Best Elementary Schools in Costa Mesa, CA

Summary:

The city of Costa Mesa, California is home to 15 elementary schools that are part of the Newport-Mesa Unified School District. These schools serve students from kindergarten through 6th grade and provide a diverse range of academic opportunities and support for the local community.

Among the standout performers in the area are Heinz Kaiser Elementary, which is ranked 577 out of 5,862 California elementary schools and has a 5-star rating from SchoolDigger. This school boasts consistently high test scores, with over 70% proficiency in both English Language Arts and Mathematics, as well as a low chronic absenteeism rate of 15.6%. Another top-performing school is Maude B. Davis Elementary, which is ranked 668 and has a 4-star rating, with strong performance in English Language Arts and impressive 3rd-grade test scores. California Elementary also stands out, ranking 1,365 and earning a 4-star rating, with high proficiency in both English Language Arts and Mathematics.

In contrast, some of the lower-performing schools in the area, such as College Park Elementary, Whittier Elementary, and Everett A. Rea Elementary, struggle to meet the district and state averages in test scores and have higher chronic absenteeism rates. These disparities in academic performance and other key metrics highlight the need for targeted interventions and support to ensure educational equity across all schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Immunizations Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts (2024)					CAST Science (2024)		Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2024)					Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2024)					% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Polio (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (2022)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 3rd Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 4th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 5th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading/Language Arts End of Course	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 End of Course	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 End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
International School for Science and Culture	Public, Charter	K-8	1770 Tustin Ave.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	International School for Science and Culture District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 441-4500	130	6	21.6	60.0%	28 (21.5%)	6 (4.6%)	62 (47.7%)	16 (12.3%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	16 (12.3%)								(n/a)							46.2	38.5				36.7	33.3				35.4	64.7	79.4	76.5	76.5	79.4
Victoria Elementary	Public	K-6	1025 Victoria St.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6985	301	20	15.1	65.8%	94 (31.2%)	1 (0.3%)	183 (60.8%)	6 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	16 (5.3%)	61.5	2002^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	65.8%		66.2	1749^th of 5874 public elementary schools	70.2%	253						31.1	31.1	66.7	50.0	43.2	67.6	55.5	66.7	34.2	31.8	43.2	41.8
California Elementary	Public	K-6	3232 California Ave.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7940	375	18	20.8	45.6%	161 (42.9%)	6 (1.6%)	150 (40.0%)	20 (5.3%)	2 (0.5%)	4 (1.1%)	32 (8.5%)	74.9	1365^th of 5862 public elementary schools	76.7%		78.1	1238^th of 5874 public elementary schools	78.9%	127						32.7	32.7	73.7	75.0	52.7	65.0	65.8	60.5	72.9	29.1	62.5	54.7
College Park Elementary	Public	K-6	2380 Notre Dame Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7960	477	25	19.0	81.6%	65 (13.6%)	2 (0.4%)	384 (80.5%)	7 (1.5%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	17 (3.6%)	32.7	3711^th of 5862 public elementary schools	36.7%		42.7	2970^th of 5874 public elementary schools	49.4%	741						15.5	15.5	47.1	27.1	39.3	32.9	35.6	41.2	33.3	17.2	20.0	27.3
Heinz Kaiser Elementary	Public	3-6	2130 Santa Ana Ave.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6950	553	23	23.6	36.3%	320 (57.9%)	1 (0.2%)	157 (28.4%)	17 (3.1%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	57 (10.3%)	91.9	577^th of 5862 public elementary schools	90.2%		90.6	667^th of 5874 public elementary schools	88.6%	90						57.5	57.5	76.8	68.8	72.5	68.0	71.3	76.8	71.4	64.2	68.6	70.2
Killybrooke Elementary	Public	K-6	3155 Killybrooke Ln.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7945	423	21	20.4	69.5%	87 (20.6%)	9 (2.1%)	266 (62.9%)	25 (5.9%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	35 (8.3%)	77	1289^th of 5862 public elementary schools	78.0%		80	1170^th of 5874 public elementary schools	80.1%	119						47.3	47.3	60.4	46.5	62.5	56.8	57.1	63.0	52.4	60.7	45.7	56.1	95.3		96.9
Paularino Elementary	Public	K-6	1060 Paularino Ave.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7950	335	21	16.2	71.6%	57 (17.0%)	7 (2.1%)	216 (64.5%)	28 (8.4%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (1.8%)	21 (6.3%)	46.6	2750^th of 5862 public elementary schools	53.1%		48.7	2594^th of 5874 public elementary schools	55.8%	156						23.9	23.9	46.8	41.7	39.1	55.3	46.0	34.0	29.7	24.4	40.8	32.6
Pomona Elementary	Public	K-6	2051 Pomona Ave.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6980	303	17	18.0	97.7%	2 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	300 (99.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	22.7	4600^th of 5862 public elementary schools	21.5%		28.3	4039^th of 5874 public elementary schools	31.2%	561						10.7	10.7	23.1	30.0	14.3	36.2	27.9	23.1	34.2	14.3	12.1	20.5
Sonora Elementary	Public	K-6	966 Sonora Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7955	380	19	20.3	73.7%	54 (14.2%)	0 (0.0%)	279 (73.4%)	22 (5.8%)	0 (0.0%)	5 (1.3%)	19 (5.0%)	58.4	2125^th of 5862 public elementary schools	63.7%		60.4	2041^st of 5874 public elementary schools	65.3%	84						23.5	23.5	60.8	52.3	57.7	50.9	55.5	48.1	35.6	34.6	34.6	38.2	96.7
Whittier Elementary	Public	K-6	1800 Whittier Ave.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6990	476	24	19.5	91.0%	6 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	460 (96.6%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.7%)	22.5	4622^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	21.2%		30.4	3851^st of 5874 public elementary schools	34.4%	771	28.3	2.9	5.9	10.8	13.2	8.8	8.8	33.8	19.6	23.2	28.4	26.7	45.8	21.7	8.7	13.2	22.4	97.1
Wilson Elementary	Public	K-6	801 Wilson St.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6995	361	16	22.0	95.0%	3 (0.8%)	2 (0.6%)	352 (97.5%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	22.5	4623^rd of 5862 public elementary schools	21.1%		27	4171^st of 5874 public elementary schools	29.0%	452						4.4	4.4	25.5	40.4	23.9	32.1	30.6	26.0	30.6	13.0	10.3	19.7
Everett A. Rea Elementary	Public	K-6	661 Hamilton St.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6905	333	14	24.6	93.7%	4 (1.2%)	0 (0.0%)	325 (97.6%)	2 (0.6%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	43.2	2976^th of 5862 public elementary schools	49.2%		37.1	3342^nd of 5874 public elementary schools	43.1%	366						12.5	12.5	38.1	52.4	25.5	58.8	44.0	36.4	55.6	20.8	22.2	33.0
Maude B. Davis Elementary	Public	K-6	1050 Arlington Dr.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7930	545	22	24.6	28.6%	237 (43.5%)	3 (0.6%)	170 (31.2%)	49 (9.0%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (15.4%)	90.5	668^th of 5862 public elementary schools	88.6%		92.3	551^st of 5874 public elementary schools	90.6%	117						55.4	55.4	81.7	63.1	63.9	77.8	71.5	76.8	67.9	62.7	66.7	68.5	97.0	97.0		97.0
Adams Elementary	Public	K-6	2850 Club House Rd.	Costa Mesa	92626	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(714) 424-7935	355	22	16.3	79.2%	49 (13.8%)	10 (2.8%)	261 (73.5%)	15 (4.2%)	2 (0.6%)	1 (0.3%)	17 (4.8%)	59.6	2077^th of 5862 public elementary schools	64.6%		48.1	2635^th of 5874 public elementary schools	55.1%	558						26.1	26.1	58.3	58.8	60.9	45.5	55.6	50.0	54.3	34.8	25.5	39.9
Woodland Elementary	Public	K-2	2025 Garden Ln.	Costa Mesa	92627	Orange County	Newport-Mesa Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 515-6945	435	23	18.5	32.6%	252 (57.9%)	5 (1.1%)	118 (27.1%)	10 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	50 (11.5%)								(n/a)

Cities Near Costa Mesa

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Santa Ana	1.41 mi	92	576^th
Newport Beach	2.42 mi	10	73^rd
Fountain Valley	2.44 mi	14	130^th
Huntington Beach	2.82 mi	33	146^th
Garden Grove	4.26 mi	53	222^nd

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.