2023 Best Charter Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area

• San Jose, CA•

• Public School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  185 reviews

Senior: UPA has been an excellent learning environment throughout my 5 years as a student. The small class sizes allows for teachers, counsellors and staff to truly connect with students and accommodate their needs. Readily available office hours and quick turn around time for emails has helped me reach out to teachers whenever I needed help in their class. In terms of student life, UPA has a strong sense of community on campus. Most events are inclusive to all grades and many electives have a diverse range of grade levels in them. Programs such as Web and Link, as well as clubs, make UPA an environment that balances both school and personal interests. As someone involved in multiple clubs (President of Girl Up!, PR manager of both Film Club and Acts of Random Kindness club), I can vouch that UPA truly allows students to run their organizations. UPA's Theater Department, although low in funding, harbors immense talent and dedication, in which I've seen in my experience as a stage manager... Read 185 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 702

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: Great school, I go there and I love it so much! There are a lot of different things you can do but I love how it also teaches me mandarin and it also is super strong on math and English even though its half Chinese!... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 555

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Los Altos, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3.79 out of 5  14 reviews

Parent: Teachers work as a team to deliver an integrated curriculum that covers the subjects through selected themes/topics that integrates all the learning. The arts and music teachers standout in terms of what they are able to do to engage all students in amazing productions. They are also innovative, creative, flexible, free to IMPROVE on a continuous basis.... Read 14 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,093

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• San Francisco, CA•

• Public School•

• K-7

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Amazing curriculum, teachers, parent involvement, communication, and culture. I haven’t seen anything like it at other schools, public or private.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 391

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Daly City, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.11 out of 5  76 reviews

Junior: As an incoming Senior at the school, I must say the school has changed throughout the years. Starting from freshman year I absolutely loved the admin, classes, culture, and extra curricular. However, after doing a year through zoom and now coming back in person for my junior year, there have been many teachers and faculty that I loved who have left. The school academically is great in my opinion, classes are challenging as they should be and we have lots of time to do work and take college courses. However, I wish we had more classes like art and music, a class where students could creatively express themselves. Athletically, our school has really great basketball, volleyball, track, and baseball programs that have all won some type of title. But, we don't offer sports like football or swimming. About our campus, students have street parking and walk a block or two but it is annoying when you have to deal with the people that live in the area who take majority of the parking.... Read 76 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 469

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• San Jose, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.54 out of 5  13 reviews

Alum: I got the benefit of going to this school because all my older brothers were already going there. I went to DCS all the way from kindergarten to eighth grade. There are so many things that this school offers which you will never find anywhere else. One of the things that might either seem like a pro or a con is that DCS is very reliant on parent participation. This participation often makes school a lot easier as a young child. Though if you worry that as a parent you wouldn't be able to participate whether it be due to a job or something, don't worry about it! DCS is very understanding and only encourages parent participation if possible. Another great thing about DCS is that they really focus on building the skills you will need to succeed late in life. They might not give you as much homework and so it might seem that it is easier, but realistically they are just trying to get away from the idea of working for the grade rather than the gaining of knowledge and understanding.... Read 13 reviews

• grade A

• Students 553

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Alameda, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.74 out of 5  27 reviews

Parent: ACLC has all the benefits of a small private school without the price tag! With just 50-60 students per grade, teachers and administrators really know each child and are committed to their success. Students have the opportunity to lead and shape their community in meaningful ways. A "learner-lead" school looks a little chaotic sometimes, but results in confident young people with the skills to succeed.... Read 27 reviews

• grade A

• Students 402

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Fairfax, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Niche User: New location in downtown Fairfax. Huge site. Multi age program. Teachers engage students with childs interests. Parent involvement, staff very in touch with school. Wecoming to all families. Great support for children that do not connect in traditional classrooms.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 203

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  4 reviews

Parent: We've been here for a few years now. I have been extremely impressed with the teaching. We attended a private French immersion school before this, and I think that academically speaking, this is very similar in terms of the teaching and curriculum, only it's free! I'd also say the student/family community is very warm and diverse in every sense of the word. So we're very glad we made the switch. It is still a growing school and sometimes the systems and processes are a bit messy and disorganized, that I would say is the main downside.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 311

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Carlos, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Middle School Student: Charter is a very good school with lots of group projects and involvement. They have lots of special activities and programs for children with learning difficulties. Parents are super involved and teachers are committed and ready to provide 1:1 guidance. For children who need advanced studies, the teachers will provide differential learning. The students are super friendly and ready to learn. There is a lot of focus on social emotional learning and teamwork. The administration is kind and helpful. The school applies Project Based Learning and hand-on activities. Students get lots of choice in what they do. My one problem though, is that in the new campus made of shipping containers, whenever there is motion on the top floor, it makes a really loud sound on the bottom floor. This becomes a real difficulty for students k-2 and in the library. But they are working it out in different ways including doing a fun art project with egg cartons.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 387

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Carlos Elementary School District, CA•

• K-3

• grade A

• Students 286

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Sunnyvale, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  25 reviews

Senior: Denali is a good school to choose if you’re looking for a support structure from teachers. However the students are relatively cliquey and it could be hard to make friends. In my experience Denali caters mostly to future STEM majors who plan on enrolling in a 4 year university and has little to no liberal, visual, or music arts focus. Denali also doesn’t provide sufficient resources for students who choose to take a less traditional career/after high school path, though this may change, as they’ve only had two senior classes so far. The teachers are passionate about their students and actually do care, but teacher retention is not Denali’s strong suit. Despite all this, it’s still a million times more preferable than traditional public school as there is far more support available from teachers, the school is flexible, classes are smaller, resources are easier to come by, and they teach you much more about adult life than a public school would.... Read 25 reviews

• grade A

• Students 634

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  152 reviews

Alum: Oakland School for the Arts is an amazing community for young artists, and one I'm super grateful to have been a part of. It's definitely made for artsy kids though, rather than those looking for a lot of academic rigor. There is a lot of academic teacher turnover, but the arts teachers for the most part stay consistent and are truly the glue holding the whole operation together! Despite sort of average stats, I give OSA a high rating because of everything I gained from such an arts-friendly and supportive learning environment. The shift to online arts classes seems to be doing alright.... Read 152 reviews

• grade A

• Students 801

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Hayward, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  272 reviews

Alum: I'm part of the graduated class of 2020. The first thing to note about this school is that it is small, but because it is small there is much more one-to-one contact with teachers and counselors. It becomes much easier for students who reach out for help from teachers and administrative staff. However, due to its size, extracurricular clubs and sports are not as prevalent, and if they are, only succeed due to teachers' insistence and effort. Academic-wise, the teachers I came across were focused on seeing their students succeed and were truly passionate or willing to share their information and experience. At the end of my time here the school linked with Harvard University to bring their graduates to teach classes at the high school. For College Prep, the school worked very hard to host events and offer students tools to ensure all parts of the college application process had support. FAFSA, Scholarships, College search, applications, interviews, etc.... Read 272 reviews

• grade A

• Students 614

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Francisco, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Middle School Student: I'm a current student in Mission Preparatory and it's great. Since it's a new school, I think it should have more clubs and sports, but academics are great. Teachers and staff are very supportive and encouraging.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 439

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Concord, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  188 reviews

Senior: My experience at CV was one of the best! I loved every second I got to have there and every memory that came with the school. Each year I was challenged academically to push myself to do more. It made me realize how much I can do and see how far hard work can go. The teachers do their best in making sure every student gets the chance to get a good grade and learn. The teachers are some of the best parts of the school. Getting to go to my classes I knew I would always get the opportunity to learn. I had the privilege of getting a great education at Clayton Valley, and now have the confidence of going to college.... Read 188 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,266

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Fremont Unified School District, CA•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  31 reviews

Parent: The pandemic year was a perfect time for us to try COIL. My son had begged me to homeschool him for over a year, and being in the tradition public school classroom was not working for him. I wish I had listened to him earlier. Within one semester at COIL, my son was able to rehabilitate his relationship with learning while building the confidence and the skills to do independent learning. It is amazing thing to see your child thrive again after years of a downward trend. He is actually getting A’s B’s and have favorite subjects that are not recess again. COIL has been a wonderful resource for kids who don’t fit well in a traditional public school setting for various reasons, from being able to advance at one’s own pace at math, extracurricular pursuits, athletics, to medical health reasons. It has helped me to understand my learners and work with them and try different things that would not be possible in a traditional public school setting.... Read 31 reviews

• grade A

• Students 405

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.16 out of 5  191 reviews

Junior: I love going to AIMS, they provide so many free opportunities for students. The school provides a variety of students free access to AP tests, PSAT, SAT, and ACT. The school has a very diverse environment that allows students to express themselves freely! The school focuses on college readiness and prepares students academically through school-wide required AP classes that fulfill our college general education and guarantee four year college acceptance.... Read 191 reviews

• grade A

• Students 446

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.28 out of 5  173 reviews

Junior: Having been going to Oakland Charter High School for the past 3 years, I’ve seen many changes occur. Our school used to be in my opinion one of the best schools in Oakland. We had some of the best teachers. We were a very interactive school and always taking part in a variety of cultures. Students enjoyed going to school. It was very safe and there were never any violent altercations between the students. The administration knew how to take care and handle things. Our food wasn’t so bad. There were days where when we excelled academically, we’d be rewarded, Given that our motto was “Honor Hard Work”. This all went downhill when we went into quarantine. Teachers started leaving. Students weren’t able to partake in school culture given that they were online. That’s how it is at Oakland charter High School.... Read 173 reviews

• grade A

• Students 459

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• San Lorenzo, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  313 reviews

Senior: I enjoyed being in a diverse environment where it felt that my teachers were rooting for me. At KIP teachers are always willing to stay some minutes after school in order to help the students fully comprehend the lesson of the day. Similarly, I was involved in the leadership class where I was able to interact with students from all 4-grade levels as we worked to build school spirit. The school tries its best to keep students in a happy and safe environment, even through the pandemic. The teachers are constantly checking in on students' mental health to assure we are staying strong through these hard times. I would like to see improvement in the clubs and activities at school since it seems they don't get much support from the administration in order to help them grow outside of the school community. But, overall a great school!... Read 313 reviews

• grade A

• Students 674

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Union City, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Junior: Hey! I'm currently enrolled at Connecting Waters and it's my last year here, and what can I say, it's been a ride. I got to meet so many new people here, try so many new things, and most of all, learn to be independent. I felt like I was finally able to do what I liked instead of just the general classes, such as English and math. I was able to dive into new subjects and learn so many new things. I've grown to love learning to through trials and errors and every new experience was a joy to behold.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 534

• Student-teacher ratio 13:1

• San Jose, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 521

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Sausalito, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: There are so many reasons why our family feels remarkably lucky to be at WCA. We were most drawn to the mix of income levels, racial and cultural backgrounds and languages, over any other school in Marin. The beautiful campus overlooks the Bay and has 4 gardens. WCA’s greatest strength is undoubtedly the teachers - a passionate, fun-spirited group who use hands-on, project-based learning methods and are innovative and creative in their approaches. We have found the administration to be personally responsive and accessible and encouraging of parent engagement. It is a joy to see kids playing ukelele, xylophone and percussion in our dynamic music program, as well as the murals, sculptures and paintings from our vibrant art classes. And did I mention the freshly cooked school lunches, with all organic food? It's SO many things!... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 346

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• San Jose, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  153 reviews

Alum: My experience at KIPP San Jose Collegiate was amazing! The one and only downside was the fact that everybody had to wear uniform. I always thought that the high school that I would go to wouldn't need to wear uniform, but we did. However, academically and socially, KIPP San Jose Collegiate is the best school. They have many AP classes that high school freshmen can take. There are so many clubs that students can join ranging from Acts of Random Kindness to the Cooking Club. In addition, the maximum class size goes up to 25 students so the students have more attention from their students compared to a class size of 30 to 35 students.... Read 153 reviews

• grade A

• Students 559

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 3.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Senior: American Indian Public High School prepared me for college readiness. The school has high test scores and has a lot of AP courses that students are required to take. The school needs to improve resources for students because I needed a lot of help in the college process. I was confused and didn't have anyone to guide me. I had to find out things by myself. My school is very small and we only have one counselor. Our senior class is big and for just one counselor to handle us was hard. We need more teachers and counselors to be hired so we could have more resources from them. We are a low-income school and we need a lot of help financially. Although we don't have a lot of money in my school, they still managed to keep the sports team in good shape. We constantly win championships every year with at least one sport. Overall, American Indian is a good school but needs to improve in resources for students.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 659

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1