Beta You're viewing our redesigned school list. Prefer the classic layout?

Best Public Schools in Visalia, CA


At a glance
52
Schools
32,998
Students
9
Districts
1
5-star school
Top rankedUniversity Preparatory High26th of 2,135 California high schools
▲
Biggest riser
Charter Home School Academy up 1,304 spots statewide this year
◉
Smallest classes
Special Education 10.6 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
4★
3★
2★
1★
7 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

Visalia, California, has 51 schools: 31 elementary, five middle, 11 high, and four alternative schools, spanning elementary through high school. In 2025–26, the four large comprehensive high schools averaged 59% proficiency in English language arts, 23% in math, and 37% in science, compared with 49%, 38%, and 36% statewide. The clearest message for families is that academic results vary widely, even among schools serving similar grade levels.

University Preparatory High stands out: its 2025–26 results were 92% in ELA, 67% in math, and 83% in science—42, 29, and 47 percentage points above state results—and SchoolDigger ranked it 26th of 2,137 California high schools, in the 99th percentile. Among the four comprehensive high schools, Redwood High led in all three subjects, with 71% ELA, 35% math, and 54% science; Golden West High was lowest in each. For K–6 schools, Denton Elementary led in ELA and science, while Oak Grove Elementary led in math; both were above state results in all three subjects. At the low end, Sequoia High had 8% ELA, 0% math, and 1% science proficiency, while Tulare County Court had 0% in each; these schools have different purposes and are not direct comparisons with conventional schools.

Recent changes among the four comprehensive high schools were mixed: from 2024–25 to 2025–26, average ELA proficiency fell by 5 percentage points, math rose by 1 point, and science rose by 4 points. Their ELA lead over the state narrowed from 15 points to 10, while the math gap widened from 15 points below to 16 points below. SchoolDigger’s longer-term rankings also moved in different directions: Outside Creek Elementary rose from the 42nd to the 70th percentile between 2023–24 and 2025–26, while El Diamante High fell from the 73rd to the 60th percentile. As context, the 2024–25 free/reduced lunch eligible measure was 36% at Denton, 33% at Oak Grove, and 38% at University Preparatory, compared with 89% at Goshen and 88% at Crowley; these reported figures do not explain schools’ results.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




Cities Near Visalia

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.

Diagnostics