Best Schools for Black Students in California (2026)
These are the California public schools where black students scored highest on the state reading and math tests, ranked by the average of the two proficiency rates. Only schools with at least 20 tested black students are included. The list reflects how students in this group perform at each school; it is not a ranking of schools by their demographic makeup.
Other lists: Hispanic · Low-income · White · Asian · Multiracial · American Indian / Alaska Native
Elementary schools
| # | School | Reading | Math | Tested | Overall Repit grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park Western Place Elementary San Pedro | 85% | 75% | 31 | A |
| 2 | Taper Avenue Elementary San Pedro | 70% | 70% | 24 | A |
| 3 | Terra Vista Elementary Rancho Cucamonga | 75% | 65% | 47 | B |
| 4 | Ysabel Barnett Elementary Temecula | 70% | 70% | 20 | A |
| 5 | Wilder's Preparatory Academy Charter Inglewood | 72% | 62% | 179 | C+ |
| 6 | El Rincon Elementary Culver City | 72% | 62% | 71 | B |
| 7 | Coyote Canyon Elementary Rancho Cucamonga | 65% | 65% | 39 | A |
| 8 | Cordelia Hills Elementary Fairfield | 75% | 55% | 32 | A+ |
| 9 | Kester Avenue Elementary Van Nuys | 75% | 55% | 32 | A+ |
| 10 | Aviation Elementary Hawthorne | 75% | 55% | 34 | B+ |
| 11 | Del Aire Elementary Hawthorne | 75% | 55% | 54 | C+ |
| 12 | Perdew Elementary Etiwanda | 65% | 55% | 48 | B+ |
| 13 | Etiwanda Colony Elementary Etiwanda | 70% | 50% | 25 | A+ |
| 14 | Grapeland Elementary Etiwanda | 65% | 55% | 38 | B+ |
| 15 | John L. Golden Elementary Etiwanda | 50% | 70% | 24 | A |
| 16 | East Heritage Elementary Fontana | 75% | 45% | 43 | B+ |
| 17 | R. J. Neutra N.a.s. Lemoore | 50% | 70% | 21 | A+ |
| 18 | Tournament Hills Elementary Beaumont | 65% | 55% | 36 | B |
| 19 | Rocketship Mateo Sheedy Elementary San Jose | 70% | 50% | 23 | C+ |
| 20 | Tovashal Elementary Murrieta | 70% | 50% | 21 | A |
| 21 | W. A. Kendrick Elementary Bakersfield | 70% | 50% | 26 | A+ |
| 22 | Bixby Elementary Long Beach | 70% | 50% | 23 | A+ |
| 23 | Will Rogers Elementary Santa Monica | 70% | 50% | 25 | C+ |
| 24 | McKinley Elementary Santa Monica | 70% | 50% | 30 | B |
| 25 | Muir (John) Elementary San Francisco | 70% | 50% | 25 | A |
Middle schools
High schools
| # | School | Reading | Math | Tested | Overall Repit grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Segundo High El Segundo | 90% | 90% | 21 | A+ |
| 2 | Riverside STEM Academy Riverside | 95% | 75% | 35 | A+ |
| 3 | Da Vinci Design El Segundo | 90% | 50% | 22 | A+ |
| 4 | KIPP San Francisco College Preparatory San Francisco | 90% | 50% | 22 | A+ |
| 5 | Tracy High Tracy | 70% | — | 20 | A |
| 6 | Pleasant Grove High Elk Grove | 75% | 55% | 34 | A+ |
| 7 | Cerritos High Cerritos | 75% | 55% | 35 | A+ |
| 8 | Canyon High Canyon Country | 90% | 30% | 23 | A+ |
| 9 | Buchanan High Clovis | 90% | 30% | 21 | A+ |
| 10 | Renaissance Arts Academy Los Angeles | 70% | 50% | 23 | A+ |
| 11 | Girls Academic Leadership Acad Dr. Michelle King Sch STEM Los Angeles | 77% | 42% | 75 | A+ |
| 12 | Citrus Valley High Redlands | 70% | 50% | 29 | A+ |
| 13 | University Preparatory Victorville | 70% | 50% | 30 | A |
| 14 | University Preparatory Academy Charter San Jose | 65% | 55% | 32 | A+ |
| 15 | Preuss School UCSD La Jolla | 62% | 47% | 68 | A+ |
| 16 | Granada Hills Charter Granada Hills | 75% | 35% | 38 | A+ |
| 17 | Helix High La Mesa | 62% | 47% | 67 | A+ |
| 18 | Eleanor Roosevelt High Eastvale | 67% | 42% | 108 | A+ |
| 19 | Olympian High Chula Vista | 75% | 35% | 34 | A+ |
| 20 | Rancho Cucamonga High Rancho Cucamonga | 72% | 32% | 124 | A+ |
| 21 | Gahr (Richard) High Cerritos | 62% | 42% | 65 | A+ |
| 22 | Dozier-Libbey Medical High Antioch | 70% | 30% | 22 | A+ |
| 23 | John F. Kennedy High La Palma | 70% | 30% | 22 | A+ |
| 24 | Da Vinci Connect Hawthorne | 70% | 30% | 26 | A+ |
| 25 | New West Charter Los Angeles | 70% | 30% | 24 | A+ |
Source: U.S. Department of Education EDFacts (state assessment results by student group) via the Urban Institute Education Data Portal. Small schools report results as ranges; we use the midpoint. Methodology