These Are The Best Elementary Schools In San Diego County: U.S. News Ranking

Carmel Creek Elementary in San Diego is the best public elementary school in San Diego County, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2027 ranking of the nation's best public elementary schools on the latest publicly available data from state education agencies by RTI International, alongside data from the U.S. Department of Education. In the past, the state reports weren’t part of the methodology.

The data from the state agencies provides a more comprehensive assessment of student performance in reading and mathematics across all proficiency levels while continuing to account for student background and absolute performance on state assessments.

"By incorporating direct state data across all proficiency levels, the 2027 rankings offer a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth," Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in a news release.

Elementary schools are those offering either pre-K-5 or pre-K-6 education. For schools that have a wider grade span, only tests through fifth grade were considered. The report includes 46,000 public elementary schools ranked at the state and district levels. Charter schools are a stand-alone category.

These are the top 20 public elementary schools in San Diego County, with their statewide rankings in parentheses:

1. Carmel Creek Elementary, San Diego (No. 31)
2. Holmes Elementary, San Diego (No. 42)
3. Scripps Elementary, San Diego (No. 44)
4. Ocean Air, San Diego (No. 47)
5. Torrey Pines Elementary, La Jolla (No. 51)
6. Sage Canyon, San Diego (No. 56)
7. Poinsettia Elementary, Carlsbad (No. 63)
8. Solana Ranch Elementary, San Diego (No. 68)
9. Solana Pacific Elementary, San Diego (No. 73)
10. La Jolla Elementary, La Jolla (No. 74)
11. R. Roger Rowe Elementary, Rancho Santa (No. 78)
12. Dingeman Elementary, San Diego (No. 81)
13. Carmel Del Mar Elementary, San Diego (No. 97)
14. Pacific Rim Elementary, Carlsbad (No. 111)
15. Curie Elementary, San Diego (No. 116)
16. Jerabek Elementary, San Diego (No. 152)
17. Aviara Oaks Elementary, Carlsbad (No. 167)
18. Green Elementary, San Diego (No. 186)
19. Rolling Hills Elementary, San Diego (No. 187)
20. Silver Strand Elementary, Coronado (No. 189)