2023 Best Public Schools in Pacific Beach

• La Jolla, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  300 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 300 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 848

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: This is an amazing school both of my children have flourished here...it’s one of the best schools in San Diego.... Read 1 review

• grade A+

• Students 366

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  310 reviews

Senior: I love my school! What I love most about it, is the teachers. They are very caring and make sure you will do good in their class. If you ask for help, you will definitely receive it. I would recommend the Biomedical program if you would like to go into or are interested in that field.... Read 310 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,320

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• Spring Valley, CA•

• Public School•

• 5-8

• grade A

• Students 402

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• El Cajon, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  24 reviews

Alum: Went here K-12 and had a great experience! Loved the teachers, peers, and culture. I wish there would have been more options for classes, sports, and clubs, but overall it was a great school.... Read 24 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,862

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 249

• Student-teacher ratio 31:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.31 out of 5  32 reviews

Junior: One word: Outstanding! The staff of School for Entrepreneurship & Technology (Set High) persistently put their foot out for students in mental/academic need. I'm always given an opportunity to participate and receive help on topics that confuse me. Lessons are straightforward and easy to follow. I recommend this school entirely!... Read 32 reviews

• grade A

• Students 196

• Student-teacher ratio 15:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Alum: La Jolla elementary was a truly wonderful school. The teachers are extremely dedicated, the principal is amenable to feedback, and the resources are vast, and the classes were engaging.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 483

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: My son wakes up early everyday and excited to go to Magnolia. He is in robotics and archery teams and loves them. School offers free tutoring and clubs after school. They also have a onsite library available for students after school. The teachers at Magnolia are very supportive and caring. I am glad we enrolled our son to Magnolia. We love Magnolia.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 441

• Student-teacher ratio 28:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-6

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Parent: This is our first year at Barnard and it's been great! Imagine, Mandarin language immersion at a public school! The stuff I don't love (large class size, homework in kindergarten, no parking for a magnet school) are really district problems and not specific to Barnard Elementary. The staff are very energetic and involved. Love our school!... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 521

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  179 reviews

Senior: It was a school where I was accepted. I could be my TRUE, REAL, RAW self. Everyone didn't stick to the "norm" or "basics". Everyone had their own vibe, own style, own stigma and it wasn't judged. I could wear my bright, blue fur jacket and stroll the halls without being embarrassed and instead, very bubbly and confident. To make it better, not only did I not have to worry about being my true self, but I also had no worries when it came to school work. Everything at High Tech High International is very organized, helpful and simple. It teaches exactly what benefits us as students ad gets us prepared for our future. We get the privilege of doing college field trips, internships for a whole month and a week off to explore different activities. It's a school full of adventure, self assurance and strength!... Read 179 reviews

• grade A

• Students 403

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.24 out of 5  106 reviews

Senior: The O'Farrell Charter School is a very close-knit oriented community. I have been attending this school since middle school and have never felt harmed or threatened. Due to the small size, it allows more bonding and relationships between staff and students. Teachers and staff overall highly encourage the students to try their best and to aim for the stars. I have created many bonds with multiple of my teachers and they have created a safe space. At O'Farrell, academics are highly favored over sports. O'Farrell makes sure that you graduate with your A-G requirements so that we are college ready. Throughout my years here, I have highly enjoyed the opportunity that O'Farrell provides for their students.... Read 106 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,929

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 390

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.8 out of 5  5 reviews

Alum: This school has great academics, clubs, culture, and administration. The diversity is okay, definitely higher than average. Some teachers are life-changing and I will forever be indebted to them, and some made me cry. Teachers are granted a lot of leniencies. This school is rather safe. The food is quite unhealthy (ice cream cones, fudge brownies, pizza) but still fine. Some things are underfunded and some overfunded-the bathrooms are underfunded but P.E. equipment is top of the line. This is a good school and a positive learning environment, however-again, academics are outstanding. Teachers meet the needs of every student, and the school offers a variety of electives, and advanced English, History, and Math. The location is also quite safe-I walk home every day. I would recommend this school to anybody.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 750

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 422

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: The BEST OF THE BEST educational enrichment program in San Diego! For three years, Kavod has been a second family to our son. With their hands on approach, the seasoned administration and staff have armored our son with knowledge, character, social skills, and self-esteem that has spring boarded him towards his current and future success.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 403

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.76 out of 5  153 reviews

Senior: The school is very small, so it provides a close knit community. I like how the teachers really care about you and are always offering ways to help inside and outside of school. High Tech gave me experiences that I could never venture out to have on my own. For example, incorporating a required internship allowed me and other students to gain experience in a professional field. Internship helped me and others figure out what were we actually interested in pursuing. Graduating will be a bitter sweet experience because I feel set up for my future but sad to leave behind the amazing teachers that I have connected with over the years.... Read 153 reviews

• grade A

• Students 404

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  40 reviews

Sophomore: This school has given me opportunities many others might not be familiar with. You gain duel credits by attending college classes at San Diego City College and have a quarter system that allows students to graduate their Junior year if they wish. It might be an advantage to those who wish to attend college in the near future. The only thing this school lacks is school spirit and population. There aren't enough students to make the school fun, but everyone is informed that they are risking the chance to have a "high school experiece". In spite of this, it's a luminary school; highly recommend!... Read 40 reviews

• grade A

• Students 127

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.91 out of 5  371 reviews

Alum: I loved attending a school that provided me free access to high caliber art training! SCPA just has this was of bringing together such passionate and hungry artist, and pushes them to excel beyond belief. The environment of the campus is like no other, everyone is so kind and loving. Some of my greatest artistic achievements were made possible for me by attending this school. The admin of the school need to remember that we appreciate having some of the traditional aspects of a non performing arts school, like having a prom and hosting pep rallies. I also feel like the audition process to get into the school needs to be revamped.... Read 371 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,313

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Ever since my daughters joined Museum I noticed so much more enthusiasm towards learning, towards attending in general. They're project-oriented learning style really clicks with the kids, and they seem to know so much about every subject. The staff holds events constantly, which keep the parents participating and aware of the things that happen day to day at school. Their building is not huge, it is not fancy, but what it lacks on modernism, it has it on commitment. We as a family are absolutely in love with this school and would not change it for any other in the SD Unified School District.... Read 1 review

• grade A minus

• Students 222

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.4 out of 5  368 reviews

Junior: As a student currently enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Program, I can say with good faith that the school has great teachers and a variety of information to learn. Mission Bay High has two languages to learn, Mandarin and Spanish, as well as a variety of music, engineering, and science programs to participate in. The school has a wonderfully open campus, with the only walls being the ones surrounding the classrooms. We also have many sports to choose from, including field hockey, rugby, and badminton, as well as your classic High School sports. Our administrative team is very compassionate and efficient, and keeps the school running. The student life at Mission Bay also has a variety of clubs, community service, and tutoring opportunities. Overall, Mission Bay High School is a fantastic school to learn from, and has the added bonus of being only a few miles away from the beach.... Read 368 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,187

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.04 out of 5  173 reviews

Senior: My experience at High Tech High School was awesome! I learned so much in so many projects I did. I got to be so creative in anything that we were doing every subject. Not every day do you see and learn that math is in the public eye wherever I go. Or even launch a weather balloon up in the air and get data from it. And even create our own colony in an exoplanet. Like everything we did was relevant in the real world. The staff at High Tech High treat the students like peers and I needed that as a graduating senior. I had so many resources out to me like being in the Elevate Program which is for low income, First-Generation, and young students. We had mentor meetings, had college essay help, SAT help, etc. I am so thankful for the staff who helped me to who I am today. To improve High Tech High, to keep creating mentorships for students that need it at HTH because having a person who's got your back is so helpful all the time. Like Senior and Freshman mentorships? That may work!... Read 173 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 527

• Student-teacher ratio 33:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 345

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• San Diego Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Middle School Student: Have really enjoyed my time here, good friends, good teachers, and I was able to learn and grow so much.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 672

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Diego, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.5 out of 5  38 reviews

Junior: The Learning Choice Academy is a charter school which offers K-12 education. I'm currently a junior in high school, and I've been with the school since the second semester of kindergarten. The small class sizes offer a very tight-knit, personal community of students, and many of my friends have been in my grade since middle or even elementary school, although new students are usually able to integrate quite well. As for the educational prospects, the school offers a reasonably good curriculum for elementary and middle schoolers, but the lack of elective classes and clubs in high school is somewhat of a detriment. Aside from that, however, the Learning Choice Academy is a very solid school.... Read 38 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 239

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1