Berkeley Lake Elementary School

Berkeley Lake Elementary School in Duluth, GA, serves 838 students from Pre-K through 5th grade as part of the Gwinnett County school district, and has earned a 4-star rating with a 73rd percentile statewide ranking—its strongest performance in recent years.

For parents, the headline is simple: Berkeley Lake is a solid, improving school that punches above its weight. In 3rd grade math, 56.3% of students are proficient, beating both the district (53.5%) and state (48.3%) averages. Fifth grade math (56%) and science (57.5%) also outpace district and state benchmarks. The school is particularly effective with specific student groups—White students rank in the 88th percentile statewide and African American students in the 83rd percentile, both earning 4-star ratings. Perhaps most striking is how Berkeley Lake compares to nearby schools with similar demographics. While Chesney Elementary (78.6% free/reduced lunch) posts just 33% proficiency in 3rd grade math and Norcross Elementary (88.6% poverty) hits 30.5%, Berkeley Lake—with 54.7% poverty—achieves 56.3%. That gap suggests instructional strategies that are working. The school also spends less per student ($14,644) than several lower-performing neighbors like North Metro Academy ($20,283) and Harris Elementary ($17,329), making it an efficient choice.

Attendance is another standout. Berkeley Lake's chronic absenteeism rate is just 9.2%, far better than the district (15%) and state (17.7%) averages, and among the lowest in the area—only Simpson Elementary (5.3%) does better, though Simpson serves a much more affluent population. As attendance has improved, so has the school's ranking, rising from the 70th to 73rd percentile. The one area for growth is special education, where students rank in the 48th percentile statewide. Still, with a decade of consistent mid-to-upper tier performance, Berkeley Lake offers families a dependable, well-rounded option that serves a diverse student body effectively.