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Top of the World Elementary

Public Grades K-5

243^rd

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 96% of California elementary schools

Summary

Top of the World Elementary serves 536 students in kindergarten through grade 5 in Laguna Beach, within Laguna Beach Unified. SchoolDigger gives it five stars and ranks it 242nd among 5,804 California schools, at the 96th percentile. Its 2025–2026 all-grades proficiency was 78% in English language arts (ELA), 79% in math and 80% in science. The clearest headline is high achievement across all three subjects, though nearby Canyon Vista Elementary scored higher in each.

The school is strongest against state and district benchmarks in science: its 80% proficiency was 44 percentage points above the state and 10 above its district. Math was 79%, 41 points above the state and 6 above the district. ELA was 78%, 29 points above the state, but essentially tied with the district (78.5% versus 78.4%). Within the school, third grade stands out as a relative soft spot: math proficiency was 78%, below the district’s 82%, and the school ranked fourth among nearby schools with grade-level results. Fifth-grade ELA was stronger, at 85%. Overall, Canyon Vista remains a close local competitor, leading the school in all three subjects.

Results have shifted in different directions since 2022–2023: ELA declined 5 percentage points and math 2, while science rose 6. The school’s advantage over the state narrowed in ELA and math but stayed nearly unchanged in science. SchoolDigger’s overall percentile has been 96–97 in the latest four reported years, after reaching 98 in 2021–2022 and 99 in 2017–2018. The 2024–2025 student-teacher ratio was 19.8, the second-lowest among nearby schools reporting one; only Community Roots Academy was lower, at 15.8. In 2024–2025, 16% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible, the second-lowest figure among nearby schools with the same measure. One SchoolDigger subgroup result merits attention: its statewide effectiveness percentile for Multi-racial Students was 75 in 2024–2025, compared with 97 overall, down from 95 the year before. This is a difference in SchoolDigger’s measure of how well the school serves that group, not a measure of students themselves.

536

Students ?

19.8

Student/teacher ratio ?

$36,700

Per pupil spending ?

16.4%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

≥ 98%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

21601 Tree Top Ln.
Laguna Beach, CA 92651-2099

(949) 497-7790

District: Laguna Beach Unified

Students who attend Top of the World Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Thurston Middle
High:	Laguna Beach High

Racial breakdown:

White:

69.6%

Hispanic:

12.5%

Two or more races:

10.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Top of the World Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 97th percentile in 2015 → 96th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (79% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 4% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school79%

District avg75%

California avg42%

243^rd of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 4%▼ down 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

1^st of 2Elementary Schools in the Laguna Beach Unified

46^th of 1,530Laguna Beach 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
2026	96.0	243 of 5817	95.8%	★★★★★
2025	96.4	200 of 5857	96.6%	★★★★★
2024	96.8	185 of 5869	96.8%	★★★★★
2023	97.4	157 of 5859	97.3%	★★★★★
2022	97.6	135 of 5883	97.7%	★★★★★
2019	97.4	116 of 5789	98.0%	★★★★★
2018	98.0	65 of 5662	98.9%	★★★★★
2017	97.7	110 of 5692	98.1%	★★★★★
2016	97.7	88 of 5614	98.4%	★★★★★
2015	97.3	158 of 5611	97.2%	★★★★★
2013	91.6	361 of 5530	93.5%	★★★★★
2012	87.0	618 of 5390	88.5%	★★★★☆
2011	88.3	545 of 5377	89.9%	★★★★☆
2010	87.4	610 of 5314	88.5%	★★★★☆
2009	86.7	659 of 5193	87.3%	★★★★☆
2008	87.5	630 of 5113	87.7%	★★★★☆
2007	92.7	362 of 5113	92.9%	★★★★★
2006	93.5	305 of 4818	93.7%	★★★★★
2005	92.3	364 of 4822	92.5%	★★★★★
2004	92.1	390 of 4809	91.9%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	98.9	27 of 2585	99.0%	★★★★★
2018	99.8	5 of 2128	99.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	94.4	294 of 5581	94.7%	★★★★★
2025	94.6	297 of 5597	94.7%	★★★★★
2024	94.7	313 of 5612	94.4%	★★★★★
2023	95.0	281 of 5609	95.0%	★★★★★
2022	95.5	262 of 5635	95.4%	★★★★★
2019	96.1	156 of 5492	97.2%	★★★★★
2018	96.7	100 of 5413	98.2%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	90.8	314 of 5094	93.8%	★★★★★
2025	96.4	107 of 5107	97.9%	★★★★★
2022	99.5	24 of 5084	99.5%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	91.3	298 of 5423	94.5%	★★★★★
2025	96.1	133 of 5460	97.6%	★★★★★
2024	99.1	46 of 5517	99.2%	★★★★★
2023	98.1	78 of 5363	98.5%	★★★★★
2022	97.6	90 of 5264	98.3%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	95.6	207 of 5603	96.3%	★★★★★
2025	96.6	139 of 5628	97.5%	★★★★★
2024	97.3	111 of 5643	98.0%	★★★★★
2023	97.8	81 of 5638	98.6%	★★★★★
2022	98.1	72 of 5663	98.7%	★★★★★
2019	97.5	83 of 5510	98.5%	★★★★★
2018	98.1	48 of 5431	99.1%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	73.7	177 of 718	75.3%	★★★★☆
2024	88.2	33 of 670	95.1%	★★★★★
2023	82.9	69 of 669	89.7%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	151 of 610	75.2%	★★★★☆
2019	90.7	6 of 445	98.7%	★★★★★
2018	90.5	6 of 339	98.2%	★★★★★

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	95.3	96 of 2927	96.7%	★★★★★
2025	85.9	286 of 2847	90.0%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	83.5	294 of 2536	88.4%	★★★★☆
2025	84.6	249 of 2598	90.4%	★★★★★
2024	85.5	229 of 2651	91.4%	★★★★★
2023	88.0	164 of 2661	93.8%	★★★★★
2022	90.1	106 of 2726	96.1%	★★★★★
2019	86.5	206 of 2834	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	90.0	100 of 2737	96.3%	★★★★★

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 (2019)99th percentile~ school

Special Education (2026)97th percentile~ school

Male (2026)96th percentile~ school

Female (2026)95th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)95th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2026)94th percentile~ school

White (2026)88th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)75th percentile-21 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

Science80%+44 vs state

Mathematics79%+40 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy78%+29 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Saturday, April 28, 2018

Excellent elementary school with caring staff and rigorous standards. Large soccer/baseball field and two playgrounds plus a separate kindergarten. Small class sizes, a strong emphasis on music and art. Extracurricular programs, STEAM, a library, garden, the list goes on. All 4 children attended this school and loved it. Close Quote

Schools Near Top of the World Elementary

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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 Vaccination Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)							Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th 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 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 All Grades	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Top of the World Elementary	Public	K-5	21601 Tree Top Ln.	Laguna Beach	92651	Orange County	Laguna Beach Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 497-7790	536	27	19.8	16.4%	373 (69.6%)	3 (0.6%)	67 (12.5%)	33 (6.2%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	58 (10.8%)	96	243^rd of 5817 public elementary schools	95.8%		96.4	200^th of 5857 public elementary schools	96.6%	43	80.0		80.0	72.0	78.6	84.7				78.5	78.1	79.5	78.8				78.9	≥ 98%		$36,700	$35,728	$972
Canyon Vista Elementary	Public	K-5	27800 Oak View Dr.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5941	533	22	24.2	19.7%	291 (54.6%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (12.2%)	87 (16.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	90 (16.9%)	96	229^th of 5817 public elementary schools	96.1%		98.1	66^th of 5857 public elementary schools	98.9%	163	84.1		84.1	66.0	84.8	87.5				78.9	80.9	83.8	81.8				82.1	95%	0%	$17,825	$17,038	$787
Wood Canyon Elementary	Public	K-5	23431 Knollwood	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-0012	425	19	22.3	56.0%	158 (37.2%)	3 (0.7%)	165 (38.8%)	35 (8.2%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	63 (14.8%)	48.7	2682^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	53.9%		70.8	1565^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.3%	1117	20.6		20.6	40.7	57.5	40.0				46.7	50.9	53.4	26.0				42.8	92%	1%	$20,959	$19,554	$1,405
Moulton Elementary	Public	K-5	29851 Highlands Ave.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5980	538	22	24.4	30.5%	331 (61.5%)	5 (0.9%)	85 (15.8%)	35 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (15.1%)	91.4	570^th of 5817 public elementary schools	90.2%		88.9	721^st of 5857 public elementary schools	87.7%	151	58.1		58.1	64.9	71.8	83.7				73.9	64.4	81.0	75.6				74.1	98%	0%	$17,981	$17,194	$787
Oak Grove Elementary	Public	K-5	22705 Sanborn	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 360-9001	569	24	23.7	32.2%	281 (49.4%)	1 (0.2%)	102 (17.9%)	83 (14.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	99 (17.4%)	88.1	742^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	87.2%		89	714^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.8%	28	52.9		52.9	67.0	69.2	68.9				68.4	70.3	68.0	69.9				69.5	≥ 98%		$18,631	$17,844	$787
Journey	Public, Charter	K-8	27102 Foxborough	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Journey District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 448-7232	617	25	24.6	35.2%	310 (50.2%)	6 (1.0%)	131 (21.2%)	49 (7.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	120 (19.4%)	57.2	2199^th of 5817 public elementary schools	62.2%		50.1	2586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	55.8%	387	46.7	60.4	52.8	41.3	43.3	68.3	55.3	74.0	76.1	58.6	38.1	34.4	43.3	40.4	48.0	63.0	43.7	94%	0%
Don Juan Avila Elementary	Public	K-5	26278 Wood Canyon Dr.	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 349-9452	672	25	26.8	26.2%	313 (46.6%)	1 (0.1%)	104 (15.5%)	135 (20.1%)	2 (0.3%)	3 (0.4%)	114 (17.0%)	89.3	689^th of 5817 public elementary schools	88.2%		90.4	633^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	89.2%	56	72.4		72.4	65.8	56.6	83.6				68.5	79.3	62.3	69.8				70.2	97%	0%	$15,691	$14,904	$787
Laguna Niguel Elementary	Public	K-5	27922 Niguel Heights Blvd.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5308	456	20	22.8	32.9%	244 (53.5%)	2 (0.4%)	95 (20.8%)	53 (11.6%)	4 (0.9%)	2 (0.4%)	56 (12.3%)	92.9	488^th of 5817 public elementary schools	91.6%		93.4	446^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.4%	42	64.6		64.6	76.9	72.1	79.5				76.3	76.9	73.5	62.0				69.9	94%	0%	$18,103	$17,316	$787
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts	Public, Charter	K-5	29292 Crown Valley Pkwy.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 269-3291	249	10	24.9	19.7%	146 (58.6%)	4 (1.6%)	55 (22.1%)	18 (7.2%)	3 (1.2%)	1 (0.4%)	22 (8.8%)	67.2	1727^th of 5817 public elementary schools	70.3%		87.1	820^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.0%	907	43.9		43.9	40.5	66.7	70.7				59.4	47.6	53.3	39.0				46.9	≥ 98%
Community Roots Academy	Public, Charter	K-8	29292 Crown Valley Pkwy.	Laguna Niguel	92677	Orange County	Community Roots Academy District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 831-4272	780	49	15.8	13.5%	501 (64.2%)	1 (0.1%)	116 (14.9%)	46 (5.9%)	4 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	112 (14.4%)	85.7	870^th of 5817 public elementary schools	85.0%		86.7	834^th of 5857 public elementary schools	85.8%	36	52.3	39.3	46.9	75.3	53.0	66.3	72.3	60.6	66.7	65.7	76.4	62.7	61.6	62.1	48.5	47.5	61.0	96%	0%

Frequently Asked Questions about Top of the World Elementary

What district is Top of the World Elementary in?

Laguna Beach Unified

Is Top of the World Elementary a good school?

Yes! Top of the World Elementary is one of the best elementary schools in the state. It ranks 243^rd of 5817 California elementary schools.

What schools do graduates of Top of the World Elementary attend?

Students who attend Top of the World Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Thurston Middle
High : Laguna Beach High

How many students attend Top of the World Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 536 students attended Top of the World Elementary.

What is the racial makeup of Top of the World Elementary?

Students at Top of the World Elementary are 70% White, 13% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 6% Asian.

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

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.