2023 Best Schools in Oceanside

• Carlsbad, CA•

• Private School•

• 6-12

• •
  Rating 4.1 out of 5  146 reviews

Parent: This is my 8th year as a PRS parent and we have been very happy. The teachers are strong, available to help outside of class, and many have advanced degrees. I said to my child the other day "I think you hit the lottery with your teachers. They all seem great". The response was "I know! I've been lucky every year!". Pacific Ridge looks to continuously improve. If they are not getting the results they expect, they change the curriculum right away. The "Harkness" seminar-style learning teaches both public speaking AND listening. And every class uses Harkness, not just English or History. The other thing I love about PRS is kids can be who they are. No one cares if you use the same lunchbox you've had since 4th grade or what you are wearing. Both of my children have found "their people" and made strong and lasting friendships. The tuition can require sacrifice, but I have no regrets.... Read 146 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 685

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.41 out of 5  80 reviews

Alum: I loved Sage creek! This school is great for many things and the first and most profound to me was the family of inclusivity and family. The admin on compute weren’t just there to watch and teach us, they genuinely wanted to know the students and be there for them when needed. You could reach out to your teachers if you were struggling or overwhelmed and they would help get you back on track which is very important for high school students. Sage creek was also great with their class sizes since it was a small school of only a maximum of 1500. We had one on one interaction with our teachers and plenty of time to ask questions. We also had all of the equipment or supplies we needed in order to get a full education.... Read 80 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,379

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• Private School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.81 out of 5  54 reviews

Parent: My daughter graduated from The Grauer School and my son is currently a senior. This school has been amazing, and I feel so fortunate that both have been able to attend. The small class sizes help shy children feel more comfortable participating and they allow the inquisitive child to ask questions and explore creativity and out of the box thinking. The relationships students have with their teachers is unlike anything I've ever seen. Students feel valued and appreciated, yet they are also held to a high standard. Students feel they have a voice in their education and can participate in any sport or activity. Although there is a cost to attend, the school is willing to work with families and provide financial aid, when needed. I couldn't have asked for a better middle school and high school experience for my kids. They have grown into kind, confident, capable, and intellectually curious young adults. This is the BEST school!... Read 54 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 160

• Student-teacher ratio 5:1

• Carlsbad, CA•

• Private School•

• 7-12

• •
  Rating 4.29 out of 5  41 reviews

Parent: Fantastic learning environment for boys! Our son has gained amazing confidence and his academics have improved exponentially. Class size this past year for him ranged from 4-11 students, allowing for personal mentorship from each of his amazing teachers. We moved to Carlsbad to be close to him while he attends school here and we are actively involved with volunteering. Lots of opportunities to play sports he wouldn’t have otherwise had in public school and cool clubs to join. Aviation classes are a huge added bonus. As a military family, we love the structure of Army & Navy Academy, the patriotism and the leadership training in JROTC. The campus is a little older and in need of some upgrades, but it’s charming and the location is beautiful. The boys complain that the food isn’t fantastic, but appreciate the efforts to continually improve. I believe the staff deeply cares about each boy.... Read 41 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 240

• Student-teacher ratio 8:1

• Vista Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 4.13 out of 5  557 reviews

Alum: As a Mission Vista High School alumni, I hold very fond memories of being a captain of the D1 field hockey team, being enrolled in the four-year biomedical course way, and being a vice president to Peer Leaders Uniting Students. The school's consistent and empathetic counseling team fostered my success day one of freshman year to graduation; especially when it came time to apply for college. The counseling center provided mental health support, scholarship resources, and working-student assistance. Every student could develop genuine friendships through sports, clubs, and collaborative class work. I cannot forgot the beloved janitor, Jaime, wearing his cowboy hat, joking with students during lunch, and honking his cart horn at every sporting event cheering us on.... Read 557 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 1,660

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.85 out of 5  563 reviews

Senior: Overall a pretty solid school. Definitely some issues with certain teachers and how they treat students, but otherwise the teachers were fine. A few teachers were also fantastic, they taught the subjects in depth and well and they answered questions and were eager to help their students. It’s close to the beach and Carlsbad Village which is nice when it gets hot out. Football games and dances are extremely well put together and are super fun and filled with high energy. Overall, not too much to complain about!... Read 563 reviews

• grade A+

• Students 2,318

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• San Marcos, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.33 out of 5  70 reviews

Parent: Saint Joseph Academy is such a blessing to our family. We couldn't be happier with the school and feel so proud to be part of this wonderful community. The classical academic program is rigorous and challenging, absolutely top notch. We love that our children are learning Latin and write in cursive. No common core. Traditional, patriotic values are part of the culture here. What a breath of fresh air! What we value most about this school is its commitment to traditional Catholic values and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Every year the faculty and staff take an Oath of Fidelity to the Catholic Church. The teachers truly love the Catholic faith and infuse faith into every subject. They care very deeply about the students' academic, spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. In addition to the faith and academics, there's a lot of extracurricular sports, drama, and other activities. Our children really enjoy going to school every day! It really is the best.... Read 70 reviews

• grade A

• Students 305

• Student-teacher ratio 16:1

• San Marcos, CA•

• Public School•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.8 out of 5  122 reviews

Senior: The High Tech High North County system definitely is not for everyone but it did help me! I got tons of support on my college applications and I feel comfortable about my letters of recommendation because of the community we have here at High Tech High North County. Yes, this place has its flaws one being math but an easy fix for that is to take matters into your own hand and take a math class at your local community college. Very fun school and I love the people here. I would say that the school has very much so prepared me for College and I am ready to take on the rigors of life. They have great internship opportunities here too!... Read 122 reviews

• grade A

• Students 422

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.33 out of 5  6 reviews

Parent: Pacific Academy Encinitas is a great place for students to receive individualized instruction in a small class room setting. The smaller sizes mean students get instant access to teachers and one on one coaching if they need it. Middle and high school students are allowed flexibility in learning styles, and allowed to mature and be responsible for their own success. The school day is a little longer which means less homework overall because students are given time to get it done in class with fewer disruptions. The school ensures students are happy and ready to learn - pancake breakfasts, flexible & unique PE program, whole school enrichment days, and the ability to adjust a child's class based on their academic level, not age-grade level. There is no bullying and there are no behavior problems to deal with. Kids can concentrate on learning and being themselves which has made PAE a great fit for our family. Students do need to have their own activities and sports outside of school.... Read 6 reviews

• grade A

• Students 116

• Student-teacher ratio 7:1

• San Marcos Unified School District, CA•

• K-8

• grade A

• Students 1,183

• Student-teacher ratio 23:1

• Encinitas, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-8

• grade A

• Students 281

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• San Marcos Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 905

• Student-teacher ratio 24:1

• Vista, CA•

• Public School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 4.08 out of 5  166 reviews

Senior: Guajome has this lovely small school feel to it that has taught me everything in preparation for my future in social life and in college, even beyond that. They give enough resources and plenty of options for unique and rigorus classes that any person would love to experience. The implantations of the IB courses has benefitted me and everyone I've talked with on how it reflects freshman college courses perfectly, but in a way for high school upper classmen to still enjoy their high school years without the stress of living on campus or having to pay for classes. I've been at Guajome since 6th grade in 2016 and I'm a senior now ready to graduate in 2023, and I have to say the best thing about Guajome has been the staff and teachers. They are always very welcoming with issues and the teachers passion for teaching is shown every single day which has motived me to do better and become the person I am today.... Read 166 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,409

• Student-teacher ratio 19:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 2.5 out of 5  8 reviews

Freshman: I went to this school myself. I found my best friends here, and experience great things and awful things. The teachers are nice overall and can be understanding. There are a lot of options for students to do here, including a ton of electives. Recommend this school for students who need learning support and who aren't as STEM-focused. This doesn't mean that this school wouldn't maybe appeal to them or be good for them, but for STEM-focused kids that prefer science over visual and language arts, then maybe Calavera will be more suited for them.... Read 8 reviews

• grade A

• Students 876

• Student-teacher ratio 21:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 287

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• San Marcos Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 4.44 out of 5  9 reviews

High School Junior: My favorite experience was the 8th grade East Coast trip!!... Read 9 reviews

• grade A

• Students 1,562

• Student-teacher ratio 25:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• grade A

• Students 366

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Carlsbad Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 5 out of 5  2 reviews

Parent: Calavera Hills Middle School is located in a quiet, family oriented, growing community. It has great kids in 6th thru 8th grade. The teachers are dedicated and teach a well-rounded stem education curriculum. Calavera Hills Middle School has been named a California Gold Ribbon School. The highest award recognition given by the state of California. It has also received an award for Academic Achievement. If there is anything that I would change about this school is that it shares space with the elementary school. CHMS is growing every year and soon they may need a bigger campus.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A

• Students 539

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Vista, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.67 out of 5  66 reviews

Senior: I had a great time at TCCS, and will always love the amazing friends I made there. But they HAVE to fix the lack of communication between the athletic office and athletes. I was on the girl's basketball team and most of the time I had no idea when we had practice or the times and would find out the day before if we had a game or not. Absolutely hated it. Besides the fact that there was a bunch of (i think) manipulation behind the scenes with coaches and certain parents picking who was going to be on varsity versus jr. varsity teams when myself and another girl weren't there, it was really a lot of mental frustration, all the time. And since this is such a small school, did they really have to put two freshmen girls into varsity as permanent players when they were the ones most prone to accidents? Not joking actually, they both hurt their legs/feet and had to sit out or take breaks. Sorry to say, but this would definitely not happen at a public school. Overall it's a good school.... Read 66 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 648

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Vista Unified School District, CA•

• 9-12

• •
  Rating 3.68 out of 5  656 reviews

Senior: I had a wonderful time here. Like many high schools your experience is what you make of it. I was a full IB diploma candidate so I took the most challenging classes offered at RBV, which really impacted by learning experience. I was also heavily involved with sports and student run clubs. There are many different sports available on campus( some performed better than others which occurs at every school. Not every team is undefeated). We have a great performing arts program with both drama, dance and band. I have friends in all three and they loved their experiences. I had a wonderful experience with my peers, and feel prepared for college. The teachers are very helpful, and care about there students(at least the teachers I had). They went out of their way to help me and my fellow peers learn not only about school work but the real world as well.... Read 656 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,987

• Student-teacher ratio 22:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Private School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.36 out of 5  14 reviews

Niche User: Balboa School provides a very high quality educational experience to its students - both domestic and international. Small class sizes, individual attention, and dedicated and caring teachers and staff make for a great environment for students to achieve great results. Balboa School has helped countless students change their lives through fostering an environment within the school community that promotes academic success, creativity, and prepares students for college and beyond. Additionally, the school provides one of the top sports programs in the area with a nationally recognized boys basketball team with amazing coaching staff, many who come from professional sports backgrounds and have played and coached at the highest levels.... Read 14 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 91

• Student-teacher ratio 12:1

• Escondido, CA•

• Private School•

• K-12

• •
  Rating 3.61 out of 5  23 reviews

Senior: I love the Christian/SDA environment that EAA provides students and families. Anyone is welcome here at EAA, and this was one of the first times that I instantly belonged somewhere. Friends are very easy to make, and steadfast. Students uplift each other, and the high school experience is very rewarding for those who put in the effort. As all schools, you have to apply yourself, but I believe that the return you will find is much greater than the cost. You can tell that everyone at the school is someone who lets the light of Christ shine through them.... Read 23 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 205

• Student-teacher ratio 14:1

• Oceanside, CA•

• Public School•

• PK, K-12

• •
  Rating 4.17 out of 5  12 reviews

Sophomore: Everyone at Coastal academy including both the staff and the students are very inclusive to new people of all sorts. I specifically like how understanding the teachers are at this academy, they demonstrate flexibility while being able to efficiently teach subjects in graspable ways.... Read 12 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 1,981

• Student-teacher ratio 26:1

• Vista Unified School District, CA•

• K-5

• •
  Rating 4 out of 5  2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 626

• Student-teacher ratio 27:1

• Bonsall Unified School District, CA•

• 6-8

• •
  Rating 3.5 out of 5  2 reviews

Alum: Academically Sullivan is great, however in terms of mental well being and staff concern for safety of students it could be better.... Read 2 reviews

• grade A minus

• Students 553

• Student-teacher ratio 20:1