2023 Best Middle Schools in the San Diego Area

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  86 reviews

Parent: Our son started at Bishop's this year and has a wonderful experience. The teachers and administration care deeply about the whole student. I hear my son use growth set language that I know he is learning at school. The celebrate success and failures. We are looking forward to continued academic and personal growth for our son!... Read 86 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 800

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.43 out of 5  91 reviews

Works Here: I have never worked in a place that so clearly lives its mission. Francis Parker School invests in students at every level, from the amazing faculty who challenge students in the classroom, to the support staff who come alongside students as they grow and develop as people, to the dining staff who makes the unbelievable lunches each day - Parker really does care for the whole student. And as staff, we feel it too. This is a great place to work, and a great place to send your student!... Read 91 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,320

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• La Jolla, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.28 out of 5  154 reviews

Parent: LJCDS is an amazing school! I highly recommend it for any families who are looking for a wonderful community, nurturing environment for your child, and top notch faculty and staff. My daughter loves her days at school thanks to her caring teachers providing stimulating and creative lessons to help her grow. During COVID, LJCDS handled the pandemic with such care- leading with science- and doing the best they could to provide safe in person learning for all students. I feel grateful to have found a school community rooted in building life long friendships and connections; not only for my children, but also for our whole family.... Read 154 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,147

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Carlsbad, CA•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.1 out of 5  146 reviews

Parent: This is my 8th year as a PRS parent and we have been very happy. The teachers are strong, available to help outside of class, and many have advanced degrees. I said to my child the other day "I think you hit the lottery with your teachers. They all seem great". The response was "I know! I've been lucky every year!". Pacific Ridge looks to continuously improve. If they are not getting the results they expect, they change the curriculum right away. The "Harkness" seminar-style learning teaches both public speaking AND listening. And every class uses Harkness, not just English or History. The other thing I love about PRS is kids can be who they are. No one cares if you use the same lunchbox you've had since 4th grade or what you are wearing. Both of my children have found "their people" and made strong and lasting friendships. The tuition can require sacrifice, but I have no regrets.... Read 146 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 685

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.9 out of 5  41 reviews

Junior: The Cambridge School is a great school. There are not many kids, which leads to deep relationships between teachers and students. All of the teachers are amazing and extremely knowledgeable in their respective fields. They want you to do well in their subjects, and are constantly available at lunch and after school, but whats better is they truly care about the type of people their students are becoming, which leads to an incredible community and culture. The school is looking to purchase another property, which is good because as it grows, space for classrooms becomes smaller and smaller.... Read 41 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 386

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.34 out of 5  29 reviews

Parent: We moved here from New York about 4 years ago. My children started in the preschool of SDJA and have been there ever since! Currently, our children are in the lower school and are excelling in all areas. For example, my son and daughter are reading above grade level. The small class sizes and constant attention they receive keeps them engaged and on task. The teachers are constantly creating special experiences for the students, and therefore the lessons never get old. For example, with all the rain that San Diego received my daughter’s teacher created a multi-sensory lesson. The students were asked to create small sailboats from materials found in the classroom. The boats were then tested on the makeshift pond that was formed on the playground from all the rain. The students made predictions and took notice on what worked best and what needed to be changed for future sails!... Read 29 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 494

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• La Jolla, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.16 out of 5  302 reviews

Senior: My experience here at Preuss has been fantastic. The school provides opportunities for students to participate in many activities after school too and prepare them for university! I also feel like this is a safe space for me and ask teachers for help; teachers here at Preuss really want students to succeed. As a first-gen student, Preuss has done their best to guide me for what to do when applying for universities as a senior and makes sure that all students are on track! Through it's rigorous curriculum, all of these are established this way to make it easier for students by their senior year without having to worry much if they're meeting all the requisites when applying to universities. Student's can view that handwork is paying off in the end.... Read 302 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 848

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.38 out of 5  8 reviews

Middle School Student: CVMS was such a fun experience overall. However, the school was mainly white and asian, and the science curriculum was boring. There were fights and scandals, but it was occasional. One thing I want to complain about is the food. The pizza was chalk dry and the pick up stix barely had any meat. The district has these lunch sets which contain a main food, fruit and drink. I was never full from it! I had to go and buy snacks or else I would be starving. Everything was also way overpriced. One shrimpy slice of pizza was 3.75. It doesn't look expensive but wait until you see the portion size.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 894

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Solana Beach, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.02 out of 5  86 reviews

Senior: Had a wonderful time here. Teachers were excellent, I could only have passed my classes with them, but they were also incredibly friendly and I truly built incredible connections with them. Staff here are all fantastic, absolutely no complaints there. Sometimes kids are rowdy, or mean, or whatever adjective preppy private school kids could have. But I really believe the staff did the best they could in keeping things orderly and controlling those kids while never overstepping or making students feel ruled. Sports are incredible, school spirit is incredible, extracurricular leaders are very dedicated to working around students and encouraging them, you will never have to choose one or the other. Every extracurricular is fantastic here I felt, and I experienced almost all of them. Truly have no complaints. Amazing school. Would highly recommend.... Read 86 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,019

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

• grade A+

• Students 876

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  62 reviews

Parent: A friend of ours referred us to this wonderful school as we were struggling with the learn-from-home (aka staring at a screen all day) model given by our public charter school. OVCA has been open since August with no outbreaks (a few cases from parents of students in different grades but no inter-transmission of COVID while in school, as far as I know). My friend had been sending her kids to this school for many years and said it was the best parenting choice she had made, and I can't help but agree with her. My child is happy and thriving in a supportive environment, with appropriate learning goals and surrounded by friends who share the values of kindness, respect, and diligence. It's a sacrifice/priority financially but well worth the value and a bargain compared to the cost of other private schools in the San Diego area. I can't recommend this school highly enough!... Read 62 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 354

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  16 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,566

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: Great school - EXCEPT - if your child gets Schaller as a science teacher, expect that they will learn nothing. This teacher should retire or not be working with children. Absolutely awful teacher. The one thing my child is learning from him is the fact that there are indeed horrible teachers out there working and administrators cannot do anything in regards to switching your kid to a teacher where you kid will actually learn the subject at hand.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 551

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  7 reviews

Alum: Great band program! We had two performances a year and definitely recommend joining. However, I would like to see more effort in language programs.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,170

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Black Mountain Middle School Academy teachers were excellent online 2020-2021. The office hours provided a vital opportunity for one on one time. In those short 5-10 minutes, new perspectives and answers were found. Thank you.... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 1,175

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  22 reviews

Parent: Our family discovered Waldorf when our daughter was in High School - but I wish my kids had the opportunity to start when they were little! It’s not just a school for us but a thriving, inclusive community. We've had an outstanding experience with my high school student- who started high school after attending public schools from Kinder. She’s now getting ready for college and has done very well on the SAT and feels prepared. The teachers are truly invested in developing lifelong learners and give every student personal attention. The students themselves are incredibly confident and inquisitive and very accepting of new students. My child has blossomed under the care of Waldorf. She thought she wasn’t a “math student” but is now loving calculus! Can’t say enough good things!... Read 22 reviews

• grade A

• Students 273

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Spring Valley, CA•

• Public School•

• 5-8

• grade A

• Students 402

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.88 out of 5  8 reviews

Middle School Student: Meadowbrook Middle school really helps me get myself into work. Some of the classes were difficult, but really helps me understand and puts me into my level. MBMS will make be memorable for you. This school has set some new experience for me and really recommended to future 6-8th graders.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,191

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Coronado Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Middle School Student: I would like better food. That’s my only complaint. Otherwise the school is great and the schedule is perfect and easy going.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 631

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• San Marcos, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  70 reviews

Parent: Saint Joseph Academy is such a blessing to our family. We couldn't be happier with the school and feel so proud to be part of this wonderful community. The classical academic program is rigorous and challenging, absolutely top notch. We love that our children are learning Latin and write in cursive. No common core. Traditional, patriotic values are part of the culture here. What a breath of fresh air! What we value most about this school is its commitment to traditional Catholic values and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Every year the faculty and staff take an Oath of Fidelity to the Catholic Church. The teachers truly love the Catholic faith and infuse faith into every subject. They care very deeply about the students' academic, spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. In addition to the faith and academics, there's a lot of extracurricular sports, drama, and other activities. Our children really enjoy going to school every day! It really is the best.... Read 70 reviews

• grade A

• Students 305

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Senior: Diegueno Middle School was some of the best of times and some of the worst of times. Of course, middle school isn't the most fun time in ones life but the admin and awesome teachers made it all worth while.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 805

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 934

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Poway Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Senior: Bernardo Heights Middle School was a great school in both academics and sports. Although the class sizes were large the teacher made sure to give equal opportunities to all students. What I liked the most about the teachers was the enjoyment they showed teaching and that they were always happy to answer any questions you had. During school I felt like I was in a safe environment and made sure all students knew what to do in case of an emergency. The variety of sports the school offered was great, there was an activity for everyone to try and/or play. Considering the fact the school was in a diverse area, bullying was not an issue students had to worry about. Everyone had a group of friends outside of classes and your own friends in the classes shared with other classmates. Overall Bernardo Heights Middle School is a wonderful school to attend.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,453

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• El Cajon, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  27 reviews

Parent: We've been a part of LFCS for 11 years. Now all 4 of my kids are in school there and we are so thankful for a safe, consistent learning environment for them. I so appreciate that the school takes a neutral position on any and all political or controversial issues, and instead encourages kids to ask their parents what their family values are. Also, there are regular meetings where parents are encouraged to attend and learn more about the inner workings of the school. And I'm always impressed with the school's financial transparency and fiscal responsibility. They operate within the budget and welcome questions from parents regarding spending. If you're unsure about whether this is the school for you, attend a tour and get informed. They are happy to answer any questions you have!... Read 27 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,862

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Dieguito Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.36 out of 5  11 reviews

Parent: This school helps kids online and still has the same help they would have online or in person. I’m so grateful for oak crest and there support for my child and others, so thank you teachers and staff and a big thank you to Katie Friedrichs for making this school a memory to remember for a life time thank you one again :)... Read 11 reviews

• grade A

• Students 817

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1