2025 California state test results

Santa Cruz County school test scores and rankings

Across 70 public schools with results, the median reading proficiency was 48.3% and the median math proficiency was 35.7%. The median combined result ranked at the 55th percentile among comparable California schools.

Schools with scores

70

Students represented

34,898

Median school percentile

55th

Schools improving

Trending up34

Schools declining

Trending down29

Schools

Rank combines reading and math standing among comparable California schools. CA Percentile shows that combined statewide standing. Select any header to sort.

1Happy Valley ElementaryElementaryHappy Valley Elementary7.5%No80.0%83.1%96th
2Ocean Alternative Education CenterCombined (K-8)Live Oak Elementary47.4%No50.0%38.6%88th
3Ocean Grove CharterCombined (K-12)San Lorenzo Valley Unified26.7%No65.2%50.5%86th
4Brook Knoll ElementaryElementaryScotts Valley Unified13.7%No73.4%64.8%86th
5Vine Hill ElementaryElementaryScotts Valley Unified11.4%No68.8%69.0%85th
6Santa Cruz HighHighSanta Cruz City High22.9%No69.0%50.6%84th
7Scotts Valley HighHighScotts Valley Unified11.0%No69.0%50.3%84th
8Scotts Valley MiddleMiddleScotts Valley Unified11.2%No69.5%52.6%83rd
9Westlake ElementaryElementarySanta Cruz City Elementary25.2%No66.8%64.5%82nd
10Mountain ElementaryElementaryMountain Elementary14.8%No68.8%62.5%81st
11SLVUSD CharterCombined (K-12)San Lorenzo Valley Unified20.9%No64.3%42.7%81st
12Soquel HighHighSanta Cruz City High29.3%No72.5%34.2%79th
13Tierra Pacifica CharterCombined (K-8)Live Oak Elementary28.5%No52.2%52.2%78th
14San Lorenzo Valley HighHighSan Lorenzo Valley Unified20.8%No66.1%39.0%77th
15Mission Hill MiddleMiddleSanta Cruz City High32.5%No58.9%49.0%76th
16Boulder Creek ElementaryElementarySan Lorenzo Valley Unified29.8%No59.8%58.0%75th
17Valencia ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified37.0%No63.2%54.4%75th
18Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-MonarchElementarySanta Cruz City Elementary28.1%No67.7%47.7%74th
19Pacific ElementaryElementaryPacific Elementary41.8%No55.7%60.7%73rd
20New Brighton MiddleMiddleSoquel Union Elementary30.3%No57.9%41.8%72nd
21Branciforte MiddleMiddleSanta Cruz City High39.6%No60.0%39.7%71st
22Rio del Mar ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified22.1%No57.6%53.7%71st
23California Connections Academy Monterey BayCombined (K-12)Scotts Valley Unified41.4%No50.4%42.1%71st
24Bonny Doon ElementaryElementaryBonny Doon Union Elementary22.8%No56.5%52.2%70th
25Linscott CharterCombined (K-8)Pajaro Valley Unified65.9%No54.3%33.7%67th
26De Laveaga ElementaryElementarySanta Cruz City Elementary28.1%No55.9%47.4%66th
27Main Street ElementaryElementarySoquel Union Elementary25.4%No53.4%48.6%65th
28San Lorenzo Valley ElementaryElementarySan Lorenzo Valley Unified28.5%No49.6%52.7%65th
29Bay View ElementaryElementarySanta Cruz City Elementary46.4%No55.3%46.7%65th
30Harbor HighHighSanta Cruz City High38.7%No59.7%25.6%63rd
31Shoreline MiddleMiddleLive Oak Elementary64.9%No50.0%36.1%62nd
32San Lorenzo Valley MiddleMiddleSan Lorenzo Valley Unified25.0%No46.5%37.7%61st
33Green Acres ElementaryElementaryLive Oak Elementary54.8%No46.1%43.5%57th
34Aptos HighHighPajaro Valley Unified47.6%No46.5%30.8%57th
35Aptos Junior HighMiddlePajaro Valley Unified51.1%No43.3%35.6%56th
36Gault ElementaryElementarySanta Cruz City Elementary50.3%No47.1%38.2%54th
37Santa Cruz Gardens ElementaryElementarySoquel Union Elementary30.7%No49.4%35.9%53rd
38Soquel ElementaryElementarySoquel Union Elementary40.5%No44.0%38.1%51st
39Ceiba College Preparatory AcademyCombined (6-12)Pajaro Valley Unified76.4%No37.6%34.3%51st
40Diamond Technology InstituteHighPajaro Valley Unified77.0%No66.7%7.1%50th
41Alianza CharterCombined (K-8)Pajaro Valley Unified80.2%No42.5%27.7%49th
42Del Mar ElementaryElementaryLive Oak Elementary62.9%No40.4%37.8%48th
43Ark Independent StudiesHighSanta Cruz City High41.1%No53.3%13.3%45th
44Watsonville HighHighPajaro Valley Unified91.1%No38.9%19.9%42nd
45Mar Vista ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified54.1%No40.1%32.0%42nd
46Pacific Coast CharterCombined (K-12)Pajaro Valley Unified78.0%No44.3%17.7%39th
47Live Oak ElementaryElementaryLive Oak Elementary58.8%No39.1%29.8%39th
48Bradley ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified54.2%No35.3%28.0%33rd
49Pajaro Valley HighHighPajaro Valley Unified84.3%No40.0%8.9%31st
50Watsonville Charter School of the ArtsCombined (K-8)Pajaro Valley Unified55.9%No29.9%20.2%29th
51Delta CharterHighSanta Cruz City High38.9%No24.4%2.4%19th
52Starlight ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified91.6%No22.7%25.1%18th
53Renaissance High ContinuationHighPajaro Valley Unified92.9%No4.5%1.5%8th
54Freedom ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified91.4%No13.0%15.1%5th
55Calabasas ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified97.1%No15.6%14.1%5th
56H. A. Hyde ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified91.6%No14.4%14.3%4th
57Rolling Hills MiddleMiddlePajaro Valley Unified94.6%No18.7%7.8%4th
58Ann Soldo ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified92.8%No16.6%11.3%3rd
59Ohlone ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified96.7%No16.4%11.3%3rd
60Pajaro MiddleMiddlePajaro Valley Unified96.5%No19.8%5.9%3rd
61Cesar E. Chavez MiddleMiddlePajaro Valley Unified91.1%No14.8%8.0%3rd
62Landmark ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified91.2%No13.8%10.0%2nd
63Mintie White ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified94.1%No11.0%10.3%2nd
64Lakeview MiddleMiddlePajaro Valley Unified92.5%No14.5%5.9%2nd
65Amesti ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified95.6%No11.2%7.2%1st
66Hall District ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified94.0%No11.1%7.2%1st
67Radcliff ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified97.1%No9.9%6.6%1st
68E. A. Hall MiddleMiddlePajaro Valley Unified97.4%No9.4%3.3%1st
69T. S. MacQuiddy ElementaryElementaryPajaro Valley Unified92.9%No8.7%5.9%0th
70Alternative Family EducationCombined (K-12)Santa Cruz City High34.5%No64.1%37.5%0th

Highest-ranked schools by level

Elementary schools

  1. 1
    Happy Valley Elementary

    96th percentile

  2. 2
    Brook Knoll Elementary

    86th percentile

  3. 3
    Vine Hill Elementary

    85th percentile

  4. 4
    Westlake Elementary

    82nd percentile

  5. 5
    Mountain Elementary

    81st percentile

Middle schools

  1. 1
    Scotts Valley Middle

    83rd percentile

  2. 2
    Mission Hill Middle

    76th percentile

  3. 3
    New Brighton Middle

    72nd percentile

  4. 4
    Branciforte Middle

    71st percentile

  5. 5
    Shoreline Middle

    62nd percentile

High schools

  1. 1
    Santa Cruz High

    84th percentile

  2. 2
    Scotts Valley High

    84th percentile

  3. 3
    Soquel High

    79th percentile

  4. 4
    San Lorenzo Valley High

    77th percentile

  5. 5
    Harbor High

    63rd percentile

School districts

District scores cover the entire district, including schools outside this place when district boundaries cross city lines. Select any header to sort.

1Happy Valley Elementary

1 schools districtwide

80.0%83.1%98th
2Mountain Elementary

1 schools districtwide

68.8%62.5%89th
3Scotts Valley Unified

5 schools districtwide

70.0%58.5%89th
4Pacific Elementary

1 schools districtwide

55.7%60.7%85th
5Bonny Doon Union Elementary

1 schools districtwide

56.5%52.2%80th
6Santa Cruz City Elementary

5 schools districtwide

57.9%50.1%80th
7Santa Cruz City High

8 schools districtwide

61.0%39.5%75th
8San Lorenzo Valley Unified

6 schools districtwide

54.7%45.7%75th
9Soquel Union Elementary

4 schools districtwide

54.1%42.0%72nd
10Live Oak Elementary

7 schools districtwide

46.5%37.6%59th
11Pajaro Valley Unified

33 schools districtwide

26.3%17.5%14th

Cities in Santa Cruz County

Watsonville26 schoolsSanta Cruz23 schoolsAptos6 schoolsScotts Valley4 schoolsSoquel4 schoolsFelton3 schools

How these rankings work

Rankings use the latest available California reading and math results. Schools are compared with other California schools serving similar grade levels. Medians describe the typical local result and are not districtwide averages. Virtual schools are excluded, and cities with fewer than three scored schools are omitted from the indexed location directory.

Data sources and methodologySearch all schools in Santa Cruz