2023 Best Public Middle Schools in the San Francisco Bay Area

• Palo Alto Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Niche User: Learning Targets and Evidence Based grading have changed the world. Can't wait to see it all on Schoology.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 987

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• Palo Alto Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  9 reviews

Parent: We recently moved into the district and both the kids started at Fletcher. It is a breath of fresh air! Teachers are caring, committed to the students' success and take accountability for making them high school ready. The afterschool sports choices could be more and better organized.... Read 9 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 562

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Woodside, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: Great Teachers! Smart and competitive students. My main critique is about diversity, the school works hard on it but it is really not possible. Also if you are not very left-wing you will be destroyed by unsupportive peers and some teachers. There is literally borderline propaganda on the walls that includes fighting against those who think differently, defunding government organizations, and fighting the government. Some are supportive but if you don't think like others don't say anything.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 368

• Student-teacher ratio 11:1

• 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

• Palo Alto Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.83 out of 5  18 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a student at Greene myself , and I love it there! Even though the school campus is pretty small, they have so much things going on every single day! I expecially love band. Our band director is a very nice and interesting person that always gives us good tips and makes the whole class much more fun than others. I always enjoy being in this class and in this school. ( Yet I sometimes wish we had more music competitions like marching band stuff going on more often) So far I have not seen any problems (bullying, violence, etc.) in my school and if there was, our teachers and administrators always helps us in a helpful way. There are also many places you can go to after school with your friends near by, so whenever we have a minimum day at school and we wan't to go somewhere, we wouldn't need to bike somewhere far away to go have fun! I absolutely love this school, yet I believe there could be some improvements on some parts.... Read 18 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 857

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• 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  4 reviews

Parent: Love the schools vision of inquiry based education and it’s commitment to equity which plays out in many facets of school life from the curriculum to admin priority setting. My kids absolutely adore their teachers and are engaged in what they are learning. I’ve never once heard that school is “boring”. We have also loved the parent community and opportunities to engage such as at Friday All School Meetings. While we would like to see a more robust arts program and expanded extracurriculars we know the school is still in its early years and bouncing back from the impacts of the pandemic. The school leadership is very focused on teacher retention - a national challenge post pandemic - and on closing achievement gaps, which we value tremendously. Looking forward to all the growth to come!... Read 4 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 391

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Portola Valley Elementary School District, CA•

• 4-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Corte Madera has low teacher to student ratios and good academic achievement scores. Many elective and after school options (sports, clubs etc). The campus is safe and beautiful. Excellent school.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 272

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Las Lomitas Elementary School District, CA•

• 4-8

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Middle School Student: I have had a great experience at La Entrada. The teachers are always trying their best to help their students and you can get extra help easily if needed. There are always new students coming in from different countries making it a diverse school. La Entrada has prepared me for high school amazingly, if you are reading this deciding if you want to come here, do it!... Read 3 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 656

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Los Altos Elementary School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  10 reviews

Alum: The teachers are very good, however there is a significantly unfair push for higher math classes in lower grades. Overall a great school!... Read 10 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 546

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Los Altos Elementary School District, CA•

• 7-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: The school is one of the best and my 3 kids went to 3 different middle schools. The Principal and staff understand the needs of this age group so well and the environment is kind and student friendly. I wish my child go there for longer than 2 years!... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 423

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Pleasanton Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: Amazing school. Teachers are kind and successfully prepare people for college/high school, and they're concerned about their students. Provides pathways in math so that people with different levels of mathematical knowledge could learn new things.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,171

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Ross, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade A+

• Students 376

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Pleasanton Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  10 reviews

Middle School Student: Just amazing. Teachers are nice. Library is beautiful dn new. School is great!!! There are plenty of extracurricular activities and lots of fun activities, zooms, get-togethers, and more! The academics is perfect, not too much and not to less. Everyone is really nice and encouraging.... Read 10 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,171

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Sunol, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Parent: Excellent school, teachers, and administration. Gorgeous campus and active community. A K-8 public school is fairly rare in the Bay Area and allows for some personalized and unique learning opportunities for children and lots of interaction with teachers and staff- and a super-involved parent community. Diversity and inclusion are a part of the curriculum and culture both in and out of the classroom. Innovation and new ideas are embraced by teachers and administration at this award winning school.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 273

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Pleasanton Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.4 out of 5  5 reviews

Parent: This is an excellent middle school. Teachers are very supportive, building and outside area are clean.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,070

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Piedmont City Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 586

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• San Ramon Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Freshman: At Diablo Vista I met all my current friends and had a really great time. The hardness of the classes vary in the same subject, meaning that you may have a really easy teacher, but your friend has to work super hard to keep an A.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 902

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• 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

• San Ramon Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: What I like about Iron Horse is that people are friendly there. There are several electives that you can choose from. From the electives, you could have 2 year longs, 4 semester long, or 1 year long and 2 semester long electives. One of my favorite thing is called "tutorial." Tutorial is a 30 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday where you can pick an activity There is diversity. What I would like that would change is that people would be nicer.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,040

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Ramon Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Senior: I went to Pine Valley Middle School almost 4 years ago and I had a great experience there. It taught me high school readiness and taught me social and presentations skills.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 961

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Albany City Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Middle School Student: Its very diverse there but the education could be better. And the living cost is way too high. Good luck.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 840

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Menlo Park City Elementary School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.6 out of 5  5 reviews

Parent: We've been amazed at the level of support my daughters have received from Hillview teachers, students, and members of the administration since our move to Menlo Park from Massachusetts in 2021. The teachers at Hillview are absolutely top-notch. The student body is friendly and welcoming. Members of the administration communicate with an impressive level of care for the students and their parents. Our girls have had opportunities to join sports teams, watch movies on the outdoor field, dress up for spirit days, and attend after-school dances. They've expanded their horizons in robotics classes and other electives. They've improved in their ability to view a given topic through different lenses, thanks to the rich discussions their teachers lead each day. Hillview's core values-- including kindness, respect, and tolerance--shine through in every aspect. We're grateful for the experience we've had at Hillview. We highly recommend the school to anyone considering a move to Menlo Park.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 903

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Alameda, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  29 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 29 reviews

• grade A

• Students 402

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Ramon Valley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  6 reviews

Alum: It is a safe and clean school. The teachers care about their students and make an effort to help and encourage them to do their best and feel like they belong. The academic and behavioral expectations are set high, but teachers guide you to achieve a high standard and prepare students for the work given in high school. More emphasis on balance in a student's life is important, and although Windemere is a good school, it needs to remind students that GPA, homework, and test grades alone do not determine how smart or valuable a student is.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,235

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1