2023 Best Public Schools in Lafayette

• Acalanes Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  288 reviews

Senior: I am currently a senior at Campolindo (class of 22) and, for the most part, I’ve enjoyed my time here! Some of my favorite parts of high school have been: -stellar teachers (especially Mark Roberts and Jake Donohoe) -great sports programs -challenging but rewarding classes that are good preparation for college -absolutely incredible performing arts programs! the annual musical is one of the best aspects of the school and something I have thoroughly enjoyed -for the most part, students are kind and accepting As with everything, I do have my criticisms of the school. -the political culture here is EXTREMELY toxic. everyone is expected (and borderline forced) to fall in line with far-left radical beliefs especially surrounding CRT. The school preaches “diversity and inclusion” but mainly talks in circles instead of saying anything of substance. If you want to be exposed to a diversity of beliefs and values, this is not the school for you. Campolindo is a great, but flawed, school.... Read 288 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,400

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• 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

• Acalanes Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.83 out of 5  199 reviews

Senior: I liked almost everything about Acalanes. Aside from the occasional bad experience with a teacher or course, the classes were great. I was able to take a lot of advanced courses that I loved, as well as choose from a wide variety of electives. This made my experience a lot more enjoyable. I also appreciate that the school is working to integrate equity and diversity into the curriculum. They have done equity lessons, and have an ethnic studies course, which will soon be required to graduate. Overall, the teachers at Acalanes are really great. I have close relationships with multiple teachers, and they are usually supportive and accommodating. Acalanes also has a really wide variety of clubs, which really co tributes to campus culture. I personally am president of a club, and it is a lot of fun to run.... Read 199 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,303

• 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

• Acalanes Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.9 out of 5  280 reviews

Junior: The teachers and admin are genuinely kind, patient, and helpful! They go above and beyond to ensure every student feels welcomed, supported, and encouraged. Their dedication to helping students achieve their full potential is admirable! Secondly, the academic rigor + emphasis on learning are truly impressive, and the community service opportunities available to students are second to none; I appreciate how much the school values community involvement + encourages students to give back! Additionally, I want to highlight the diversity and multiculturalism at LL! I appreciate how the school celebrates and embraces differences and promotes an inclusive environment where every student feels valued and respected! Finally, the abundance of extracurricular activities at LL is remarkable, from DEI/affinity organizations to sports teams to debate clubs! LL provides students with many opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills, and make lasting friendships!... Read 280 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,580

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• 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

• Lafayette Elementary School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  1 review

Parent: Great school, with lots of support for students. Many involved parents at this school. You can’t go wrong with any of the teachers here. Kids are prepared for middle school.... Read 1 review

• grade A

• Students 692

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lafayette Elementary School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 480

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Lafayette Elementary School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 509

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Lafayette Elementary School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.67 out of 5  3 reviews

Alum: I attended Stanley Middle School for two years from 7th to 8th. I really enjoyed the educational environment there and my friends and faculty members were extremely supportive of my academics. I wish I could return to my middle school life as a student at Stanley had I ever had a chance to do so.... Read 3 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,136

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Orinda Union Elementary School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 437

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Orinda Union Elementary School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.2 out of 5  5 reviews

Alum: Most of my teachers were great, though there are some bad ones and some creepy ones. Not much diversity at this school. Just like any school there are plenty of kids here that suck or aren’t nice but I say we had it pretty good.... Read 5 reviews

• grade A

• Students 874

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Lafayette Elementary School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 444

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Concord, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  190 reviews

Senior: My experience at CV was one of the best! I loved every second I got to have there and every memory that came with the school. Each year I was challenged academically to push myself to do more. It made me realize how much I can do and see how far hard work can go. The teachers do their best in making sure every student gets the chance to get a good grade and learn. The teachers are some of the best parts of the school. Getting to go to my classes I knew I would always get the opportunity to learn. I had the privilege of getting a great education at Clayton Valley, and now have the confidence of going to college.... Read 190 reviews

• grade A

• Students 2,266

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• 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

• Acalanes Union High School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  6 reviews

Senior: Independent study is definitely not for everyone and can get overwhelming if you do not stay on top of your work, but for me, it gave me freedom I never had at public school. I have a lot of health issues and have to miss a lot of school days, which is what made me switch to independent study. It was definitely the right decision for me.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 44

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• 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

• Alameda, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• grade B

• Students 303

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 3.63 out of 5  88 reviews

Niche User: I was a student in Envision Academy For Arts and Technology. When starting my first year I was very shy and not confident in who I was, but that changed when I continued being in this school. Each year I had to give a presentation that showed who I was as a person, how ready I was for each grade, and most importantly what where my plans after high school. With these presentation I became more confident with myself and others. It wasn't only the presentation that gave me that confidence but also the teachers that I had. Many of my teachers were giving me opportunities to grow as a person and show the skills that I had. They themselves saw someone who was smart, confident, and hard-worker. With that confidence that they had in me they helped me grow as a student and as a person.... Read 88 reviews

• grade B minus

• Students 408

• Student-teacher ratio 17:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade B minus

• Students 395

• Student-teacher ratio 33:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3 out of 5  3 reviews

Senior: Lighthouse is a great school for low income and minorities to come and get a decent learning experience because the teachers are caring of the students understanding more than how much work is complete. The school also helps students learn to make a community within the classrooms and assist each other out. It does have less resources and certain students do push back lessons but overall, it is a great school to have teachers who actually care for the students and wish for them to succeed.... Read 3 reviews

• grade C+

• Students 645

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-8

• grade C+

• Students 485

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Mt. Diablo Unified School District, CA•

• K-8

• grade C+

• Students 401

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Oakland, CA•

• Public School•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  1 review

Niche User: My school is awesome. Even though it has some bad sides, I still consider it as great. Academically, morally and socially excellent. This is one of the greatest schools that i know.... Read 1 review

• grade C minus

• Students 581

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1