Best Public Schools in WALNUT CREEK, CA

Summary:

Walnut Creek, California, is served by 16 public schools across elementary, middle, and high school grades, divided among the Mt. Diablo Unified, Walnut Creek Elementary, and Acalanes Union High districts, offering families a range of strong academic and specialized options.

Academically, schools in the Walnut Creek Elementary district, like top-performer Tice Creek and Walnut Acres Elementary, consistently outperform similar schools in the Mt. Diablo Unified district, with high school students well-served by Las Lomas High and Northgate High. Parents should note a common middle school "dip" in math and English scores, and that higher chronic absenteeism generally correlates with lower performance, though spending per student does not directly predict success.

The area provides diverse educational models, including the arts-focused Contra Costa School of Performing Arts, Eagle Peak Montessori, and the alternative Acalanes Center for Independent Study. Overall, Walnut Creek schools perform well above state averages, with key considerations being the choice of district for elementary and middle school, the consistency of top schools over time, and the availability of specialized programs for different student needs.

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 (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 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
Las Lomas High	Public	9-12	1460 South Main St.	Walnut Creek	94596	Contra Costa County	Acalanes Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 280-3920	1,577	81	19.4	15.4%	806 (51.1%)	45 (2.9%)	268 (17.0%)	271 (17.2%)	5 (0.3%)	6 (0.4%)	174 (11.0%)	90.9	183^rd of 2162 public high schools	91.5%		92.1	176^th of 2159 public high schools	91.8%	7			58.1	42.9	57.6							71.2	71.2							56.5	56.5							$18,936	$755	$18,181
Acalanes Center for Independent Study	Public	9-12	1963 Tice Valley Blvd.	Walnut Creek	94595	Contra Costa County	Acalanes Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 280-3945	61	6	9.5	16.4%	39 (63.9%)	1 (1.6%)	11 (18.0%)	7 (11.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (4.9%)	54	947^th of 2162 public high schools	56.2%		70.7	556^th of 2159 public high schools	74.2%	391				53.3	53.3							52.2	52.2							8.7	8.7							$39,678	$811	$38,867
Contra Costa School of Performing Arts	Public, Charter	6-12	2730 Mitchell Dr.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Contra Costa School of Performing Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 235-1130	285	13	21.9	29.1%	76 (26.7%)	34 (11.9%)	122 (42.8%)	11 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	41 (14.4%)	59.9	826^th of 2162 public high schools	61.8%		72.4	533^rd of 2159 public high schools	75.3%	293		22.5	42.1		28.8				35.7	35.9	37.8	66.7	40.8				24.1	16.0	23.3	10.0	19.0							$19,772	$1,631	$18,141
Bancroft Elementary	Public	K-5	2200 Parish Dr.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 933-3405	672	25	26.8	22.8%	229 (34.1%)	5 (0.7%)	186 (27.7%)	145 (21.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	104 (15.5%)	82.9	1023^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	82.5%		89.7	719^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.7%	304	52.8				52.8	55.0	67.6	65.7					63.2	59.3	70.8	58.5					63.0							$645	$159	$486
Foothill Middle	Public	6-8	2775 Cedro Ln.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 939-8600	1,005	39	25.7	8.4%	442 (44.0%)	8 (0.8%)	169 (16.8%)	203 (20.2%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (0.5%)	178 (17.7%)	91.8	230^th of 2761 public middle schools	91.7%		90.8	262^nd of 2783 public middle schools	90.6%	32		56.2			56.2				74.9	73.2	69.8		72.6				72.8	64.1	56.7		64.3							$1,319	$352	$967
Northgate High	Public	9-12	425 Castle Rock Rd.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 938-0900	1,546	67	23.1	22.4%	709 (45.9%)	23 (1.5%)	256 (16.6%)	258 (16.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (0.5%)	287 (18.6%)	89.5	207^th of 2162 public high schools	90.4%		93.5	143^rd of 2159 public high schools	93.4%	64			53.7		53.7							73.7	73.7							51.0	51.0							$2,108	$463	$1,645
Valle Verde Elementary	Public	K-5	3275 Peachwillow Ln.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 939-5700	485	16	30.3	15.9%	227 (46.8%)	3 (0.6%)	53 (10.9%)	100 (20.6%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	100 (20.6%)	93.9	404^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.1%		89	747^th of 5869 public elementary schools	87.3%	343	68.9				68.9	68.5	70.1	78.7					72.0	79.2	84.1	75.4					80.1	96.5						$1,264	$275	$989
Walnut Acres Elementary	Public	K-5	180 Cerezo Dr.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 939-1333	689	24	28.7	14.9%	313 (45.4%)	7 (1.0%)	103 (14.9%)	119 (17.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	146 (21.2%)	96.3	210^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.4%		95.4	313^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.7%	103	65.2				65.2	81.2	84.2	82.2					82.4	85.5	86.3	69.9					79.7							$1,233	$243	$990
Eagle Peak Montessori	Public, Charter	1-8	800 Hutchinson Rd.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Mt. Diablo Unified	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 946-0994	301	10	30.1	7.6%	102 (33.9%)	3 (1.0%)	66 (21.9%)	59 (19.6%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (23.3%)	58.7	2135^th of 5857 public elementary schools	63.5%		74.1	1409^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.0%	726	55.6	75.9			64.6	48.7	50.0	69.4	64.3	79.4	93.1		65.1	48.7	26.9	22.2	39.3	52.9	48.3		38.5							$130	$01	$129
Buena Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	2355 San Juan Ave.	Walnut Creek	94597	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 944-6822	495	21	23.5	18.2%	200 (40.4%)	13 (2.6%)	76 (15.4%)	109 (22.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	95 (19.2%)	92.3	528^th of 5857 public elementary schools	91.0%		90.9	642^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	89.1%	114	59.2				59.2	67.6	69.6	77.6					71.7	78.4	83.1	65.8					75.6							$13,815	$835	$12,980
Indian Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	551 Marshall Dr.	Walnut Creek	94598	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 944-6828	355	15	23.6	20.6%	146 (41.1%)	11 (3.1%)	69 (19.4%)	68 (19.2%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	59 (16.6%)	84.3	947^th of 5857 public elementary schools	83.8%		83.3	1026^th of 5869 public elementary schools	82.5%	79	57.5				57.5	55.1	65.1	74.5					63.7	72.9	55.6	68.1					65.6							$14,216	$697	$13,519
Murwood Elementary	Public	K-5	2050 Vanderslice Ave.	Walnut Creek	94596	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 943-2462	451	20	22.5	22.0%	225 (49.9%)	10 (2.2%)	80 (17.7%)	65 (14.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.4%)	69 (15.3%)	88.7	734^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.5%		87.1	858^th of 5869 public elementary schools	85.4%	124	61.5				61.5	63.2	63.8	77.8					69.4	63.3	65.6	69.9					66.7	91.8	95.9	97.3	91.8	95.9	93.2	$15,470	$1,004	$14,466
Walnut Creek Intermediate	Public	6-8	2425 Walnut Blvd.	Walnut Creek	94597	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 944-6840	940	42	22.1	15.3%	447 (47.6%)	29 (3.1%)	179 (19.0%)	161 (17.1%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	119 (12.7%)	90.4	269^th of 2761 public middle schools	90.3%		90.2	273^rd of 2783 public middle schools	90.2%	4		51.0			51.0				73.0	68.7	69.6		70.4				59.7	70.0	64.6		64.9							$14,850	$697	$14,153
Walnut Heights Elementary	Public	K-5	4064 Walnut Blvd.	Walnut Creek	94596	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 944-6834	427	18	23.7	15.2%	236 (55.3%)	8 (1.9%)	72 (16.9%)	51 (11.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	60 (14.1%)	88.6	735^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.5%		91.7	597^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.8%	138	50.7				50.7	59.4	72.1	73.3					68.4	69.0	73.9	78.7					74.0	97.2						$15,108	$697	$14,411
Parkmead Elementary	Public	K-5	1920 Magnolia Way	Walnut Creek	94595	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 944-6858	478	19	25.1	18.8%	228 (47.7%)	10 (2.1%)	71 (14.9%)	83 (17.4%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	84 (17.6%)	83	1021^st of 5857 public elementary schools	82.6%		87.2	852^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	85.5%	169	53.5				53.5	51.8	69.2	71.8					63.5	61.9	63.6	65.3					63.5							$14,558	$697	$13,861
Tice Creek	Public	K-8	1847 Newell Ave.	Walnut Creek	94595	Contra Costa County	Walnut Creek Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(925) 746-5515	451	21	21.3	7.5%	200 (44.3%)	7 (1.6%)	50 (11.1%)	99 (22.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	93 (20.6%)	97.8	90^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.5%		97.3	137^th of 5869 public elementary schools	97.7%	47	69.1	50.0			60.0	86.0	84.3	83.3	88.5	78.0	84.2		83.9	92.0	82.4	76.2	86.5	74.6	63.2		79.8							$15,949	$728	$15,221

Cities Near WALNUT CREEK

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lafayette	1.26 mi	7	15^th
Alamo	2.36 mi	4	37^th
Moraga	2.96 mi	5	26^th
Orinda	4.26 mi	6	7^th
Pleasant Hill	4.35 mi	14	294^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.