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McSwain Elementary

Q: Is McSwain Elementary a good school?

McSwain Elementary ranks 2141 st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

2141^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 63% of California elementary schools

Summary

McSwain Elementary is a consistently strong K-8 school serving 912 students in the Merced area, operating within the well-regarded McSwain Union Elementary district.

The school stands out for its excellent student attendance and solid academic results, particularly in early grades. McSwain's chronic absenteeism rate is remarkably low at 7.7%, which is less than half the state average and significantly better than most nearby schools like Juniper Elementary or Thomas Olaeta Elementary. Academically, the school outperforms the state average in English Language Arts, with its third graders showing especially high proficiency. It's noteworthy that McSwain Elementary achieves these outcomes while spending significantly less per student than surrounding schools in the Merced City Elementary and Atwater Elementary districts.

While the school performs very well overall, there is a noticeable dip in test scores in the middle grades compared to the exceptional early grade performance. The school has shown particular strength in supporting students in special education programs. McSwain has maintained a stable, 3-star rating for over a decade, demonstrating reliable and consistent educational quality for families in the community.

912

Students ?

20.9

Student/teacher ratio ?

$14,795

Per pupil spending ?

35.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

922 Scott Rd.
Merced, CA 95341-8893

(209) 354-2700

District: McSwain Union Elementary

Students who attend McSwain Elementary usually attend:

High:

Buhach Colony High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

50.9%

White:

38.8%

Asian:

6.1%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare McSwain Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 64th percentile in 2015 → 63rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Above the California median (63rd percentile)

Worth a look

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school42%

District avg42%

California avg41%

Elementary school

2,141^st of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 37%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

1,047^th of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 38%▼ down 7 pts since 2015

From top 31% (2015) to top 38% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

509^th of 1,543McSwain Union Elementary 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.5	2141 of 5857	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.4	2268 of 5869	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.8	1967 of 5859	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.2	1971 of 5883	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	62.1	485 of 1417	65.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.6	1767 of 5789	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	56.6	2204 of 5662	61.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	59.1	2058 of 5692	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2016	65.4	1737 of 5614	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	58.1	2029 of 5611	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	71.5	1499 of 5530	72.9%	★★★★☆
2012	68.4	1610 of 5390	70.1%	★★★★☆
2011	73.6	1320 of 5377	75.5%	★★★★☆
2010	82.0	895 of 5314	83.2%	★★★★☆
2009	74.7	1221 of 5193	76.5%	★★★★☆
2008	77.2	1099 of 5113	78.5%	★★★★☆
2007	81.4	918 of 5113	82.0%	★★★★☆
2006	76.7	1078 of 4818	77.6%	★★★★☆
2005	77.4	1036 of 4822	78.5%	★★★★☆
2004	76.1	1075 of 4809	77.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	43.5	822 of 1205	31.8%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	60.2	595 of 2227	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	65.6	61 of 293	79.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.9	267 of 2585	89.7%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	44.5	1511 of 3162	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	58.2	887 of 3275	72.9%	★★★★☆
2018	65.7	671 of 3246	79.3%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.2	2144 of 5597	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.3	1943 of 5612	65.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	62.1	1847 of 5609	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.8	2112 of 5635	62.5%	★★★☆☆
2021	58.2	472 of 1267	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.1	1790 of 5492	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.6	2204 of 5413	59.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	60.6	1685 of 5107	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.7	1808 of 5107	64.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	63.0	1489 of 5087	70.7%	★★★★☆
2022	65.8	1354 of 5084	73.4%	★★★★☆
2019	60.5	1657 of 4963	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	50.5	2192 of 4830	54.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.8	1975 of 5460	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	55.8	2027 of 5517	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.2	2416 of 5363	55.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.4	2726 of 5264	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2021	62.8	327 of 1110	70.5%	★★★★☆
2019	55.4	2037 of 5173	60.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.5	2267 of 5084	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	58.0	2059 of 5628	63.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.3	2558 of 5643	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	58.4	2019 of 5638	64.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.7	1737 of 5663	69.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	64.7	403 of 1272	68.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.9	1651 of 5510	70.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.5	2097 of 5431	61.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.4	662 of 2847	76.7%	★★★★☆
2024	52.3	909 of 2635	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	42.2	1146 of 2420	52.6%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.3	1711 of 2598	34.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.6	1907 of 2651	28.1%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	39.0	1746 of 2661	34.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	38.4	1790 of 2726	34.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	54.9	1383 of 2834	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	46.0	1633 of 2737	40.3%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	54.6	1047 of 2761	62.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	54.8	1020 of 2783	63.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.4	1183 of 2781	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	52.3	1102 of 2740	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.1	363 of 894	59.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	838 of 2715	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2018	61.0	819 of 2480	67.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	63.6	809 of 2508	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2016	67.3	705 of 2497	71.8%	★★★★☆
2015	64.3	772 of 2477	68.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	60.6	879 of 2379	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2012	63.7	729 of 2259	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2011	68.9	588 of 2236	73.7%	★★★★☆
2010	77.0	371 of 2179	83.0%	★★★★☆
2009	72.4	456 of 2063	77.9%	★★★★☆
2008	80.2	283 of 2005	85.9%	★★★★☆
2007	66.4	556 of 1999	72.2%	★★★★☆
2006	81.5	264 of 1804	85.4%	★★★★☆
2005	85.3	190 of 1777	89.3%	★★★★☆
2004	80.4	284 of 1769	83.9%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	22.6	590 of 743	20.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2021	43.5	154 of 354	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	41.4	722 of 1491	51.6%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	53.9	988 of 2533	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.1	881 of 2551	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	1085 of 2531	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	56.2	906 of 2509	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.6	286 of 738	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	64.3	740 of 2380	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	58.7	822 of 2262	63.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.8	967 of 2395	59.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	56.2	824 of 2388	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	1019 of 2374	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.7	974 of 2359	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.0	667 of 2213	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	60.8	650 of 2072	68.6%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	48.4	1129 of 2542	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.6	1089 of 2579	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	35.0	1529 of 2531	39.6%	★★☆☆☆
2022	41.8	1272 of 2458	48.3%	★★☆☆☆
2021	45.6	349 of 721	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.6	949 of 2369	59.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.7	977 of 2230	56.2%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.9	1038 of 2534	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	50.2	1077 of 2552	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.3	1118 of 2538	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.1	1114 of 2527	55.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	54.0	314 of 763	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	60.9	782 of 2407	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	62.2	729 of 2273	67.9%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	55.9	467 of 1552	69.9%	★★★★☆
2023	65.0	336 of 1531	78.1%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.1	965 of 1520	36.5%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.9	982 of 1537	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	32.5	1031 of 1543	33.2%	★★☆☆☆
2022	40.2	911 of 1555	41.4%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	790 of 1602	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	49.4	755 of 1496	49.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Special Education (2025)77th percentile+13 vs school

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile+7 vs school

Hispanic (2025)67th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)64th percentile~ school

Male (2025)63rd percentile~ school

Female (2025)62nd percentile~ school

English Language Learner (2024)52nd percentile-9 vs school

White (2025)34th percentile-29 vs school

Asian (2024)32nd percentile-30 vs school

Middle school

Special Education (2024)70th percentile+7 vs school

Female (2025)61st percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)60th percentile~ school

Male (2025)59th percentile-3 vs school

Disabled (2021)56th percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)56th percentile-6 vs school

White (2025)37th percentile-26 vs school

Asian (2024)21st percentile-43 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy52%+4 vs state

Mathematics37%~ state avg

Science30%-3 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Wednesday, November 23, 2011

This is by far the best school in Merced county. Very involved staff and parents. I have three children enrolled in McSwain USD and would pay any amount to keep my children within this school district. Close Quote

Schools Near McSwain Elementary

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 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	% 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
McSwain Elementary	Public	K-8	922 Scott Rd.	Merced	95341	Merced County	McSwain Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 354-2700	912	44	20.9	35.1%	354 (38.8%)	3 (0.3%)	464 (50.9%)	56 (6.1%)	2 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (3.6%)	58.5	2141^st of 5857 public elementary schools	63.4%		55.4	2268^th of 5869 public elementary schools	61.4%	127	30.6	29.7	30.2	68.5	39.1	44.9	60.4	50.4	52.5	52.3	60.7	39.1	30.6	44.1	21.7	26.7	36.5							$14,795	$489	$14,306
Franklin Elementary	Public	K-3	2936 Franklin Rd.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6623	602	27	22.2	81.6%	41 (6.8%)	14 (2.3%)	414 (68.8%)	107 (17.8%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	24 (4.0%)								(n/a)				35.3						35.3	29.4						29.4	97.3				98.4		$19,923	$2,765	$17,158
Joe Stefani	Public	3-6	2768 Ranchero Ln.	Merced	95348	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 724-2500	641	23	27.6	88.0%	59 (9.2%)	24 (3.7%)	406 (63.3%)	121 (18.9%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.3%)	28 (4.4%)	27.8	4148^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.2%		28.7	4055^th of 5869 public elementary schools	30.9%	93	20.6		20.6	22.1	38.8	42.2	36.8			35.7	24.2	32.3	23.2	10.2			22.4							$16,737	$2,211	$14,526
Leontine Gracey Elementary	Public	K-6	945 West Ave.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6710	509	22	23.1	81.7%	25 (4.9%)	14 (2.8%)	419 (82.3%)	31 (6.1%)	6 (1.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.6%)	23.7	4525^th of 5857 public elementary schools	22.7%		26.4	4260^th of 5869 public elementary schools	27.4%	265	17.0		17.0	15.8	21.9	30.5	52.2			29.5	15.4	16.2	10.2	38.8			20.1							$18,940	$2,368	$16,572
Juniper Elementary	Public	K-6	661 East Juniper Ave.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-9930	495	20	24.7	73.3%	61 (12.3%)	4 (0.8%)	381 (77.0%)	36 (7.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (2.4%)	54.4	2345^th of 5857 public elementary schools	60.0%		48.1	2657^th of 5869 public elementary schools	54.7%	312	45.3		45.3	29.1	53.3	57.8	42.1			46.2	37.5	41.7	42.2	36.8			39.7							$17,706	$2,620	$15,086
Shaffer Elementary	Public	K-6	1434 California St.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6145	405	18	22.2	81.0%	48 (11.9%)	5 (1.2%)	324 (80.0%)	21 (5.2%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.0%)	32.2	3784^th of 5857 public elementary schools	35.4%		35.2	3503^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	40.3%	281	24.6		24.6	35.6	36.8	41.1	31.2			36.1	42.4	26.3	16.1	26.2			27.9	94.4			97.2	97.2	97.2	$18,876	$3,128	$15,748
Margaret Sheehy Elementary	Public	K-6	1240 West Sixth St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6676	481	20	24.0	94.4%	16 (3.3%)	33 (6.9%)	395 (82.1%)	19 (4.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (3.3%)	18.2	4996^th of 5857 public elementary schools	14.7%		13.7	5423^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	7.6%	427	7.6		7.6	28.6	32.1	26.6	18.2			26.2	36.4	22.6	4.6	13.6			19.9	95.6				96.7		$19,326	$3,396	$15,930
Alicia Reyes Elementary	Public	K-6	123 South N St.	Merced	95341	Merced County	Merced City Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 385-6761	540	22	24.6	96.3%	6 (1.1%)	13 (2.4%)	495 (91.7%)	16 (3.0%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	8 (1.5%)	9.7	5650^th of 5857 public elementary schools	3.5%		16.3	5189^th of 5869 public elementary schools	11.6%	461	12.5		12.5	13.3	14.0	21.9	22.5			17.8	14.7	10.5	11.1	5.6			10.2							$18,282	$2,395	$15,887
Thomas Olaeta Elementary	Public	K-6	2266 High St.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6148	374	17	22.0	73.8%	51 (13.6%)	6 (1.6%)	282 (75.4%)	17 (4.5%)	4 (1.1%)	1 (0.3%)	13 (3.5%)	60.3	2051^st of 5857 public elementary schools	65.0%		64.1	1870^th of 5869 public elementary schools	68.1%	181	33.3		33.3	54.4	64.0	43.8	46.3			52.0	55.3	50.0	35.4	38.9			44.7	92.2	95.3	96.9	93.8	93.8	93.8	$19,391	$3,012	$16,379
Bellevue Elementary	Public	K-6	1020 East Bellevue Rd.	Atwater	95301	Merced County	Atwater Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(209) 357-6140	599	25	23.9	91.8%	30 (5.0%)	9 (1.5%)	535 (89.3%)	10 (1.7%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	13 (2.2%)	33.1	3716^th of 5857 public elementary schools	36.6%		35	3514^th of 5869 public elementary schools	40.1%	202	16.3		16.3	33.8	33.3	32.2	47.7			36.8	39.0	30.0	29.4	24.4			30.5	95.3		98.1	97.2	96.3	97.2	$19,470	$3,723	$15,747

Frequently Asked Questions about McSwain Elementary

What is the racial makeup of McSwain Elementary?

Students at McSwain Elementary are 51% Hispanic, 39% White, 6% Asian, 4% Two or more races.

What district is McSwain Elementary in?

McSwain Union Elementary

How many students attend McSwain Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 912 students attended McSwain Elementary.

What schools do graduates of McSwain Elementary attend?

Students who attend McSwain Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Buhach Colony High

Is McSwain Elementary a good school?

McSwain Elementary ranks 2141^st of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Rate McSwain Elementary!

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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.