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Murrieta Valley Unified

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

322^ndof 1,543 California districts▲ 52

Better than 79% of California districts

Elementary 11 Middle 4 High 4 Alternative 1Grades K-12

41870 McAlby Ct.
Murrieta, CA 92562-7021·(951) 696-1600·All California district rankings →

Statewide performance 2016–2025

2025: better than 79.1% of districts

Schools

21,621

Students

5-star school

Top rankedCole Canyon Elementary563^rd of 5,857 California elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Murrieta Elementary up 477 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Murrieta Canyon Academy 12.2 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

4★

3★

3 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare California districts →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

The Murrieta Valley Unified school district is a high-performing system of 20 schools serving roughly 19,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade in the Murrieta area, ranking in the top 21% of California districts with an exceptional 97.8% graduation rate.

Among its standout schools, Dorothy McElhinney Middle and Cole Canyon Elementary are top-ranked, excelling in test scores and boasting the district's lowest chronic absenteeism rates, which correlates strongly with high performance. In contrast, Avaxat Elementary faces significant challenges with lower test scores and the highest elementary absenteeism, while the tiny Murrieta Options Academy is an outlier with severe attendance and dropout issues.

The district's greatest strength is ensuring students stay on track to graduate, but a clear opportunity for improvement is in mathematics, where proficiency dips noticeably in middle school and falls further in high school; for example, the leading Vista Murrieta High excels in science and English but has a math proficiency of 41.8%. Overall, the data shows that effective school practices can lead to success across different economic profiles, and higher per-student spending does not automatically translate to better academic outcomes in this district.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

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 (2025)
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 (2025)	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
Thompson Middle	Public	6-8	24040 Hayes Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1410	1,565	62	25.2	49.5%	656 (41.9%)	57 (3.6%)	606 (38.7%)	93 (5.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	145 (9.3%)	73.8	609^th of 2761 public middle schools	77.9%		75.2	582^nd of 2783 public middle schools	79.1%	27		43.0			43.0				58.4	60.5	59.4		59.5				46.1	43.1	46.6		45.3							$19,189	$19,124	$65
Tovashal Elementary	Public	K-5	23801 St. Raphael Dr.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1411	745	31	24.2	54.6%	235 (31.5%)	28 (3.8%)	328 (44.0%)	45 (6.0%)	3 (0.4%)	8 (1.1%)	98 (13.2%)	83.1	1010^th of 5857 public elementary schools	82.8%		84	997^th of 5869 public elementary schools	83.0%	13	48.0				48.0	64.4	71.5	69.6					68.8	62.0	63.4	51.2					58.6	94.8	95.8	96.9				$23,022	$22,646	$376
Cole Canyon Elementary	Public	K-5	23750 Via Alisol	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1421	1,038	40	25.9	35.4%	502 (48.4%)	12 (1.2%)	360 (34.7%)	58 (5.6%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	102 (9.8%)	91.8	563^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	90.4%		90.9	637^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.1%	74	58.9				58.9	76.7	73.3	77.6					76.0	75.0	68.6	61.8					68.3	91.3	95.1	95.1	94.6	94.6	93.5	$20,789	$20,248	$541
Murrieta Elementary	Public	K-5	24725 Adams Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1401	893	35	25.8	60.0%	293 (32.8%)	53 (5.9%)	433 (48.5%)	33 (3.7%)	1 (0.1%)	4 (0.4%)	76 (8.5%)	73.1	1468^th of 5857 public elementary schools	74.9%		62.7	1945^th of 5869 public elementary schools	66.9%	477	40.4				40.4	58.6	58.5	55.9					57.7	60.0	54.4	51.3					55.4	92.5	92.5	98.0		92.5	97.3	$20,386	$19,830	$556
Avaxat Elementary	Public	K-5	24300 Rancho Las Brisas Dr.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1402	617	27	22.8	68.7%	157 (25.4%)	36 (5.8%)	319 (51.7%)	34 (5.5%)	3 (0.5%)	7 (1.1%)	61 (9.9%)	36.7	3425^th of 5857 public elementary schools	41.5%		37.1	3360^th of 5869 public elementary schools	42.8%	65	32.4				32.4	28.6	36.0	47.6					37.8	33.0	27.0	30.5					30.1	95.8				96.7	97.5	$27,178	$26,270	$908
Alta Murrieta Elementary	Public	K-5	39475 Whitewood Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1403	849	35	24.2	60.5%	252 (29.7%)	37 (4.4%)	412 (48.5%)	76 (9.0%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	69 (8.1%)	81.5	1098^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.3%		72.1	1493^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	74.6%	395	41.8				41.8	67.5	59.1	72.9					66.6	61.6	58.8	63.2					61.2	96.7				98.3		$22,421	$21,828	$593
E. Hale Curran Elementary	Public	K-5	40855 Chaco Canyon Rd.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1405	575	24	23.7	62.6%	123 (21.4%)	32 (5.6%)	316 (55.0%)	36 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	63 (11.0%)	57.8	2179^th of 5857 public elementary schools	62.8%		56.5	2210^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.3%	31	35.2				35.2	49.5	33.0	62.5					47.4	60.4	40.6	42.1					47.4	96.2	96.2	97.2	97.2	97.2	97.2	$22,752	$22,004	$748
Rail Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	25030 Via Santee Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1404	603	23	25.6	63.5%	142 (23.5%)	37 (6.1%)	307 (50.9%)	35 (5.8%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.5%)	78 (12.9%)	59.3	2102^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	64.1%		49.7	2572^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	56.2%	470	42.5				42.5	45.8	41.8	62.3					50.3	44.9	44.7	40.7					43.3	95.8						$24,236	$23,366	$870
Murrieta Valley High	Public	9-12	42200 Nighthawk Way	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1408	2,104	94	22.4	46.7%	886 (42.1%)	63 (3.0%)	863 (41.0%)	100 (4.8%)	6 (0.3%)	10 (0.5%)	172 (8.2%)	78.2	445^th of 2162 public high schools	79.4%		89.4	244^th of 2159 public high schools	88.7%	201			37.9	16.7	37.5							77.1	77.1							37.9	37.9							$22,388	$21,556	$832
Shivela Middle	Public	6-8	24515 Lincoln Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1406	1,282	46	27.8	66.1%	331 (25.8%)	87 (6.8%)	604 (47.1%)	106 (8.3%)	4 (0.3%)	14 (1.1%)	135 (10.5%)	67.6	725^th of 2761 public middle schools	73.7%		72.1	650^th of 2783 public middle schools	76.6%	75		45.1			45.1				53.2	58.6	49.6		53.8				41.2	42.2	42.4		42.0							$19,816	$19,712	$104
Daniel N. Buchanan Elementary	Public	K-5	40121 Torrey Pines Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1428	828	35	23.7	62.3%	221 (26.7%)	45 (5.4%)	364 (44.0%)	88 (10.6%)	4 (0.5%)	6 (0.7%)	100 (12.1%)	69.9	1602^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	72.6%		63.8	1891^st of 5869 public elementary schools	67.8%	289	42.1				42.1	58.6	51.2	62.9					57.9	47.1	51.2	52.9					50.4	97.9						$24,644	$24,070	$574
Warm Springs Middle	Public	6-8	39245 Calle de Fortuna	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-3503	755	34	22.0	62.9%	188 (24.9%)	46 (6.1%)	358 (47.4%)	75 (9.9%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	83 (11.0%)	68.3	711^th of 2761 public middle schools	74.2%		74.1	607^th of 2783 public middle schools	78.2%	104		48.8			48.8				50.0	60.4	51.2		53.9				45.2	41.6	39.2		41.9							$25,627	$25,540	$87
Antelope Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	36105 Murrieta Oaks Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 445-4110	839	34	24.6	45.1%	327 (39.0%)	39 (4.6%)	328 (39.1%)	68 (8.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	77 (9.2%)	81.2	1108^th of 5857 public elementary schools	81.1%		76.6	1307^th of 5869 public elementary schools	77.7%	199	45.4				45.4	65.8	63.4	65.7					64.9	67.5	64.6	48.1					59.8	97.0	97.0	97.7	98.5	97.0	97.7	$22,592	$21,866	$726
Monte Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	37420 Via Mira Mosa	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 894-5085	769	32	24.2	59.4%	222 (28.9%)	38 (4.9%)	343 (44.6%)	70 (9.1%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	90 (11.7%)	64.2	1881^st of 5857 public elementary schools	67.9%		63.9	1879^th of 5869 public elementary schools	68.0%	2	36.4				36.4	52.6	51.2	60.0					54.9	61.3	48.4	33.8					47.3	96.8	98.4			96.8		$25,387	$24,740	$647
Murrieta Canyon Academy	Public, Alternative	K-12	24150 Hayes Ave.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1661	296	24	12.2	62.5%	91 (30.7%)	18 (6.1%)	147 (49.7%)	16 (5.4%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (1.0%)	21 (7.1%)								(n/a)		60.7	30.9		41.5				75.0	86.4	74.1	34.0	59.4				43.8	60.9	57.1	3.9	33.6	84.2	84.2	89.5	84.2	84.2	86.8	$40,045	$39,996	$49
Vista Murrieta High	Public	9-12	28251 Clinton Keith Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 894-5750	3,328	146	22.8	51.5%	950 (28.5%)	231 (6.9%)	1,435 (43.1%)	342 (10.3%)	11 (0.3%)	21 (0.6%)	332 (10.0%)	86.9	267^th of 2162 public high schools	87.7%		87.8	264^th of 2159 public high schools	87.8%	3			51.3	36.8	51.0							78.1	78.1							41.8	41.8							$19,879	$19,150	$729
Lisa J. Mails Elementary	Public	K-5	35185 Briggs Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 304-1880	1,006	39	25.8	41.4%	369 (36.7%)	43 (4.3%)	346 (34.4%)	96 (9.5%)	1 (0.1%)	6 (0.6%)	145 (14.4%)	69.7	1613^th of 5857 public elementary schools	72.5%		70.1	1589^th of 5869 public elementary schools	72.9%	24	44.2				44.2	62.3	56.3	55.2					57.8	50.6	50.3	46.3					49.2	96.4	97.1		97.8	96.4	97.8	$20,330	$20,176	$154
Dorothy McElhinney Middle	Public	6-8	35125 Briggs Rd.	Murrieta	92563	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 304-1885	1,451	58	24.9	46.2%	509 (35.1%)	88 (6.1%)	533 (36.7%)	154 (10.6%)	2 (0.1%)	8 (0.6%)	157 (10.8%)	86.9	339^th of 2761 public middle schools	87.7%		83.9	400^th of 2783 public middle schools	85.6%	61		51.4			51.4				68.6	76.6	72.7		72.8				53.6	50.8	53.4		52.6							$19,319	$19,256	$63
Murrieta Mesa High	Public	9-12	24801 Monroe Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 677-0568	2,066	94	21.8	59.7%	631 (30.5%)	129 (6.2%)	940 (45.5%)	142 (6.9%)	3 (0.1%)	10 (0.5%)	210 (10.2%)	83.3	352^nd of 2162 public high schools	83.7%		78.2	432^nd of 2159 public high schools	80.0%	80			46.2	27.8	45.6							78.0	78.0							38.6	38.6							$22,537	$22,140	$397
Murrieta Preschool Outreach	Public		41870 McAlby Ct.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(951) 696-1600																			(n/a)
Murrieta Options Academy	Public	9-12	24150 Hayes Ave.	Murrieta	92562	Riverside County	Murrieta Valley Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(951) 696-1600	12	10	1.1	66.7%	1 (8.3%)	1 (8.3%)	8 (66.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (16.7%)								(n/a)																												$57,487	$57,438	$49

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Lake Elsinore Unified	1.87 mi	28	1075^th
Sycamore Academy of Science and Cultural Arts District	1.91 mi	1	539^th
Method Schools LA District	4.47 mi	1
Temecula Valley Unified	4.74 mi	32	308^th
Harbor Springs Charter District	5.46 mi	1

See the top CA California districts

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.