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Best Public Schools in Zip Code 92618

New rankings! SchoolDigger recently updated its California rankings with newly released test scores for the 2025-26 school year.

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At a glance

Schools

10,101

Students

Districts

5-star schools

Top rankedPortola Springs Elementary399^th of 5,817 California elementary schools

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Biggest riser

Portola Springs Elementary up 137 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Excel Academy Charter 9.9 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

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

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Summary:

ZIP code 92618 has nine school entries serving 10,101 students: six elementary schools, one high school and two K–12 alternative entries, both named Excel Academy Charter. The schools include campuses in Irvine Unified and two separate Excel Academy Charter entries; I distinguish the latter by enrollment. Across the nine entries, average proficiency was about 70% in ELA, 64% in math and 61% in science, compared with state figures of 49%, 38% and 36%. Most importantly, every school was above the state figure in all three subjects, but results varied considerably from school to school.

Beacon Park had the highest all-grades ELA result at 78%, while Portola Springs Elementary led math at 74%, effectively tied with Beacon Park at 74%. Loma Ridge Elementary led science at 70%. At the other end, Oak Creek Elementary was lowest in all three subjects, at 59% in ELA, 52% in math and 46% in science. The leaders outscored Oak Creek by 19 points in ELA, 22 in math and 24 in science. Although Oak Creek remains above state figures, it is the clearest low-performing outlier in this group.

Recent changes were mixed: the nine-school average rose by about 1 point in ELA, was nearly unchanged in math and increased by 4 points in science from 2024–2025 to 2025–2026. Excel Academy Charter (660 students) improved most, gaining 7 points in ELA, 5 in math and 5 in science, while Oak Creek fell 5 points in math and 4 in science. SchoolDigger’s latest percentiles also put Portola Springs at the strongest listed ranking, the 93rd percentile, and Oak Creek at the weakest, the 75th; Oak Creek had been at the 80th percentile in 2023–2024. Similar school size and ratios do not guarantee similar results: Portola Springs and Oak Creek both serve K–6, enroll about 950 students and have student-teacher ratios of 30.1 and 30.0, yet Portola Springs leads by 17 points in ELA, 22 in math and 24 in science. Their free/reduced lunch eligible shares were 15% and 29%, respectively, in 2024–2025; these are contextual differences, not explanations for results. All-grades results combine different grade spans, so comparisons are broad rather than matched by grade.

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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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Excel Academy Charter	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1 Technology Dr.	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Excel Academy Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(949) 387-7822	660	66	9.9	50.2%	182 (27.6%)	19 (2.9%)	298 (45.2%)	86 (13.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.6%)	70 (10.6%)								(n/a)	51.5	59.6	65.6		57.5	58.5	63.0	58.8	55.7	73.1	73.1	81.8	64.5	56.9	46.3	42.7	51.4	53.9	67.3	51.5	52.5	34%	0%	$19,930	$19,588	$342
Excel Academy Charter	Public, Virtual, Charter, Alternative	K-12	1 Technology Dr.	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Excel Academy Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(949) 387-7822	1,069	76	14.1	41.7%	412 (38.5%)	31 (2.9%)	327 (30.6%)	183 (17.1%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	113 (10.6%)								(n/a)	45.0	57.1	71.2		55.1	58.3	57.3	57.0	64.7	73.4	67.9	84.6	64.8	65.6	55.1	44.4	50.9	69.2	57.1	59.6	57.0	35%	0%	$21,541	$21,172	$369
Oak Creek Elementary	Public	K-6	1 Dove Creek	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-8550	963	32	30.0	29.4%	360 (37.4%)	18 (1.9%)	103 (10.7%)	406 (42.2%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	70 (7.3%)	72.6	1460^th of 5817 public elementary schools	74.9%		77.6	1260^th of 5857 public elementary schools	78.5%	200	46.0				46.0	63.2	50.8	55.9	64.4				58.6	64.0	42.8	43.9	58.6				52.1	94%	0%	$13,788	$13,006	$782
Portola Springs Elementary	Public	K-6	12100 Portola Springs	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-8800	948	31	30.1	15.3%	174 (18.4%)	13 (1.4%)	110 (11.6%)	562 (59.3%)	1 (0.1%)	3 (0.3%)	85 (9.0%)	94.1	399^th of 5817 public elementary schools	93.1%		92.1	536^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.8%	137	69.6				69.6	72.2	69.1	79.6	82.3				75.8	77.0	70.7	69.6	78.6				73.9	98%	1%	$13,563	$13,234	$329
Portola High	Public	9-12	1001 Cadence	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-8200	2,693	102	26.3	17.6%	488 (18.1%)	46 (1.7%)	263 (9.8%)	1,673 (62.1%)	3 (0.1%)	11 (0.4%)	205 (7.6%)	91.9	163^rd of 2135 public high schools	92.4%		92.7	153^rd of 2162 public high schools	92.9%	10			58.2	20.0	57.4							77.5	77.5							66.4	66.4			$15,152	$14,898	$254
Beacon Park	Public	K-8	200 Cultivate	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 936-8400	1,065	39	27.4	12.9%	172 (16.2%)	6 (0.6%)	86 (8.1%)	705 (66.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	94 (8.8%)	93	479^th of 5817 public elementary schools	91.8%		93.1	466^th of 5857 public elementary schools	92.0%	13	68.8	70.6			69.7	72.8	72.4	76.6	71.6	85.9	83.7		77.6	69.9	72.2	73.4	69.2	81.2	75.5		73.9	96%	1%	$14,870	$14,626	$244
Cadence Park	Public	K-8	750 Benchmark	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 404-1300	965	36	26.9	19.6%	145 (15.0%)	20 (2.1%)	123 (12.7%)	571 (59.2%)	2 (0.2%)	8 (0.8%)	96 (9.9%)	88.5	721^st of 5817 public elementary schools	87.6%		87.2	812^th of 5857 public elementary schools	86.1%	91	62.5	53.6			58.0	64.8	63.1	76.6	64.8	75.0	66.1		68.6	69.7	64.5	71.4	62.0	66.1	66.1		66.6	98%	0%	$13,930	$13,696	$234
Loma Ridge Elementary	Public	K-6	500 Tomato Springs	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 404-1400	766	27	28.2	11.5%	107 (14.0%)	1 (0.1%)	47 (6.1%)	526 (68.7%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	82 (10.7%)	91	590^th of 5817 public elementary schools	89.9%		92.1	540^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.8%	50	70.3				70.3	75.6	66.3	77.8	72.4				73.1	77.5	56.9	63.4	68.5				67.1	≥ 99%		$13,059	$12,672	$387
Solis Park	Public	K-8	101 Abacus	Irvine	92618	Orange County	Irvine Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 404-1500	972	38	25.8	15.2%	134 (13.8%)	22 (2.3%)	85 (8.7%)	669 (68.8%)	6 (0.6%)	3 (0.3%)	53 (5.5%)	89.3	688^th of 5817 public elementary schools	88.2%		90.2	643^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	89.0%	45	66.7	59.5			62.8	71.6	52.7	69.5	72.5	72.1	67.8		68.1	76.8	68.8	63.8	73.4	64.8	74.4		70.2	98%	0%	$13,076	$12,790	$286

Cities Near Zip Code 92618

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Irvine	0.77 mi	53	64^th
Foothill Ranch	3.09 mi	1	59^th
Lake Forest	4.31 mi	10	223^rd
Trabuco Canyon	4.65 mi	3	123^rd
Mission Viejo	4.82 mi	24	179^th

See the top CA California cities

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.