Best Public Schools in Laguna Beach, CA

Summary:

The Laguna Beach Unified school district consists of four high-performing public schools serving about 2,300 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in this affluent coastal community.

Overall, these schools are exceptional, consistently ranking in the top 10% of California schools and significantly outperforming state averages in test scores, graduation rates, and attendance. Top of the World Elementary stands out as the district's top performer with the highest test scores and lowest chronic absenteeism, while Thurston Middle shows remarkable consistency in its high rankings. Laguna Beach High boasts a 98% graduation rate, though its statewide ranking has recently fluctuated.

Notable variations exist within the district's strength: El Morro Elementary has a slightly lower state rating than its peers, and math proficiency dips notably between middle and high school. The district invests heavily per student, well above the state average, which correlates with strong outcomes. For parents, this district offers a consistently excellent educational environment with individual school strengths worth considering.

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)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2024)
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 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	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
El Morro Elementary	Public	K-5	8681 North Coast Hwy.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7780	404	19	21.2	24.5%	282 (69.8%)	2 (0.5%)	52 (12.9%)	26 (6.4%)	3 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (9.7%)	89.4	697^th of 5857 public elementary schools	88.1%		94.3	405^th of 5869 public elementary schools	93.1%	292	51.3			51.3	75.4	81.1	71.3					75.8	83.3	71.6	52.5					67.8		$36,193	$1,064	$35,129
Laguna Beach High	Public	9-12	625 Park Ave.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7750	815	47	17.3	17.1%	594 (72.9%)	3 (0.4%)	92 (11.3%)	57 (7.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (8.2%)	93.4	133^rd of 2162 public high schools	93.8%		97.4	57^th of 2159 public high schools	97.4%	76			56.9	56.9							79.3	79.3							59.5	59.5		$33,789	$855	$32,934
Thurston Middle	Public	6-8	2100 Park Ave.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7785	524	31	16.6	17.7%	369 (70.4%)	6 (1.1%)	65 (12.4%)	29 (5.5%)	2 (0.4%)	1 (0.2%)	52 (9.9%)	96	115^th of 2761 public middle schools	95.8%		94.2	177^th of 2783 public middle schools	93.6%	62		70.2		70.2				74.0	77.2	78.8		76.7				72.0	74.9	77.1		74.7		$34,384	$1,134	$33,250
Top of the World Elementary	Public	K-5	21601 Tree Top Ln.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7790	536	27	19.8	16.4%	373 (69.6%)	3 (0.6%)	67 (12.5%)	33 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.8%)	96.4	200^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.6%		96.8	185^th of 5869 public elementary schools	96.8%	15	72.0			72.0	78.3	80.0	81.7					79.9	82.1	80.0	79.6					80.6	96.3	$31,906	$961	$30,945

Cities Near Laguna Beach

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Laguna Niguel	0.71 mi	12	105^th
Aliso Viejo	2.01 mi	10	90^th
Mission Viejo	2.63 mi	24	159^th
San Juan Capistrano	3.07 mi	17	343^rd
Dana Point	3.45 mi	4	137^th

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.