2023 Best Public Schools in Berkeley

• Acalanes Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.95 out of 5  227 reviews

Senior: Miramonte is a great school with many resources to offer students. The academic courses can be rigorous, but the teachers are all there to help you out. The teachers care about their jobs and are passionate, which contributes to their overall success in academics. Athletics are also great! There are lots of good opportunities to improve and everyone builds each other up.... Read 227 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,174

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• 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

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.82 out of 5  538 reviews

Senior: I honestly love this school! Don't get me wrong, there are issues. Its a public school and suffers from a lot of problems that public schools typically have, however, for the most part you get an incredibly open and accepting community. If your interested in very rigorous academics there is an option for you and if you just want to mess around with friends all day you can try but chances are all but one or two of your teachers will step in because they really care about the students. Ultamitly, its an amazing place to go and when I talk to my friends at, Oakland tech for example, our students who are having a hard time are having a better time than those having an average time at Tech.... Read 538 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 3,257

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• 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

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• grade A

• Students 634

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 387

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 411

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  3 reviews

Middle School Student: I am a current 8th grader, and I love King. I would say 85% of the teachers are really great. It’s a really good mix of average/poor and advanced students. All teachers care about the students. The principal is okay I guess, however current 8th grade VP is terrible. He does not do anything and has befriended the constant trouble makers and therefore doesn’t give them consequences, making the school unsafe for teachers and students. I think that compared to all other public middle schools in Berkeley, Kind is the very best option. I’ve gotta say though, the school lunch is disgusting. Thanks Alice Waters! Just kidding, she really has done a lot for my school! Kitchen/garden program has taught me and my peers a lot. The school lunch truly is disgusting though. I think it’s getting better though! Well, that’s optimistic... :)... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 958

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 308

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Works Here: I am a proud after school teacher at Rosa Parks. This is a school community that works together to support students and families in every way possible. Each student is tracked carefully and provided math and reading intervention when needed. Equity and inclusion are a number one priority at Rosa. Gender neutral restrooms, a yearly PRIDE parade, and daily morning school gatherings where we all recite a pledge by Rosa Parks and practice our social/emotional "tool box" make this school an affirmative environment for all. The after school program called Kid's Village offers amazing enrichment classes-from the yoga class with Papa Da to slime making. Kids just don't want to leave at pick up time!... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 419

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 395

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 242

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 488

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 313

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A minus

• Students 291

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.75 out of 5  4 reviews

Middle School Student: Downtown Charter Academy has taught me not to judge people too quickly based on just one thing. Instead, I was taught to give the person a chance before I judge them. This school has great staff members and will treat you well if you treat them just as well!... Read 4 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 318

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.07 out of 5  14 reviews

Senior: The teachers are incredibly invested in student success. Very small school, so you get close to your classmates and teachers. EBIA is hands-on and STEAM-based and has a college preparatory curriculum. The only reason it's getting a four-star and not a five is because they don't have any sports teams and the school events are limited. However, I played varsity soccer at Skyline Highschool, which was fine!... Read 14 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 630

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• West Contra Costa Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.62 out of 5  299 reviews

Senior: El Cerrito High is an amazingly diverse school full of students from all backgrounds. Similar to the student population, the teachers cover a wide spectrum of ability. At this school, I have experienced both the best and worst teachers I believe I will ever have. While El Cerrito High's bathrooms are a mess and its school spirit is lacking, it has many notable redeeming qualities. Many people that I know chose to attend this school because of its excellent band program. The band at El Cerrito has won multitudes of awards and has been able to go on many trips around the world to perform at places such as Disneyland, Carnegie Hall, and even locations in Europe. El Cerrito High also has some amazing clubs that are dedicated to a wide variety of purposes, such as tutoring other students struggling in math, helping the community or the environment, and getting students involved in sports. Despite its flaws, there is a lot to love about this school.... Read 299 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,596

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Walnut Creek, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.71 out of 5  7 reviews

Alum: I graduated from Contra Costa School of Performing Arts about a year ago and it was a pleasant school to be in. There were many opportunities given to students to perform in their major. The teachers that taught there were very passionate about their work and there were many talented people I got to work with and the whole experience was very enriching. One thing that can be improved is the academic system, it was easy for some students to fall behind easily and the school issued Chromebooks can be too restrictive to the point where finding resources for projects and general learning was rather difficult to come by. Other than that issue, I can definitely say I've enjoyed my time there.... Read 7 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 460

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade B+

• Students 386

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  6 reviews

High School Junior: This school really effected my life. It made me go through the struggles that I actually needed to go through to improve. It made me think nothing is too hard to achieve ! You just end to try and you will get it. Never give up. I really liked how the school was close like a family. It's hard to find that in middle schools nowadays. I would happily choose thri school again.... Read 6 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 240

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade B+

• Students 362

• Student-teacher ratio 18:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• 10-12

• •
  Rating 3.14 out of 5  14 reviews

Senior: My overall experience at Berkeley Technology is amazing I have wonderful teachers that care about my future and education... Read 14 reviews

• grade B+

• Students 32

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Berkeley Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2 out of 5  1 review

• grade B

• Students 475

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• Richmond, CA•

• Public School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 3.86 out of 5  7 reviews

Junior: Overall, the school is relatively small compared to many other public institutions. Because of that, the teachers provide much more time to their students, improving their ability to learn and grow.... Read 7 reviews

• grade B

• Students 521

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1