The smallest student-teacher ratios in California

Better student-teacher ratios don't always mean better schools. Here are the best district ratios in California.

Student-Teacher Ratio vs. Reading

Across California districts with ratio data, larger student-teacher ratios are associated with somewhat higher reading scores, but the relationship is weak.

Large Districts with ratios under 20:1

The smallest student-teacher ratios among districts with at least 2,000 students.

San Bernardino County • Elementary
17:131.9%19.9%2,357
County •
17:138.9%25.1%3,243
San Mateo County • High
17:166.2%48.2%9,408
Alameda County • Unified
17:184.7%82.2%2,447
San Bernardino County • Unified
17:149.0%31.0%2,183
Alameda County • Unified
17:171.6%66.3%9,116
Kern County • Elementary
17:130.4%21.3%2,490
Orange County • Unified
17:177.5%72.1%2,279
San Diego County • Unified
17:126.1%13.1%4,397
County •
17:16.2%1.3%2,760
Sacramento County • Unified
16:133.8%22.4%2,030
County •
16:16.2%2.7%5,495
County •
16:150.2%36.3%2,405
Marin County • Elementary
16:182.6%79.2%2,309
County •
16:129.8%15.6%6,321
San Mateo County • Elementary
16:179.6%78.1%2,682
Santa Clara County • Unified
16:182.3%79.6%10,187
County •
15:16.2%5.5%2,404
County •
15:15.0%3.4%3,369
County •
15:110.5%0.9%4,278
Los Angeles County • Unified
14:171.1%62.8%3,661
Monterey County • Unified
14:173.2%65.8%2,152
Los Angeles County • Elementary
14:121.5%16.2%3,225
County •
12:142.5%30.7%3,660
San Diego County • Unified
12:128.4%25.7%3,258

Medium Districts with ratios under 20:1

The smallest student-teacher ratios among districts with 1,000-1,999 students.

Tulare County • Elementary
17:126.4%11.3%1,383
Mendocino County • Unified
17:129.9%16.4%1,750
Shasta County • Unified
17:139.8%30.6%1,156
Sonoma County • Elementary
17:155.9%40.3%1,236
Mendocino County • Unified
17:119.8%10.7%1,852
Los Angeles County • Elementary
17:154.7%41.3%1,303
Imperial County • Unified
17:152.8%33.3%1,574
Fresno County • Elementary
17:144.4%24.4%1,801
Fresno County • Unified
17:136.1%24.4%1,426
Monterey County • Unified
16:171.8%60.2%1,749
Glenn County • Unified
16:126.6%20.9%1,399
Imperial County • Unified
16:138.4%23.0%1,080
Mono County • Unified
16:141.5%34.4%1,087
Marin County • Elementary
16:178.7%76.1%1,014
Humboldt County • Elementary
16:131.9%22.3%1,238
Sonoma County • Unified
16:155.5%40.5%1,221
San Mateo County • Elementary
15:183.6%83.2%1,134
County •
15:121.7%6.8%1,878
Marin County • Elementary
15:180.9%78.9%1,043
Humboldt County • Elementary
14:141.5%29.9%1,174
County •
14:117.0%3.4%1,894
County •
14:118.4%10.9%1,290
San Mateo County • Elementary
13:184.7%85.8%1,239
Napa County • Unified
13:158.6%42.6%1,104
County •
13:14.9%2.4%1,075

Small Districts with ratios under 20:1

The smallest student-teacher ratios among districts with fewer than 1,000 students.

County •
10:17.1%0.0%190
County •
10:112.0%6.4%23
County •
10:112.5%6.3%40
Marin County • Unified
10:135.2%31.8%469
County •
10:14.5%0.0%483
Riverside County • Unified
10:142.9%42.9%29
County •
10:11.7%3.1%498
Alpine County • Unified
10:142.9%31.3%57
County •
10:115.9%7.9%284
Humboldt County • Elementary
9:150.0%31.3%24
Trinity County • Unified
9:152.5%37.5%72
Mendocino County • Unified
9:154.4%33.8%111
Sonoma County • Elementary
8:136.0%18.9%396
Sonoma County • Elementary
8:146.1%38.5%23
Mendocino County • Elementary
7:123.8%4.8%34
Sonoma County • Elementary
7:138.5%15.4%20
Inyo County • Unified
7:135.0%25.0%21
Glenn County • Unified
7:132.1%28.6%83
Siskiyou County • High
7:120.0%13.3%61
County •
7:112.0%3.9%77
County •
5:14.7%3.1%350
County •
5:122.2%6.3%42
County •
4:111.4%4.2%279
Lassen County • Elementary
3:140.0%47.0%3
San Bernardino County • Elementary
1:158.3%40.0%1