Sonoma5.5 County page | |
| 24 | Humboldt5.4 County page | |
| 25 | Inyo5.4 County page | |
How this ranking works
This page ranks California counties by school district rating, sorted so the best places appear first. Click any county to see its housing, schools, crime, and demographics in detail.
For school ratings, a higher value is generally more favorable, so the top of the list is the highest. Want to weigh school ratings against schools, taxes, commute, and more at once? Use the live map to build a custom match.
Data comes from public sources. Source attribution and the exact data vintage are shown above and on the full map of school district rating.
Frequently asked questions
- Which county in California has the highest school ratings?
- Marin has the highest school ratings in California, at 7.0.
- What is the school ratings in Marin?
- Marin is ranked #1 in California for school ratings, at 7.0.
- What are the top counties in California for school ratings?
- Marin (7.0), then Placer (6.9), and Orange (6.7). The full top 25 is in the table on this page.
- How is this school ratings ranking calculated?
- Counties in California are ranked by school district rating (NCES EDFacts via Urban Institute, 2024-25), highest first. Values describe the county, not an individual property. Source vintage is shown on the page.
- Is this a school district ranking?
- This list ranks counties by school district rating (school district rating), not individual schools or named districts. A county with several districts is represented by that county-level rating. For a specific school, use the county page and the live map.
- How does California compare to the rest of the US for school ratings?
- This list is California only. See the national ranking of the best counties for school ratings at hearthmap.app/best/best-school-ratings.
Related
More California county rankings
- 01Cheapest home pricesCheapest Counties to Buy a House in California
- 02Lowest monthly housing paymentCounties With the Lowest Monthly Housing Payment in California
- 03Lowest property taxLowest Property Taxes in California by County
- 04Cheapest homeowners insuranceCounties With the Cheapest Homeowners Insurance in California
- 05Cheapest childcare costCounties With the Cheapest Childcare in California
- 06Lowest natural disaster riskLowest Natural Disaster Risk Counties in California
- 07Lowest flood riskLowest Flood Risk Counties in California
- 08Lowest wildfire riskLowest Wildfire Risk Counties in California
- 09Safest countiesSafest Counties (Lowest Violent Crime) in California
- 10Highest household incomeCounties With the Highest Household Income in California
- 11Shortest commute timeCounties With the Shortest Commute in California
- 12Fastest-selling homesCounties Where Homes Sell Fastest in California
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