2023 Best Public Middle Schools in Los Angeles County

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-11

• •
  Rating 4.53 out of 5  15 reviews

Senior: The Science Academy STEM Magnet is a perfect school for students interested in STEM. With a rigorous curriculum filled with college, AP, and honors level classes, attending this school will give students one of the best STEM-focused educations they could possibly receive. Unfortunately, the school lacks in the arts and humanities department, with little opportunity for electives and a lack of freedom in choosing courses. As someone who has realized they don’t want to go into a STEM field, and instead want to pursue film, this makes me wonder if attending this school was the right decision. Especially, because the social life is nothing like “the typical high school experience” that incoming students have seen in films and may desire to have. There is also not much school spirit or participation in sports, though I’ve been working to reverse that this year holding the new position of Commissioner of Athletics. With state-of-the-art technology and facilities, STEM kids will love it here... Read 15 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 386

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Granada Hills, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.05 out of 5  1,488 reviews

Sophomore: I believe the experience is well. The atmosphere in the faculty has an academic oura. People study and try very much. Having an opportunity to be in an type of academic environment is part of thankful items. A best moment would be obtaining letter A's in classes. A not very well moment would be, could have obtained a higher grade. I believe a request would be on attendance policy.... Read 1,488 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 5,462

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  445 reviews

Senior: My overall experience at LACES was wonderful. I was a student at LACES for the past seven years, and each year my love for the school increased. The majority of my teachers, especially in high school, were passionate, engaging, and sociable. The school is incredibly diverse, and provides the unique opportunity to collaborate with students from every area code in the Los Angeles area. My 45 minute commute each day was entirely worth all the opportunities I was provided - a great education, a passionate and welcoming community, and an environment where I was consistently motivated to think outside of the box and thrive.... Read 445 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,635

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.25 out of 5  51 reviews

Sophomore: My overall experience at Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA) has been great. The STEM-based classes allow me to challenge myself academically and over the course of my time here I have learned so much not only in my classes but in work habit skills as well. The teachers at the school are all very kind and I feel like they really care about their students, and my peers are so welcoming. I also love the grading system because it really breaks down the areas I need to improve on rather than just showing an overall grade.... Read 51 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 635

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Marino Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  16 reviews

Parent: My kids have thrived at Huntington Middle School. Most importantly, the caliber of their peers and classmates have positively contributed to my children' attitude and enthusiasm for learning. The community's collective focus is aligned to excellence. The people and schools in SMUSD are true gems in California!... Read 16 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 656

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• South Pasadena Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Middle School Student: It is a very diverse and warm environment. Everyone always seems happy. The teachers do a great job teaching and everyone seems to know each other.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,176

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Arcadia Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.45 out of 5  11 reviews

Middle School Student: Too good, no bullying, everything is good( the lunch line is always toooooooooo long!) Teachers are nice! There is only one teacher for the whole music program(Band and orchestra)... Read 11 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 686

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.14 out of 5  92 reviews

Parent: Our child has been at Larchmont since kinder and has thrived. He went to the elementary Fairfax campus, a smaller campus with spacious classrooms, and he has loved the bigger Selma campus too. The leadership works hard to create an accessible and friendly atmosphere for the students and parents so there is a strong sense of community. The admin is collaborative and value parent input. The teachers are nurturing and attentive and know when to give students more help or more of a challenge. There are many enrichment classes (art, music, gardening, sports teams, band), a social-emotional curriculum and clubs. Most kids eat the (optional) lunch prepared in the Fairfax kitchen and is SO good. At Selma, our child has delved deeper into academics and developed new interests like government and digital media in clubs. We have seen his intellectual curiosity and independence grow and we look forward to the La Fayette Campus!... Read 92 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,581

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  48 reviews

Junior: As I prepare for the upcoming school year and reflect on my sophomore year experiences, my heart can't help but feel overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. After completing my first year of high school in Honduras, thoughts regarding how welcoming the new environment I would encounter clouded my mind. As a first-generation student entering a traditional US high school, my hopes were that teachers and staff would aim to support me despite obvious academic differences between me and my classmates, the students whom I had difficulty connecting with at first. Nonetheless, my original expectations were completely surpassed once I began having meaningful interactions with the teachers and staff. Not only did they help me realize having a different background is an advantage when it comes to acquiring a unique perspective, but they also helped me embrace and show pride in it. New west has encouraged me to build a strong and empowering character, one where my differences stand out proudly.... Read 48 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,043

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: It is a very cool school but I don’t know if I should send my second child there but overall a nice school... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 768

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Niche User: Since my son began his educational journey through LMS, he has felt included, supported, and challenged. The music program is exceptional, and I have seen tremendous improvement from his musical growth. He started in the lowest level, to scoring a spot in the advanced music level. He is also in advanced placement math and has felt that the curriculum has challenged his smarts. The counselors are very supportive and provide help when necessary. From the day he popped out of me, I could tell he had massive potential. Ever since we started at Lincoln Middle School, I have seen his full potential. Love you, baby!!! From, a proud Lincoln parent!... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 1,054

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Arcadia Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: Dana was amazing! The teachers there help me grow a lot and they are excellent. It’s very clean and safe there. It’s full of amazing people, though they could change a few teachers.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 668

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Arcadia Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  3 reviews

Middle School Student: I honestly loved First Ave even though I only went there for 3 weeks. The teachers and students are really nice and outgoing. Some things I absolutely LOVE is the Snack Shack! IT'S AMAZING!!! That shack is was the best block of building in the entire school. One thing that I would change is NOTHING!! IT'S AWESOME!!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 756

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Redondo Beach Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: Middle school years are a hard transition. Adams Middle school has supported my children, they have amazing teacher, diversity and culture. They prepare kids for the transition to high school and keep them college minded. We feel so fortunate to be at Adams and in the RBUSD.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,054

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: I thought I'd update a review since the last one was many years ago. Ridgecrest still deserves 4.5 - 5 stars in my opinion. Both my kids went there - good teachers for the most part, rigorous curriculum...the only thing we experienced with one of our kids is too much homework, so it depends on which teachers you get, I guess. Its middle school so before you know it, they've graduated!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 873

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Redondo Beach Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• grade A+

• Students 1,184

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.93 out of 5  40 reviews

Junior: What I enjoy most is the fact that no boundaries are put between subjects or students. All students can explore the same subject and yet still learn something. They have done an excellent job at involving the arts in our academics, and it has made me understand certain topics more than I used to. What I would change would primarily be how we are prepared for college. The school does fulfill a lot of requirements for us, however we can't add much for extracurriculars, and resources are pretty rare.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 526

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Los Angeles, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.74 out of 5  43 reviews

Parent: We have found this to be a truly wonderful school with outstanding teachers, devoted administrators and a diverse community. We love the project based learning and critical thinking skills that our son is gaining through the International Baccalaureate (IB) program provided at the school. We also really value the opportunity that he has to learn TWO new languages, through German immersion and then Spanish beginning in third grade. Moreover, the school community really is international and very diverse. We love how different cultures and traditions are highlighted throughout the curriculum and school activities. Additionally, we have been really thrilled by the individualized attention that our son receives. The teachers and staff all really take the time to get to know individual students and their families, and are there to provide support and encouragement to all of us!... Read 43 reviews

• grade A

• Students 391

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

High School Freshman: At Miraleste Intermediate School there are some wonderful aspects and others are not so wonderful. We have a very supportive staff and student body, however our teachers lack the passion in their profession. I believe that if a teacher loves to teach, a student would love to learn. Unfortunately, most teachers at Miraleste lack interest in their subject, therefore creating a negative learning environment. Our school, on the other hand, also has many clubs and ways to get involved, which I believe is very important. Overall our school could use some improvement, but it does have many pluses as well.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 786

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, CA•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 232

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Los Angeles Unified School District, CA•

• 4-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  412 reviews

Freshman: My overall experience at Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies has mostly been a great experience. I have improved as a student over the past four years at SOCES. I have learned great skills that are helping me prepare for college! We have many extracurricular activities like the Avid Club, Speech and Debate, and many more! Compared to the prior schools I have attended, this school has challenged me and prepared me mentally and academically to become a better individual. I look forward to growing tremendously in the next few years and being prepared to attend the college of my choice.... Read 412 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,097

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• ABC Unified School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.7 out of 5  10 reviews

Middle School Student: Carmenita has murals on the campus painted by students themselves. The teachers spend time after school to help the students and the counselors there are very active and help the students out significantly. My own experience their really benefited me and I wish I could spend another year there. Carmenita has clubs, after school activities, a fitness center, sports, and many more things that will make you really enjoy your time there. I highly recommend this school if you are choosing which Middle School you would like to attend. Students, Teachers, and Parents are really involved to make this school the best. One thing I would to change at this school are the lockers because some of them are jammed, and I would know this because mine was, but luckily they fixed it.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A

• Students 672

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• William S. Hart Union High School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: We felt the school was well supervised, and most of the teachers were excellent. Very sympathetic to LGBT concerns and social media bullying. Principal was no-nonsense and there is an expectation for good behavior and academic excellence. They did have a flooding problem in the yard at one point, but otherwise excellent facilities. Drawbacks are that it’s only possible to buy lunch if you spend the whole period in line, and traffic on the dead end road is beyond ridiculous. High Asian and Hispanic enrollment.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 853

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Manhattan Beach Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.4 out of 5  20 reviews

Alum: It is a pretty good school. I had an okay experience there. The traffic when school gets out is awful. Most of the teachers were nice. But I do know some people who had terrible teachers there. The workload was a shock to me in sixth grade. Transitioning from elementary school to middle school was pretty difficult. Overall, I think this school is better than some of the other middle schools I've heard about.... Read 20 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,328

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Walnut Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  4 reviews

Alum: South Pointe was an extremely fun community that treated their students fairly. They have an excellent music education program, and very good social studies education along with a decent STEM program with Robotics and SciOly teams.... Read 4 reviews

• grade A

• Students 900

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1