2023 Best Districts with Gifted and Talented Programs in the San Francisco Bay Area

• Pleasanton, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.15 out of 5  59 reviews

Senior: I have been a student in Pleasanton Unified School District for over seven years. Because Pleasanton is a relatively affluent area, the school district receives a large amount of funding. There are new buildings in the schools specially designed to fit career-specific classes. There are electronic devices for every student. The teachers are also generally good and helpful. The food is probably the one lacking aspect although it may just be nitpicking. The schools feel safe and clean. Admin is generally on top of things and has good communication. School spirit, at least at my school is pretty nonexistent however.... Read 59 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 16

• Students 14,469

• San Mateo, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.14 out of 5  71 reviews

Senior: The San Mateo Union High School District is great. There are many friendly students and teachers that are willing and ready to help you succeed. Attending 2 different high schools in this district, I can say that there are many caring and helpful teachers who have the best intentions of teaching students as best they can. They are very supportive and seek to improve the quality in which we learn. In addition, there is a lot of spirit and pride within each school. We love showing out and competing with one another. On the other hand, while most of the student populations of each school are diverse, there are schools that are not. Attending one of these schools myself, I did not find myself enjoying the environment I learned in. This decreased my quality of learning. Unable to really relate or connect to anyone around me, I found school to be a dreadful place. It took a toll on my performance. As a result, I dislike the schools whose student populations aren’t really diverse.... Read 71 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 8

• Students 9,203

• Danville, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.09 out of 5  125 reviews

Works Here: San Ramon Valley Unified School District has a great community of students, families, teachers, administration and support staff. We have custodians who keep our schools pristine, maintenance teams who ensures our schools are operational, an efficient warehouse team who receive and delivery everything across our district, teachers who are dedicated to student's learning and administration who prioritize student social emotional wellbeing. SRVUSD is the place to be!... Read 125 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 37

• Students 30,376

• Piedmont, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.13 out of 5  8 reviews

Alum: Fantastic school district, very safe and provides a lot for the students. Right now is under construction but surely will be back to normal, if not better, afterwards.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 7

• Students 2,464

• Dublin, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.1 out of 5  68 reviews

Senior: Your experience definitely depends on which side of town you live on. The East side of the school district is more competitive and focused on academics than the West side of town. As of right now, all schools feed into Dublin High School. Again, your experience changes depending on the types of classes you take. People who take AP classes experience intense competition and the environment can often be toxic. There have been major instances of cheating in the past. However, if students take a good balance of AP, honors, and regular courses, it is possible to receive a well rounded education. Recently, STEM education has increased in all levels of education due to higher demand. The arts are still somewhat neglected but the music program and visual arts programs are also rapidly improving.... Read 68 reviews

• grade A+

• Total schools 14

• Students 12,625

• Berkeley, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 4.02 out of 5  64 reviews

Senior: I love the fact that Berkeley unified school district offers a lot of opportunities for its students. For example, In elementary school, I was required to learn how to use an instrument. At my highschool, I get to take one of the only fire science classes in the entire state. I also love how diverse all of my classes have been ever since I can remember going to Berkeley schools. One thin I think BUSD could work on is having more teachers of color. I have only had one black clasroomteacher in my 13 years of being a student.... Read 64 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 17

• Students 9,409

• Fremont, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.67 out of 5  135 reviews

Junior: I have been to two schools in Fremont unified school district. While I believe one of the brick and motor schools needs to hire teachers that care more about there students this isn’t the case for vista alternative (an independent studies) school as I believe they havereally great teachers! All the teachers at vista were helpful and actually seemed like they wanted you to succeed and work towards your full potential. Although I am leaving vista in senior year it defiantly is not because I didn’t like the school. In fact, I had a great experience but would like to partake in senior activities and graduation in which I would t have at vista.... Read 135 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 43

• Students 35,187

• Alameda, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.95 out of 5  63 reviews

Sophomore: I think personally as someone who is more focused on grades than sports, alameda is a good district that gives good opportunities to pick your own pace and learn the best way you can. Besides academics, alameda’s school districts recently banned the usual discriminatory dress code that prevented mainly girls from having as much freedom as men when getting ready to go to school. With that old dress code abolished, girls can more openly express their styles through clothing. Also, being in the bay area, there is tons of racial and lgbtq diversity in the school and discrimination is not tolerated. it gives a safe environment for minority groups.... Read 63 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 16

• Students 9,071

• Castro Valley, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.92 out of 5  73 reviews

Senior: As a senior, I have seen Castro Valley High School develop. The students give feedback to the administration and the leadership team and are persistent in giving the students what they've wished for. Last year, students felt like there was a need for an all-gender bathroom on campus and the administration took the request into account so when I came back to school, I saw a new all-gender bathroom in the 300 hall!... Read 73 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 16

• Students 9,203

• San Jose, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.78 out of 5  37 reviews

Senior: I've been at Del Mar for the past 4 years, I would say this school is very open to everything and very inclusive they make sure everyone fits in and care for our education. The staff are very supportive of every student and help them succeed. They listen to parents'/students' requests to make this school better. Del Mar has multiple good classes for everyone, it gives students an opportunity to prepare themselves for the real world and gain some experience in the field. I would say the best class they offer would be avid because they help us prepare for college but also support us so we don't feel alone especially if we're first generation.... Read 37 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 6

• Students 8,583

• Brentwood, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.96 out of 5  157 reviews

Alum: Liberty was an amazing school. I loved my 4 years there, I learned and experienced many things. Liberty's education is very good and the community is amazing.... Read 157 reviews

• grade A

• Total schools 5

• Students 8,222

• San Francisco, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.76 out of 5  263 reviews

Alum: I think one of the strengths of my high school was definitely diversity with people and programs offered. There’s a great selection of sports and visual and performing arts and anyone can join. The coaches will do their part in melding their students to become talented individuals whilst providing them the necessary resources. The one downfall I would say is the large spectrum of teachers. I wouldn’t say all teachers are the best of the best, but if you’re lucky you’ll get a teacher who loves teaching and is truly dedicated to helping you succeed. To overcome this hurdle, I’d definitely recommend you visit RateYourTeacher to navigate what teachers are fit your needs and speak to your counselor early on to help you get that specific teacher. Overall, I really enjoyed my high school experience and hope you or your child does too!... Read 263 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 114

• Students 51,790

• Livermore, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  40 reviews

Sophomore: I have really enjoyed Las Positas's design program. I am finishing my second semester, and ready to enroll in my third on November 20th. I like the fact that only two teachers teach the required classes for graduation, I have built a strong relationship with these teachers and appreciate their techniques. My first semester I had taken one of the hardest classes, hand drafting. I did not receive a perfect grade, but felt that I learned more in that class than any class ever before. I did not give this school 5 stars because I have unfortunately taken a few classes where I felt that the teacher did the absolute bare minimum. One teacher for example would take exactly 2 weeks to grade every single assignment. This was incredibly unfortunate when the next weeks assignment was based off of the last. She took 4 days minimum to respond to any email.... Read 40 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 18

• Students 13,305

• Elgin, OK•

• School District

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  Rating 4.28 out of 5  25 reviews

Junior: I’ve been attending Elgin Public Schools since second grade and couldn’t be more satisfied with my education. The Elgin community is highly supportive in the school and it’s activities. Since Elgin is close to a large Army Base, Fort Sill, the school has a large percentage of military students. Even though the Oklahoma education program as a whole has been struggling, the Elgin administration has done an excellent job at keeping the Elgin Owls soaring!... Read 25 reviews

• grade A minus

• Total schools 3

• Students 2,306

• San Rafael, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.97 out of 5  34 reviews

Senior: My experience here at San Rafael high school was that it is a good school, with so much help that they offer you and always making sure you doing good in your classes. This school likes to see there students succeed and not fail. They want all their students to graduate going into a 2 -4 year institution school. the help that they have given me is incredible making sure all my college applications are in, submitting much stuff so we can succeed in the future. They also make sure all teenagers from their school are good with mental health, making them feel included, and don't discriminate against others.... Read 34 reviews

• grade B+

• Total schools 3

• Students 2,666

• Novato, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.58 out of 5  31 reviews

Senior: I love how friendly the majority of staff and teachers are. Most are very understanding and try communicating with the students. One thing that I think needs to be worked on is allowing students to have input on senior projects. This year we experienced a very heavy shift in our academics because of covid. Many of us students had to get jobs to help our families and had to start taking care of siblings. On top of all that we have scholarships and college things to do. Making it harder to work on a 50 hour project for senior year. Many also were left without resources or help. A teacher advocated for changes based on student input but were put down and scrutinized. This is very unprofessional. The fact that the school doesn't even bother having a survey or try communicating with students and forcing students to "just do it" when covid restrictions were still around is absurd. Not only that but you need money to do the senior project. Also we were not given time in class to do it.... Read 31 reviews

• grade B+

• Total schools 15

• Students 7,206

• South San Francisco, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.51 out of 5  76 reviews

Junior: Overall, the district does reasonably well in providing safe academic environments for students to learn and grow; however, I would like to see a change in security, creating a sense of community, and fostering relationships with students that allow them to voice their struggles and opinions.... Read 76 reviews

• grade B+

• Total schools 17

• Students 8,182

• San Leandro, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.99 out of 5  70 reviews

Freshman: When I came to the United States on October 11, 2016, I went to Jefferson Elementary school, one of the schools in the district. I´ve been enrolled in San Leandro Unified School District from elementary to high school. When I came to the United States I knew basic English, and thanks to the staff & students I felt welcomed. And always ready to learn.... Read 70 reviews

• grade B minus

• Total schools 12

• Students 8,828

• Rodeo, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  5 reviews

Senior: We are a small district, so focus on high school students to achieve their goals are high. I have enjoyed all my 4 years attending high school there, i won't change it for anything, teachers are great, and help you out if needed. Going to school in a small town has its perks also, everybody went to school together from preschool to your senior year attending, im am taking steps for my next adventure, which is college, the school prepares us for college with help in financial aid classes, college fairs. Meetings with our counslers and teachers to help us decide what field we are interested in and educate us on our furture career. In a few more months i will be a high school graduate, and headed to college to start my life as a adult and find my place in our society, its going to be tough but im looking foward to the challenge, john swett unified school district has prepared me for.... Read 5 reviews

• grade B minus

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,312

• Antioch, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.81 out of 5  69 reviews

Senior: My experience within AUSD has been nothing but favorable. All staff I have encountered have been knowledgeable, supportive, and dedicated. Many thanks to our unsung heros!... Read 69 reviews

• grade C+

• Total schools 24

• Students 15,652

• San Lorenzo, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.53 out of 5  59 reviews

Senior: The school is overall an environment that many kids feel comfortable being in. Finding those with similar interests as you can help your high school experience be incredible. The teachers truly are there to help their students with whatever it is that they need. Although the 2019-2020 school year had a whole new set of staff, these people made connections with many of the students and developed healthy relationships with one another. As a class of 2020 student, I can say that the class of 2020 was a class that everyone enjoyed each other’s company and was sort of like a family. The students are involved with extra curricular activities. Sports are a big thing in this school as there are many events held at each sport that a majority of the staff and students attend. For the most part everyone minds their own business as we all are doing our best to get an education and focus on learning new material everyday.... Read 59 reviews

• grade C+

• Total schools 17

• Students 9,431

• Oakland, CA•

• School District

• •
  Rating 3.53 out of 5  139 reviews

Senior: My time with OUSD district can be a mixed bag, while it does have its own faults within being able to prepare students for college, it does show to have a very well rounded diversity within students and being able to represent them in school. The teachers do a very good job at teaching does provide their students a good enough education. However, improvement can definitely be done; such as being able to provide more resources of education for students and being able to provide them more to make their high school experience better.... Read 139 reviews

• grade C+

• Total schools 85

• Students 35,489

• Richmond, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.51 out of 5  143 reviews

Senior: I like WCCUSD diversity. I feel accepted and meet/ know people who look just like and have similarly interests. Additionally, we have very hands on teachers who are always trying to engage their students and keep their classes fun and engaging. The sports facilities are amazing and have been remodeled every few years. Like right now at my school, Pinole Valley High, they’re constructing née outside basketball courts for the school. I love my school and district and think this community is really amazing and accepting of everyone it. The only harsh thing I can say is they could definitely improve their food selections choices for lunch, but besides that I truly do believe that I go to school in a beautiful community with really great people!... Read 143 reviews

• grade C

• Total schools 54

• Students 27,383

• Hayward, CA•

• School District

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  Rating 3.66 out of 5  139 reviews

Senior: I have been attending Chabot College for four years now; overall, I have enjoyed my experience at Chabot. When I started at Chabot, I instantly felt enormous support from advisors such as stem counselors, el centro advisors, etc. There is a lot of diversity at this school as well, and very easy to make friends/study groups here! I definitely recommend getting to know your classmates and the professors as well. Many of the professors strongly express their support for their students and want all of their students to succeed; you have to put the work in. Although there are some teachers at the school that the school district should change because there were many complaints made but no action to find another professor. In general, Chabot is a really good school and does care for its students, but the school district need to find more professors for the biology, physics, and organic chemistry departments.... Read 139 reviews

• grade C

• Total schools 32

• Students 19,069

• Hillsborough, CA•

• School District

• grade A

• Total schools 4

• Students 1,268