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Best Public Schools in Carson, CA

At a glance

Schools

12,126

Students

Districts

5-star school

Top rankedCalifornia Academy of Mathematics and Science4^th of 2,162 California high schools

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Biggest riser

Ralph Bunche Elementary up 1,512 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Glenn Hammond Curtiss Middle 16.1 students per teacher

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Newly ranked this year

Eagle Tree Continuation

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

2★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare California cities →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

Carson, California is home to 24 public schools serving grades K-12 across four districts, with most belonging to the Los Angeles Unified system, and they primarily serve low-income communities with a wide range of academic outcomes.

The standout academic performer is the California Academy of Mathematics and Science (CAMS), a top-ranked high school with exceptional test scores and a near-perfect graduation rate, demonstrating that high achievement is possible even with average per-student spending. Among elementary schools, Two Hundred Thirty-Second Place Elementary and Carson Street Elementary consistently post strong results, while Ralph Bunche Elementary in the Compton Unified district has the best attendance record.

Schools facing significant challenges include the fully online Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment, which struggles with very high absenteeism and low graduation rates, and the small Eagle Tree Continuation high school, which requires intensive resources for its at-risk students. A common theme across most Carson schools is that mathematics proficiency lags behind English, indicating a key area for improvement, and there is no clear link between higher per-student spending and better academic outcomes.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)					Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)								Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)								% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Magnolia Science Academy 3	Public, Charter	6-12	1254 East Helmick St.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Magnolia Science Academy 3 District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 637-3806	411	18	22.6	72.5%	1 (0.2%)	174 (42.3%)	224 (54.5%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	9 (2.2%)	55.1	934^th of 2162 public high schools	56.8%		45.2	1118^th of 2159 public high schools	48.2%	184		13.2		9.4	11.3				30.4	36.1	12.0	70.2	38.0				19.6	13.3	11.5	25.0	17.4
Ralph Bunche Elementary	Public	K-8	16223 South Haskins Ln.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Compton Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 898-6120	217	9	24.2	82.0%	1 (0.5%)	84 (38.7%)	128 (59.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.4%)	60.4	2045^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.1%		34.6	3557^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.4%	1512	20.7	22.2			21.3	61.3	40.0	55.2	47.6	37.5	50.0		50.4	74.2	65.0	34.5	28.6	0.0	50.0		45.2							$21,573	$15,814	$5,759
California Academy of Mathematics and Science	Public	9-12	1000 East Victoria St. Bldg. S	Carson	90747	Los Angeles County	Long Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 243-2025	673	27	24.8	37.4%	30 (4.5%)	46 (6.8%)	227 (33.7%)	342 (50.8%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	27 (4.0%)	99.4	4^th of 2162 public high schools	99.8%		99.4	7^th of 2159 public high schools	99.7%	3				87.0	87.0							98.7	98.7							94.9	94.9							$25,059	$23,904	$1,155
Ambler Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	319 East Sherman Dr.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 532-4090	445	23	19.7	80.9%	2 (0.4%)	322 (72.4%)	107 (24.0%)	5 (1.1%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.8%)	39.2	3273^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	44.1%		36.7	3388^th of 5869 public elementary schools	42.3%	115	23.3				23.3	48.4	39.4	44.2					43.9	48.4	22.5	23.3					30.3							$45,710	$43,410	$2,300
Annalee Avenue Elementary	Public	K-6	19410 South Annalee Ave.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 537-4740	194	10	19.4	77.8%	0 (0.0%)	152 (78.4%)	25 (12.9%)	4 (2.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.5%)	10 (5.2%)	53.2	2412^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.8%		56.5	2207^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.4%	205	44.8				44.8	23.5	51.4	72.4					48.0	29.4	43.2	41.4					38.0							$59,099	$56,686	$2,413
Bonita Street Elementary	Public	K-5	21929 Bonita St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 834-8588	399	19	21.0	77.9%	5 (1.3%)	47 (11.8%)	232 (58.1%)	85 (21.3%)	0 (0.0%)	10 (2.5%)	20 (5.0%)	55.8	2253^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	61.5%		43.5	2960^th of 5869 public elementary schools	49.6%	707	44.3				44.3	32.0	43.4	55.7					44.5	36.0	52.8	42.6					43.9	97.5				97.5		$38,295	$36,130	$2,165
Broadacres Avenue Elementary Visual & Performing Arts Magnet	Public	K-5	19424 South Broadacres Ave.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 537-1980	275	15	18.3	85.5%	2 (0.7%)	197 (71.6%)	44 (16.0%)	4 (1.5%)	1 (0.4%)	1 (0.4%)	26 (9.5%)	34.7	3609^th of 5857 public elementary schools	38.4%		28.7	4053^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	30.9%	444	20.8				20.8	38.8	34.0	43.4					38.9	38.8	39.6	15.1					30.7	96.3				96.3		$45,214	$42,722	$2,492
Andrew Carnegie Middle	Public	6-8	21820 Bonita St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 952-5700	843	48	17.4	84.9%	10 (1.2%)	167 (19.8%)	502 (59.5%)	111 (13.2%)	2 (0.2%)	13 (1.5%)	38 (4.5%)	46.2	1289^th of 2761 public middle schools	53.3%		39.4	1486^th of 2783 public middle schools	46.6%	197		17.5			17.5				49.2	42.1	46.0		45.6				31.0	33.3	36.2		33.6							$40,050	$37,592	$2,458
Caroldale Learning Community	Public	K-8	22424 Caroldale Ave.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 320-8570	620	35	17.9	77.9%	11 (1.8%)	56 (9.0%)	296 (47.7%)	176 (28.4%)	1 (0.2%)	12 (1.9%)	68 (11.0%)	56.2	2245^th of 5857 public elementary schools	61.7%		59.6	2082^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	64.5%	163	30.2	20.3			26.0	46.5	47.0	50.6	48.7	62.7	56.3		51.5	46.6	50.8	39.5	40.3	54.2	40.6		44.8	96.0				97.3		$36,158	$33,616	$2,542
Carson Senior High	Public	9-12	22328 South Main St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 847-6000	1,407	76	18.5	87.7%	47 (3.3%)	238 (16.9%)	808 (57.4%)	203 (14.4%)	3 (0.2%)	40 (2.8%)	67 (4.8%)	66	673^rd of 2162 public high schools	68.9%		49.6	1004^th of 2159 public high schools	53.5%	331			30.0		30.3							63.3	63.3							33.8	33.8							$34,866	$32,396	$2,470
Carson Street Elementary	Public	K-5	161 East Carson St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 834-4508	623	28	22.2	68.2%	7 (1.1%)	54 (8.7%)	366 (58.7%)	121 (19.4%)	0 (0.0%)	21 (3.4%)	54 (8.7%)	72.9	1477^th of 5857 public elementary schools	74.8%		67.4	1709^th of 5869 public elementary schools	70.9%	232	49.5				49.5	53.9	61.5	66.7					60.5	52.9	50.9	44.1					49.5							$32,255	$30,062	$2,193
Catskill Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	23536 Catskill Ave.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 834-7241	419	21	19.9	90.2%	5 (1.2%)	26 (6.2%)	339 (80.9%)	33 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.2%)	11 (2.6%)	59.4	2095^th of 5857 public elementary schools	64.2%		47.5	2703^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	53.9%	608	30.2				30.2	45.3	55.4	46.9					48.9	53.1	57.9	39.1					49.7	93.2	98.3	97.4	94.9	96.6	97.4	$44,477	$41,398	$3,079
Glenn Hammond Curtiss Middle	Public	6-8	1254 East Helmick St.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 661-4500	341	21	16.1	89.7%	5 (1.5%)	194 (56.9%)	125 (36.7%)	3 (0.9%)	2 (0.6%)	2 (0.6%)	10 (2.9%)	32.1	1752^nd of 2761 public middle schools	36.5%		30.5	1791^st of 2783 public middle schools	35.6%	39		18.0			18.0				29.0	34.2	41.3		34.9				31.7	26.6	20.5		26.2							$59,152	$55,756	$3,396
Del Amo Elementary	Public	K-5	21228 Water St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 830-5351	285	15	19.0	75.4%	5 (1.8%)	35 (12.3%)	166 (58.2%)	59 (20.7%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.4%)	16 (5.6%)	50.2	2584^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.9%		53.8	2353^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	59.9%	231	30.6				30.6	41.7	42.6	33.3					39.5	60.0	41.7	41.7					47.1	93.4	95.1	96.7	96.7	93.4	96.7	$46,950	$44,626	$2,324
Dolores Street Elementary	Public	K-5	22526 Dolores St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 834-2565	370	17	21.7	85.1%	5 (1.4%)	37 (10.0%)	241 (65.1%)	52 (14.1%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (1.9%)	28 (7.6%)	47.9	2704^th of 5857 public elementary schools	53.8%		40.6	3148^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.4%	444	33.3				33.3	37.5	47.0	43.9					43.1	35.7	59.1	24.2					39.9							$51,461	$48,552	$2,909
Dominguez Elementary	Public	K-5	21250 Santa Fe Ave.	Carson	90810	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 835-7137	450	20	22.5	86.2%	3 (0.7%)	23 (5.1%)	375 (83.3%)	21 (4.7%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.4%)	16 (3.6%)	65.6	1815^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.0%		60.6	2041^st of 5869 public elementary schools	65.2%	226	29.2				29.2	56.1	56.3	60.3					57.5	51.5	54.7	41.5					49.2	95.8	97.5		95.8	95.8	95.8	$33,876	$31,102	$2,774
Eagle Tree Continuation	Public	9-12	22628 South Main St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 549-0970	18	2	9.2	100.0%	0 (0.0%)	4 (22.2%)	13 (72.2%)	1 (5.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9.9	2023^rd of 2162 public high schools	6.4%					(n/a)												14.3	14.3							0.0	0.0
Leapwood Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	19302 Leapwood Ave.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 327-8245	222	12	18.4	72.1%	5 (2.3%)	148 (66.7%)	38 (17.1%)	14 (6.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	16 (7.2%)	35.9	3503^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	40.2%		27.8	4130^th of 5869 public elementary schools	29.6%	627	10.0				10.0	32.4	40.0	33.3					35.1	41.2	43.3	33.3					39.4							$50,151	$47,950	$2,201
Towne Avenue Elementary	Public	K-5	18924 Towne Ave.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 329-3505	288	14	20.5	81.6%	5 (1.7%)	46 (16.0%)	209 (72.6%)	15 (5.2%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	6 (2.1%)	60.9	2019^th of 5857 public elementary schools	65.5%		51.1	2503^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	57.4%	484	30.8				30.8	52.0	52.3	46.2					50.4	64.0	42.2	41.0					50.0	96.8				96.8		$44,485	$41,178	$3,307
Two Hundred Thirty-Second Place Elementary	Public	K-5	23240 Archibald Ave.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 830-8710	413	19	21.7	64.6%	7 (1.7%)	18 (4.4%)	237 (57.4%)	101 (24.5%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.0%)	46 (11.1%)	79.6	1174^th of 5857 public elementary schools	80.0%		71.6	1522^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	74.1%	348	40.0				40.0	70.0	69.6	55.7					64.5	71.7	67.9	49.3					62.2	96.0						$34,284	$32,010	$2,274
Stephen M. White Middle	Public	6-8	22102 South Figueroa St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 783-4900	1,423	72	19.7	82.2%	44 (3.1%)	208 (14.6%)	897 (63.0%)	185 (13.0%)	1 (0.1%)	42 (3.0%)	46 (3.2%)	57.1	974^th of 2761 public middle schools	64.7%		56.2	987^th of 2783 public middle schools	64.5%	13		31.1			31.1				51.1	49.5	52.2		50.9				36.6	36.3	37.0		36.6							$32,473	$30,338	$2,135
Academies of Education and Empowerment at Carson High	Public	9-12	22328 South Main St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 847-1455	474	26	18.4	77.8%	17 (3.6%)	53 (11.2%)	291 (61.4%)	65 (13.7%)	2 (0.4%)	32 (6.8%)	14 (3.0%)	49	1060^th of 2162 public high schools	51.0%		49.6	1008^th of 2159 public high schools	53.3%	52			25.2		25.2							59.2	59.2							15.8	15.8							$30,311	$28,864	$1,447
Academy of Medical Arts at Carson High	Public	9-12	22328 South Main St.	Carson	90745	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(310) 847-1460	438	26	16.9	80.8%	10 (2.3%)	31 (7.1%)	184 (42.0%)	195 (44.5%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.1%)	9 (2.1%)	69.1	617^th of 2162 public high schools	71.5%		65.2	647^th of 2159 public high schools	70.0%	30			29.4		28.8							70.6	70.6							34.9	34.9							$27,335	$25,888	$1,447
Virtual Academy of the Arts & Entertainment	Public, Virtual, Alternative	K-12	1254 East Helmick St.	Carson	90746	Los Angeles County	Los Angeles Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(424) 444-0488	878	43	20.1	87.5%	46 (5.2%)	120 (13.7%)	647 (73.7%)	16 (1.8%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.3%)	44 (5.0%)								(n/a)	18.6	27.0	26.3		25.1	32.3	32.6	27.9	34.3	33.7	35.7	39.7	34.6	25.0	31.0	20.0	41.8	38.6	35.4	36.8	34.5							$29,192	$27,462	$1,730

Cities Near Carson

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Wilmington	1.36 mi	12	529^th
Torrance	1.73 mi	36	139^th
Harbor City	2.34 mi	6	443^rd
Long Beach	2.85 mi	80	387^th
Lomita	3.29 mi	3	241^st

See the top CA California cities

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.