Best Public Schools in Ojai, CA

Ojai, California, has eight schools: three elementary schools, one middle school, two high schools and two alternative schools, mostly in Ojai Unified, with Valley Oak Charter in a separate district. The latest test results are from 2025–26, but only five schools have results for that year. Their equal-school averages were 44% in English language arts (ELA), 28% in math and 28% in science, compared with statewide results of 49%, 38% and 36%. The most important finding is that the five-school average falls below the state in all three subjects, despite strong results at one school.

Nordhoff High stands out at the top for ELA and science, with 73% and 44% proficient; it is also highest in math at 29%, though that is still below the state’s 38%. Its ELA result is 24 points above the state and its science result 8 points above. At the other end, Summit has the lowest results among the five reporting schools: 29% in ELA, 12% in math and 10% in science. Among the two K–6 schools, Topa Topa Elementary leads Mira Monte Elementary in ELA in grades 3 and 4 by 17 and 10 points, respectively; they are tied in grade 5. SchoolDigger ranks Nordhoff High in the 73rd percentile with four stars, compared with the 45th percentile and two stars for Topa Topa.

Across the same five schools, average ELA and math results were essentially unchanged from 2024–25 to 2025–26, while science fell by 4 points; the group’s gap below the state widened in each subject. Nordhoff High improved in all three subjects, while Summit declined in all three. For added context, the two K–6 schools had similar free/reduced lunch eligible shares in sy 2024–2025—55% at Mira Monte and 54% at Topa Topa—and similar student-teacher ratios, 25.5 and 24.7. Historical results also differ: Legacy High reported 0% ELA proficiency in 2024–25, while Valley Oak Charter reported 17% ELA, 10% math and 7% science that year; neither has 2025–26 test results.