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Valley Middle

Q: Is Valley Middle a good school?

Valley Middle ranks 621 st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

621^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,761 California Middle Schools

Better than 78% of California middle schools

Summary

Valley Middle is a public school serving 807 students in grades 6-8 within the highly-regarded Carlsbad Unified School District, offering a solid education in an affluent coastal community.

Academically, Valley Middle consistently outperforms California state averages, with about half of students proficient in core subjects, and it stands out for its strong support of Special Education students. However, within its own district, it ranks below its peers, Aviara Oaks Middle and Calavera Hills Middle, in proficiency rates. The school is also navigating a significant increase in students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and has a chronic absenteeism rate higher than the district average, which is correlated with its academic performance gap.

When compared to schools in neighboring districts like Oceanside Unified and Vista Unified, Valley Middle's results are notably stronger. For example, its English proficiency is more than double that of nearby schools like Roosevelt Middle or Jefferson Middle. Despite having the highest per-student spending in its district, the school's recent slight decline in statewide ranking suggests it is at a point where strategic focus on areas like attendance and supporting English Learners could help maintain its quality as the student population evolves.

807

Students ?

22.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,568

Per pupil spending ?

36.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1645 Magnolia Ave.
Carlsbad, CA 92008-2626

(760) 331-5300

District: Carlsbad Unified

Students who attend Valley Middle usually attend:

High:

Carlsbad High

Feeder schools for Valley Middle:

Elementary:	Buena Vista Elementary
	Jefferson Elementary
	Kelly Elementary
	Magnolia Elementary

Racial breakdown:

White:

54.8%

Hispanic:

32.5%

Two or more races:

8.3%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare Valley Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 75th percentile in 2013 → 78th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (51% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 22% of California middle schools

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school51%

District avg65%

California avg41%

621^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 22%▼ down 9 pts since 2015

From top 13% (2015) to top 22% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the Carlsbad Unified

156^th of 1,543Carlsbad Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.0	621 of 2761	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	78.4	518 of 2783	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	86.5	345 of 2781	87.6%	★★★★☆
2022	80.9	454 of 2740	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	88.7	292 of 2715	89.2%	★★★★☆
2018	87.3	303 of 2480	87.8%	★★★★☆
2017	87.7	296 of 2508	88.2%	★★★★☆
2016	91.1	202 of 2497	91.9%	★★★★★
2015	85.0	333 of 2477	86.6%	★★★★☆
2013	69.9	599 of 2379	74.8%	★★★★☆
2012	71.3	537 of 2259	76.2%	★★★★☆
2011	68.0	613 of 2236	72.6%	★★★★☆
2010	75.3	418 of 2179	80.8%	★★★★☆
2009	70.5	498 of 2063	75.9%	★★★★☆
2008	77.1	332 of 2005	83.4%	★★★★☆
2007	79.0	319 of 1999	84.0%	★★★★☆
2006	82.8	246 of 1804	86.4%	★★★★☆
2005	83.4	228 of 1777	87.2%	★★★★☆
2004	82.4	243 of 1769	86.3%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	75.3	228 of 1531	85.1%	★★★★☆
2019	82.1	166 of 1491	88.9%	★★★★☆
2018	87.0	103 of 1369	92.5%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	41.6	669 of 1478	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	31.8	1128 of 1521	25.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	32.3	1127 of 1540	26.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	62.9	268 of 1442	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	71.2	197 of 1364	85.6%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.6	646 of 2533	74.5%	★★★★☆
2024	77.3	492 of 2551	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	84.7	347 of 2531	86.3%	★★★★☆
2022	78.1	468 of 2509	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	85.1	319 of 2380	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	85.2	303 of 2262	86.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.7	684 of 2395	71.4%	★★★★☆
2024	64.2	632 of 2388	73.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.1	292 of 2374	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	67.2	566 of 2359	76.0%	★★★★☆
2019	84.9	217 of 2213	90.2%	★★★★★
2018	87.8	165 of 2072	92.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.7	957 of 2542	62.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	74.6	445 of 2579	82.7%	★★★★☆
2023	81.2	308 of 2531	87.8%	★★★★☆
2022	67.1	574 of 2458	76.6%	★★★★☆
2019	79.3	317 of 2369	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	82.0	250 of 2230	88.8%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.1	565 of 2534	77.7%	★★★★☆
2024	76.9	492 of 2552	80.7%	★★★★☆
2023	86.4	322 of 2538	87.3%	★★★★☆
2022	81.4	411 of 2527	83.7%	★★★★☆
2019	89.8	247 of 2407	89.7%	★★★★☆
2018	87.7	272 of 2273	88.0%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.7	86 of 194	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.7	68 of 192	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	88.7	17 of 197	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	59.8	74 of 193	61.7%	★★★☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.7	311 of 726	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.1	188 of 701	73.2%	★★★★☆
2023	74.6	164 of 677	75.8%	★★★★☆
2022	66.3	214 of 665	67.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.3	188 of 554	66.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	73.2	120 of 462	74.0%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.1	269 of 1566	82.8%	★★★★☆
2024	69.7	289 of 1552	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	90.5	86 of 1531	94.4%	★★★★★

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.2	551 of 1520	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	68.9	448 of 1537	70.9%	★★★★☆
2023	77.5	276 of 1543	82.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.8	348 of 1555	77.6%	★★★★☆
2019	82.5	215 of 1602	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	77.9	301 of 1496	79.9%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

Disabled (2022)85th percentile~ school

Special Education (2025)83rd percentile+5 vs school

Male (2025)78th percentile~ school

Female (2025)74th percentile-3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)64th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)62nd percentile-15 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)57th percentile-20 vs school

Military Connected (2025)56th percentile-22 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)55th percentile-27 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy55%+7 vs state

Mathematics48%+10 vs state

Science48%+15 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Monday, March 7, 2011

I am the parent of a 6th grader new to public school-- and I love this school! My son has made the honor roll all year. All issues or concerns have been addressed in a timly manner and I feel so lucky to send my son here. Close Quote

Schools Near Valley Middle

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CSA Spanish Overall (2025)		CSA Spanish Listening (2025)		CSA Spanish Writing (2025)		CSA Spanish Reading (2025)		CAST Science (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)				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	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Valley Middle	Public	6-8	1645 Magnolia Ave.	Carlsbad	92008	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-5300	807	36	22.2	36.6%	442 (54.8%)	11 (1.4%)	262 (32.5%)	20 (2.5%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	67 (8.3%)	73	621^st of 2761 public middle schools	77.5%		78.4	518^th of 2783 public middle schools	81.4%	103									47.5	47.5	61.6	50.6	53.8	55.4	51.9	45.9	44.9	47.6	$15,568	$379	$15,189
Calavera Hills Middle	Public	6-8	4104 Tamarack Ave.	Carlsbad	92010	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-6400	655	31	20.8	33.1%	349 (53.3%)	7 (1.1%)	180 (27.5%)	33 (5.0%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	79 (12.1%)	77.2	537^th of 2761 public middle schools	80.6%		82.2	439^th of 2783 public middle schools	84.2%	98									65.0	65.0	55.1	63.3	69.0	62.2	47.6	38.1	47.3	44.4	$15,038	$343	$14,695
Lincoln Middle	Public	6-8	2000 California St.	Oceanside	92054	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-8900	621	30	20.6	72.3%	176 (28.3%)	12 (1.9%)	377 (60.7%)	12 (1.9%)	3 (0.5%)	3 (0.5%)	38 (6.1%)	34.5	1661^st of 2761 public middle schools	39.8%		35.8	1596^th of 2783 public middle schools	42.7%	65									30.2	30.2	33.7	26.9	40.7	33.8	23.9	24.6	28.2	25.6	$9,295	$930	$8,365
Jefferson Middle	Public	6-8	823 Acacia St.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 966-4700	441	24	18.5	93.0%	20 (4.5%)	11 (2.5%)	377 (85.5%)	15 (3.4%)	1 (0.2%)	3 (0.7%)	14 (3.2%)	12.1	2547^th of 2761 public middle schools	7.8%		16.7	2409^th of 2783 public middle schools	13.4%	138									9.4	9.4	20.3	22.3	20.9	21.2	11.7	10.9	8.7	10.4	$10,463	$1,328	$9,135
Martin Luther King Junior Middle	Public	6-8	1290 Ivey Ranch Rd.	Oceanside	92057	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-8800	1,098	47	23.3	63.9%	210 (19.1%)	49 (4.5%)	588 (53.6%)	72 (6.6%)	4 (0.4%)	29 (2.6%)	146 (13.3%)	49.4	1191^st of 2761 public middle schools	56.9%		60.2	880^th of 2783 public middle schools	68.4%	311									26.9	26.9	45.0	43.4	42.9	43.8	34.4	36.1	38.1	36.2	$10,126	$1,001	$9,125
Madison Middle	Public	6-8	4930 Lake Blvd.	Oceanside	92056	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 940-0176	1,158	61	19.1	68.7%	268 (23.1%)	20 (1.7%)	756 (65.3%)	27 (2.3%)	5 (0.4%)	9 (0.8%)	72 (6.2%)	32	1754^th of 2761 public middle schools	36.5%		31.5	1750^th of 2783 public middle schools	37.1%	4	4.6	4.6	4.6	4.6	9.1	9.1	2.3	2.3	22.5	22.5	43.1	37.5	30.0	36.9	22.9	23.0	22.4	22.8	$16,667	$2,168	$14,499
Aviara Oaks Middle	Public	6-8	6880 Ambrosia Ln.	Carlsbad	92011	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-6100	991	44	22.3	21.9%	572 (57.7%)	15 (1.5%)	207 (20.9%)	89 (9.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	107 (10.8%)	92.2	218^th of 2761 public middle schools	92.1%		94.3	176^th of 2783 public middle schools	93.7%	42									62.5	62.5	74.4	73.7	67.5	71.8	67.9	61.3	63.4	64.2	$14,154	$341	$13,813
Vista Innovation and Design Academy	Public	6-8	740 Olive Ave.	Vista	92083	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 724-7115	834	44	19.0	58.2%	262 (31.4%)	15 (1.8%)	469 (56.2%)	18 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (7.8%)	47.9	1240^th of 2761 public middle schools	55.1%		53.6	1052^nd of 2783 public middle schools	62.2%	188									24.3	24.3	43.3	48.0	41.1	44.3	34.3	34.8	34.9	34.7	$16,748	$2,205	$14,543
Cesar Chavez Middle	Public	6-8	202 Oleander Dr.	Oceanside	92057	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 966-4900	557	29	19.3	80.4%	49 (8.8%)	18 (3.2%)	409 (73.4%)	25 (4.5%)	0 (0.0%)	17 (3.1%)	39 (7.0%)	42.5	1404^th of 2761 public middle schools	49.1%		30.4	1793^rd of 2783 public middle schools	35.6%	389									24.2	24.2	41.9	43.3	51.4	45.6	23.0	27.1	30.0	26.8	$10,355	$1,056	$9,299
Roosevelt Middle	Public	6-8	850 Sagewood Dr.	Oceanside	92057	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 726-8003	866	48	17.9	77.6%	128 (14.8%)	12 (1.4%)	639 (73.8%)	28 (3.2%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (1.0%)	49 (5.7%)	23.3	2082^nd of 2761 public middle schools	24.6%		35.9	1594^th of 2783 public middle schools	42.7%	488									19.4	19.4	36.9	27.4	22.6	28.9	20.0	18.7	18.7	19.1	$19,705	$2,780	$16,925

Frequently Asked Questions about Valley Middle

What district is Valley Middle in?

Carlsbad Unified

How many students attend Valley Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 807 students attended Valley Middle.

What high school do graduates of Valley Middle attend?

Students who attend Valley Middle usually go on to attend Carlsbad High

Is Valley Middle a good school?

Valley Middle ranks 621^st of 2761 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Valley Middle?

Students at Valley Middle are 55% White, 32% Hispanic, 8% Two or more races, 2% Asian, 1% African American.

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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.