Best Public Schools in Monterey, CA

Monterey, California, is served by five public schools educating over 3,300 students from kindergarten through 12th grade, with most belonging to the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

For parents, several schools stand out for their strong performance. Monterey High is the highest-ranked school overall, boasting an excellent 97.7% graduation rate and showing clear improvement. Among elementary schools, La Mesa is the top performer, particularly in math, while Monte Vista has shown impressive recent improvement. The smaller Big Sur Charter achieves remarkable results with perfect attendance and the highest test scores in the group, all while spending the least per student.

Academically, most Monterey schools exceed state averages in English and science, but math is a common challenge, with only La Mesa and Big Sur Charter beating the state average. Attendance is generally very good across all schools. It's noteworthy that the individual schools often perform better than their district's overall state ranking would suggest, indicating strong local programs. Families have a range of effective options, from traditional high-performing schools to a unique, efficient charter model.