Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Highland Ranch Elementary

Q: Is Highland Ranch Elementary a good school?

Highland Ranch Elementary ranks 897 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

897^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 85% of California elementary schools

Summary

Highland Ranch Elementary is a K-5 public school serving about 660 students in the highly-regarded Poway Unified School District in San Diego, consistently earning strong state ratings and outperforming California averages in all subjects.

When compared to nearby schools, Highland Ranch is a solid, steady performer. It ranks well above schools like Valley Elementary and Turtleback Elementary, though it doesn't reach the top-tier status of neighbors like Rolling Hills Elementary or Tierra Bonita Elementary. Interestingly, the school achieves this with fewer resources per student and larger class sizes than many of these comparable schools. A notable success story is its significant reduction in chronic absenteeism, now lower than the district average and better than several higher-performing schools.

The school shows interesting patterns in supporting different student groups, with particular historical strength in outcomes for English Language Learners. Performance varies by grade level, with third-grade scores lagging behind district averages but students catching up by fifth grade. Overall, Highland Ranch Elementary represents a stable, efficient school in a competitive district, with specific areas of excellence and some opportunities for growth as it educates its diverse student body.

661

Students ?

23.2

Student/teacher ratio ?

$15,661

Per pupil spending ?

14.7%

Free/discounted lunch ?

14840 Waverley Downs Way
San Diego, CA 92128-3702

(858) 674-4707

District: Poway Unified

Students who attend Highland Ranch Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	Bernardo Heights Middle
High:	Rancho Bernardo High

Racial breakdown:

Asian:

39.8%

White:

29.3%

Hispanic:

15.4%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Highland Ranch Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 83rd percentile in 2013 → 85th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (65% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 15% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

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

!Near the bottom of Poway Unified's ranking

!Large classes — about 23 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school65%

District avg68%

California avg41%

897^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 15%▬ steady since 2015

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

20^th of 26Elementary Schools in the Poway Unified

106^th of 1,543Poway 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	85.6	897 of 5857	84.7%	★★★★☆
2024	86.1	901 of 5869	84.6%	★★★★☆
2023	86.4	893 of 5859	84.8%	★★★★☆
2022	88.0	807 of 5883	86.3%	★★★★☆
2019	88.2	744 of 5789	87.1%	★★★★☆
2018	72.4	1467 of 5662	74.1%	★★★★☆
2017	76.5	1268 of 5692	77.7%	★★★★☆
2016	82.9	1003 of 5614	82.1%	★★★★☆
2015	85.1	879 of 5611	84.3%	★★★★☆
2013	82.0	946 of 5530	82.9%	★★★★☆
2012	85.0	730 of 5390	86.5%	★★★★☆
2011	83.0	847 of 5377	84.2%	★★★★☆
2010	84.5	762 of 5314	85.7%	★★★★☆
2009	85.1	751 of 5193	85.5%	★★★★☆
2008	86.9	656 of 5113	87.2%	★★★★☆
2007	92.3	388 of 5113	92.4%	★★★★★
2006	89.6	504 of 4818	89.5%	★★★★☆
2005	93.6	293 of 4822	93.9%	★★★★★
2004	93.2	323 of 4809	93.3%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	370 of 1203	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	65.6	503 of 1205	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.2	450 of 1190	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.1	543 of 1154	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	67.9	423 of 1149	63.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.7	653 of 1071	39.0%	★★☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	77.5	337 of 2227	84.9%	★★★★☆
2018	76.6	327 of 2128	84.6%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	71.0	471 of 3245	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	75.1	385 of 3311	88.4%	★★★★☆
2019	87.6	203 of 3275	93.8%	★★★★★
2018	85.5	248 of 3246	92.4%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	81.0	1038 of 5597	81.5%	★★★★☆
2024	82.6	981 of 5612	82.5%	★★★★☆
2023	81.4	1039 of 5609	81.5%	★★★★☆
2022	85.7	831 of 5635	85.3%	★★★★☆
2019	86.1	761 of 5492	86.1%	★★★★☆
2018	63.7	1812 of 5413	66.5%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	78.7	803 of 5107	84.3%	★★★★☆
2024	86.9	474 of 5107	90.7%	★★★★★
2023	77.3	859 of 5087	83.1%	★★★★☆
2022	90.5	343 of 5084	93.3%	★★★★★
2019	86.0	464 of 4963	90.7%	★★★★★
2018	56.4	1813 of 4830	62.5%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.7	1248 of 5460	77.1%	★★★★☆
2024	70.9	1220 of 5517	77.9%	★★★★☆
2023	71.7	1133 of 5363	78.9%	★★★★☆
2022	77.6	847 of 5264	83.9%	★★★★☆
2019	81.6	641 of 5173	87.6%	★★★★☆
2018	64.2	1507 of 5084	70.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	87.5	719 of 5628	87.2%	★★★★☆
2024	86.4	796 of 5643	85.9%	★★★★☆
2023	88.6	691 of 5638	87.7%	★★★★☆
2022	88.0	733 of 5663	87.1%	★★★★☆
2019	86.2	775 of 5510	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	78.2	1129 of 5431	79.2%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	51.6	404 of 718	43.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.6	421 of 670	37.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	54.2	354 of 669	47.1%	★★☆☆☆
2022	49.9	355 of 610	41.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	63.9	186 of 445	58.2%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.6	1173 of 2847	58.8%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.5	489 of 2635	81.4%	★★★★☆
2023	72.2	442 of 2420	81.7%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.9	1325 of 2598	49.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.7	1306 of 2651	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	57.0	1230 of 2661	53.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	62.3	1064 of 2726	61.0%	★★★☆☆
2019	63.1	1086 of 2834	61.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	41.7	1766 of 2737	35.5%	★★☆☆☆

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)

Male (2025)87th percentile+3 vs school

English Language Learner (2023)85th percentile~ school

Disabled (2022)85th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)84th percentile~ school

Female (2025)81st percentile-3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)77th percentile-8 vs school

Asian (2025)69th percentile-15 vs school

Special Education (2025)59th percentile-26 vs school

White (2025)49th percentile-36 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)44th percentile-41 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy68%+19 vs state

Mathematics64%+27 vs state

Science58%+25 vs state

5.0

2 ratings

5★2

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Highland Ranch Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

Reviews

No written reviews yet. If you know this school, be the first to share what stands out.

Schools Near Highland Ranch 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 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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th 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
Highland Ranch Elementary	Public	K-5	14840 Waverley Downs Way	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 674-4707	661	28	23.2	14.7%	194 (29.3%)	17 (2.6%)	102 (15.4%)	263 (39.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.2%)	81 (12.3%)	85.6	897^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.7%		86.1	901^st of 5869 public elementary schools	84.6%	4	57.5	57.5	53.9	72.7	76.1	68.0	55.9	73.9	62.8	64.4	98.4		98.4				$15,661	$898	$14,763
Rolling Hills Elementary	Public	K-5	15255 Penasquitos Dr.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 672-3400	490	24	20.1	13.1%	186 (38.0%)	4 (0.8%)	103 (21.0%)	122 (24.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	74 (15.1%)	95	337^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.2%		96.3	245^th of 5869 public elementary schools	95.8%	92	84.7	84.7	74.3	69.9	93.1	78.7	75.4	73.8	83.3	77.3							$18,122	$581	$17,541
Shoal Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	11775 Shoal Creek Dr.	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 613-9080	500	23	22.0	13.8%	172 (34.4%)	8 (1.6%)	76 (15.2%)	163 (32.6%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (16.2%)	85.3	912^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.4%		90.3	689^th of 5869 public elementary schools	88.3%	223	57.0	57.0	49.3	74.3	75.9	66.8	64.5	74.3	57.5	64.8	89.9	97.0	97.0	92.9	93.9	95.0	$17,015	$531	$16,484
Turtleback Elementary	Public	K-5	15855 Turtleback Rd.	San Diego	92127	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 673-5514	458	23	19.7	21.6%	158 (34.5%)	7 (1.5%)	106 (23.1%)	123 (26.9%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	63 (13.8%)	76.4	1315^th of 5857 public elementary schools	77.5%		77	1291^st of 5869 public elementary schools	78.0%	24	40.0	40.0	57.1	63.9	62.4	61.1	58.3	60.7	55.3	57.8	94.9	95.9		95.9	94.9	95.9	$16,488	$618	$15,870
Los Penasquitos Elementary	Public	K-5	14125 Cuca St.	San Diego	92129	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 672-3600	634	28	22.4	37.7%	186 (29.3%)	37 (5.8%)	115 (18.1%)	221 (34.9%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	72 (11.4%)	91.3	594^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.9%		91.5	608^th of 5869 public elementary schools	89.6%	14	57.0	57.0	72.7	74.0	80.0	75.1	68.2	68.1	73.4	69.5	96.9	98.4	97.7	97.7	96.9	97.7	$16,501	$1,111	$15,390
Pomerado Elementary	Public	K-5	12321 Ninth St.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-1320	305	15	20.0	31.5%	115 (37.7%)	3 (1.0%)	104 (34.1%)	48 (15.7%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	31 (10.2%)	73.6	1442^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	75.4%		74.3	1399^th of 5869 public elementary schools	76.2%	43	31.1	31.1	64.9	70.0	62.2	66.2	60.5	63.3	34.1	53.5							$20,750	$1,011	$19,739
Midland Elementary	Public	K-5	13910 Midland Rd.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-0047	580	27	21.7	31.2%	271 (46.7%)	5 (0.9%)	182 (31.4%)	43 (7.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	78 (13.4%)	82.6	1043^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	82.2%		82.1	1068^th of 5869 public elementary schools	81.8%	25	55.2	55.2	66.7	59.4	71.9	66.3	59.8	55.2	57.8	57.6	97.3				98.2		$16,430	$1,248	$15,182
Tierra Bonita Elementary	Public	K-5	14678 Tierra Bonita Rd.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-8540	377	17	22.8	8.2%	224 (59.4%)	4 (1.1%)	72 (19.1%)	22 (5.8%)	2 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	52 (13.8%)	95	329^th of 5857 public elementary schools	94.4%		95.8	284^th of 5869 public elementary schools	95.2%	45	76.9	76.9	68.7	82.3	75.0	75.8	77.6	82.5	80.4	80.3							$18,332	$771	$17,561
Morning Creek Elementary	Public	K-5	10925 Morning Creek Dr. South	San Diego	92128	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-4334	531	25	21.5	21.1%	188 (35.4%)	22 (4.1%)	105 (19.8%)	144 (27.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (13.2%)	88.2	763^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	87.0%		90.7	652^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	88.9%	111	57.1	57.1	61.4	77.9	71.1	70.1	68.5	73.3	57.1	66.2							$18,164	$799	$17,365
Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	13000 Bowron Rd.	Poway	92064	San Diego County	Poway Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(858) 748-2007	663	30	21.9	37.3%	171 (25.8%)	11 (1.7%)	390 (58.8%)	39 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	51 (7.7%)	52.5	2465^th of 5857 public elementary schools	57.9%		54.2	2333^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	60.2%	132	25.8	25.8	42.1	54.6	42.6	46.2	41.7	54.6	40.0	45.2	93.2	95.8	96.6	94.1	94.1	94.1	$15,614	$1,164	$14,450

Frequently Asked Questions about Highland Ranch Elementary

How many students attend Highland Ranch Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 661 students attended Highland Ranch Elementary.

Is Highland Ranch Elementary a good school?

Highland Ranch Elementary ranks 897^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What is the racial makeup of Highland Ranch Elementary?

Students at Highland Ranch Elementary are 40% Asian, 29% White, 15% Hispanic, 12% Two or more races, 3% African American.

What district is Highland Ranch Elementary in?

Poway Unified

What schools do graduates of Highland Ranch Elementary attend?

Students who attend Highland Ranch Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : Bernardo Heights Middle
High : Rancho Bernardo High

Rate Highland Ranch Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in San Diego, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Highland Ranch Elementary!

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.