Best High Schools in Zip Code 95118

Three high schools serve the 95118 zip code in San Jose, California, offering grades 9-12 and presenting a dramatic range of educational outcomes within the same community.

Branham High and Pioneer High are both strong performers, ranking in the top 11% of California high schools. Branham stands out with the highest test scores, particularly in English, and the lowest chronic absenteeism at 10.1%. Pioneer has shown impressive improvement in recent years and boasts the highest graduation rate at 96.9%. Both schools have similar student-teacher ratios and spending levels, yet Branham maintains a slight academic edge. In stark contrast, Broadway High faces significant challenges, ranking in the bottom 9% of the state with very low test proficiency, a 22.6% dropout rate, and an 82.4% chronic absenteeism rate, despite having the highest per-student spending and smallest class sizes.

This analysis reveals that school quality can vary widely even in the same neighborhood. The extreme disparity highlights that factors like student attendance and school culture are critical. Parents should note that Campbell Union High district (Branham) has a higher average performance than the San Jose Unified district (Pioneer and Broadway), and that chronic absenteeism is a powerful indicator of a school's challenges, as seen at Broadway.