Best Public Schools in San Francisco, CA


Summary:

San Francisco, California, is served by 124 public schools for the 2024-2025 year, spanning elementary, middle, and high school grades, with most operated by the San Francisco Unified district alongside several independent charters, creating a diverse and complex educational landscape.

The city's schools present a stark contrast, with some ranking among the best in the state. Top performers include specialized high schools like Lowell High and Asawa (Ruth) SF School of the Arts, as well as elementary schools such as Sunset Elementary and Chinese Immersion School at DeAvila. Other schools like Lincoln (Abraham) High and Ulloa Elementary demonstrate strong results while serving many students with economic need.

However, many schools face severe challenges, with low test scores and high chronic absenteeism. Schools like Mission High, Buena Vista/ Horace Mann K-8, and Wells (Ida B.) High rank in the bottom percentiles statewide. Notably, high per-student spending at some struggling schools, such as Downtown High, indicates that funding alone does not guarantee success, with chronic absenteeism being a critical district-wide issue that correlates strongly with poor outcomes.

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Cities Near San Francisco

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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