Best Public Schools in Palo Alto, CA

Summary:

The city of Palo Alto, California is home to 17 schools that are part of the highly-ranked Palo Alto Unified School District. This diverse set of schools includes 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 high schools, and 1 alternative school, serving students from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Several schools in the Palo Alto Unified School District stand out as top performers. Herbert Hoover Elementary ranks 9th out of 5,862 elementary schools in California, with over 90% proficiency in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The district's two high schools, Palo Alto High and Henry M. Gunn High, also excel, with graduation rates above 96% and test scores well above state averages. Additionally, Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle is a standout middle school, ranking 33rd out of 2,777 in the state.

While the Palo Alto Unified School District and its schools demonstrate exceptional academic performance overall, the data also suggests some equity concerns. Schools with higher percentages of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch tend to have lower test scores and higher chronic absenteeism rates, indicating that socioeconomic factors may play a significant role in student outcomes, even in this high-performing district.

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

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				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	CAST Science 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 10th Grade	CAST Science 12th 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 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 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 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	% Completely Immunized KG	% Polio KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Total
Addison Elementary	Public	K-5	650 Addison Ave.	Palo Alto	94301	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 322-5935	338	18	18.9	17.8%	110 (32.5%)	6 (1.8%)	75 (22.2%)	87 (25.7%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (2.4%)	51 (15.1%)	91.7	593^rd of 5862 public elementary schools	89.9%		94.8	366^th of 5874 public elementary schools	93.8%	227	52.1				52.1	72.6	83.9	66.7					74.9	81.8	75.9	58.3					73.3	96.2		96.2	96.2	96.2	$12,771
Herbert Hoover Elementary	Public	K-5	445 East Charleston Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 320-8106	386	20	19.4	5.2%	32 (8.3%)	5 (1.3%)	21 (5.4%)	295 (76.4%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	32 (8.3%)	99.2	9^th of 5862 public elementary schools	99.8%		99.4	3^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	99.9%	6	91.7				91.7	85.5	98.5	94.4					92.8	89.9	100.0	93.1					94.2	93.0				96.5	$11,107
El Carmelo Elementary	Public	K-5	3024 Bryant St.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0960	314	16	19.9	20.7%	78 (24.8%)	7 (2.2%)	62 (19.7%)	123 (39.2%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.6%)	42 (13.4%)	86	907^th of 5862 public elementary schools	84.5%		94.8	374^th of 5874 public elementary schools	93.6%	533	44.3				44.3	58.5	73.2	67.2					65.3	74.2	77.3	62.0					70.2						$12,289
Fairmeadow Elementary	Public	K-5	500 East Meadow Dr.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0845	441	21	20.9	9.8%	130 (29.5%)	3 (0.7%)	61 (13.8%)	209 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	36 (8.2%)	96.8	184^th of 5862 public elementary schools	96.9%		96.1	263^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	95.5%	79	66.7				66.7	80.6	83.6	78.8					81.0	86.6	85.3	74.2					82.1	88.3	96.7	93.3	96.7		$13,684
Duveneck Elementary	Public	K-5	705 Alester Ave.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 322-5946	349	18	19.2	11.2%	77 (22.1%)	7 (2.0%)	73 (20.9%)	137 (39.3%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (2.6%)	46 (13.2%)	97	161^st of 5862 public elementary schools	97.3%		98.2	81^st of 5874 public elementary schools	98.6%	80	82.6				82.6	75.4	81.4	91.5					81.7	79.4	82.6	89.4					83.2	94.6		96.4		96.4	$12,962
Henry M. Gunn High	Public	9-12	780 Arastradero Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 354-8200	1,713	101	16.9	9.5%	494 (28.8%)	22 (1.3%)	210 (12.3%)	799 (46.6%)	2 (0.1%)	4 (0.2%)	180 (10.5%)	97.9	32^nd of 2323 public high schools	98.6%		97.8	38^th of 2348 public high schools	98.4%	6			71.6	90.9	72.1							83.6	83.6							77.6	77.6						$14,036
Walter Hays Elementary	Public	K-5	1525 Middlefield Rd.	Palo Alto	94301	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 322-5956	295	15	19.7	15.6%	84 (28.5%)	7 (2.4%)	56 (19.0%)	108 (36.6%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.4%)	33 (11.2%)	96.3	239^th of 5862 public elementary schools	95.9%		95.1	348^th of 5874 public elementary schools	94.1%	109	83.7				83.7	81.8	71.4	79.6					78.1	84.4	75.7	77.6					79.4	90.5				92.9	$15,636
Juana Briones Elementary	Public	K-5	4100 Orme St.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0877	260	13	19.3	8.5%	83 (31.9%)	4 (1.5%)	25 (9.6%)	120 (46.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (10.8%)	97.1	152^nd of 5862 public elementary schools	97.4%		93.9	440^th of 5874 public elementary schools	92.5%	288	76.6				76.6	90.7	71.4	83.0					81.8	88.6	84.1	78.7					83.7						$15,069
Ohlone Elementary	Public	K-5	950 Amarillo Ave.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-1726	448	24	18.7	7.4%	128 (28.6%)	6 (1.3%)	46 (10.3%)	203 (45.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	65 (14.5%)	97.8	94^th of 5862 public elementary schools	98.4%		98	98^th of 5874 public elementary schools	98.3%	4	73.2				73.2	82.9	84.6	84.5					84.0	88.6	85.9	77.5					84.0	94.7	96.0	96.0	94.7		$12,380
Palo Alto High	Public	9-12	50 Embarcadero Rd.	Palo Alto	94301	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 329-3701	1,932	115	16.8	10.8%	674 (34.9%)	34 (1.8%)	265 (13.7%)	698 (36.1%)	1 (0.1%)	26 (1.3%)	232 (12.0%)	94.9	82^nd of 2323 public high schools	96.5%		92.7	129^th of 2348 public high schools	94.5%	47			67.4		67.3							72.3	72.3							70.1	70.1						$15,583
Palo Verde Elementary	Public	K-5	3450 Louis Rd.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-1672	366	19	19.2	7.9%	93 (25.4%)	4 (1.1%)	46 (12.6%)	191 (52.2%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.8%)	29 (7.9%)	97.2	141^st of 5862 public elementary schools	97.6%		97.6	135^th of 5874 public elementary schools	97.7%	6	74.0				74.0	82.0	75.0	84.9					80.6	88.9	82.2	82.2					84.2	96.3					$12,094
Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle	Public	6-8	480 East Meadow Dr.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-5188	1,025	69	14.9	9.5%	251 (24.5%)	14 (1.4%)	115 (11.2%)	524 (51.1%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (1.1%)	110 (10.7%)	98.4	33^rd of 2777 public middle schools	98.8%		98.7	30^th of 2802 public middle schools	98.9%	3		78.6			78.6				82.5	82.9	81.0		82.1				82.5	83.5	77.5		81.0						$14,581
Greendell	Public	K	4120 Middlefield Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-0833	15	1	15.0	20.0%	6 (40.0%)	1 (6.7%)	5 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (20.0%)								(n/a)																											$13,077
Barron Park Elementary	Public	K-5	800 Barron Ave.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 858-0508	229	13	17.4	26.2%	64 (27.9%)	0 (0.0%)	59 (25.8%)	75 (32.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (1.7%)	27 (11.8%)	84	993^rd of 5862 public elementary schools	83.1%		87.6	843^rd of 5874 public elementary schools	85.6%	150	60.5				60.5	62.5	61.8	69.2					65.0	70.4	45.0	69.1					60.6	93.9	93.9		93.9		$20,964
Packard Children's Hospital/Stanford	Public, Alternative	K-12	725 Welch Rd.	Palo Alto	94304	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 497-8230	20	4	5.0	30.0%	4 (20.0%)	5 (25.0%)	9 (45.0%)	2 (10.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)
Frank S. Greene Junior Middle	Public	6-8	750 North California Ave.	Palo Alto	94303	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(408) 494-8120	760	52	14.5	15.3%	232 (30.5%)	17 (2.2%)	178 (23.4%)	226 (29.7%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (1.6%)	94 (12.4%)	97.3	81^st of 2777 public middle schools	97.1%		97.7	69^th of 2802 public middle schools	97.5%	12		69.1			69.1				77.2	82.7	78.1		79.2				73.7	75.1	70.9		73.2						$15,049
Ellen Fletcher Middle	Public	6-8	655 Arastradero Rd.	Palo Alto	94306	Santa Clara County	Palo Alto Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(650) 856-9810	549	38	14.5	11.5%	144 (26.2%)	8 (1.5%)	97 (17.7%)	221 (40.3%)	1 (0.2%)	2 (0.4%)	75 (13.7%)	98.5	31^st of 2777 public middle schools	98.9%		99	21^st of 2802 public middle schools	99.3%	10		78.6			78.6				88.6	80.0	87.9		85.3				78.7	75.9	77.5		77.3						$16,966

Cities Near Palo Alto

City	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Stanford	1.36 mi	2	25^th
Menlo Park	1.6 mi	7	385^th
East Palo Alto	1.9 mi	11	839^th
Atherton	1.93 mi	5	101^st
Los Altos	3.57 mi	12	8^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.