What are the best public schools in SLO County? See the latest rankings

Where are the top places for children to learn in San Luis Obispo County?

Ratings and review site Niche recently released its rankings of the best public elementary, middle and high schools in San Luis Obispo County for 2025.

Niche focused on factors such as academics, diversity, teachers and college preparation, grading schools on a scale of A+ through D-.

The website reviewed both public schools and private schools for its 2025 rankings.

Cayucos Elementary School was No. 1 on Niche’s list of the top 10 public elementary schools in SLO County as well as its ranking of the best public middle schools. The campus serves students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade.

Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo was the best public high school in the county, Niche found.

Niche rated Mission College Preparatory Catholic High School in San Luis Obispo the best private high school in SLO County.

Coastal Christian School in Pismo Beach earned the top spot on Niche’s list of the best private schools serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade in SLO County.

Here are the top 10 public elementary, middle and high schools in SLO County, according to Niche:

What are the top 10 public elementary schools in SLO County?

These were the best public elementary schools in San Luis Obispo County, according to Niche:

1. Cayucos Elementary School
2. Teach Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
3. Bellevue-Sante Fe Charter School in San Luis Obispo
4. Monarch Grove Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
5. Sinsheimer Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
6. Los Ranchos Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
7. Pleasant Valley Elementary School in San Miguel
8. C.L. Smith Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
9. Bishop’s Peak Elementary School in San Luis Obispo
10. Hawthorne Elementary School in San Luis Obispo

What are the best public middle schools in SLO County?

According to Niche, these were the top 10 public middle schools in SLO County:

1. Cayucos Elementary School
   
   
2. Laguna Middle School in San Luis Obispo
3. Los Osos Middle School
4. Templeton Middle School
5. Fine Arts Academy in Atascadero
6. Paulding Middle School in Arroyo Grande
7. Judkins Middle School in Pismo Beach
8. Atascadero Middle School
9. Daniel Lewis Middle School in Paso Robles
10. Almond Acres Charter Academy in Paso Robles

Where are the best local public high schools?

Niche ranked these local public high schools in the top 10:

1. Central Coast New Tech High School in Nipomo
2. San Luis Obispo High School
3. Coast Union High School in Cambria
4. Arroyo Grande High School
5. Morro Bay High School
6. Templeton High School
7. Paso Robles High School
8. Templeton Independent Study High School
9. Independence High School in Paso Robles
10. Nipomo High School

How did Niche come up with its rankings?

Niche said it based its rankings on “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data” from the U.S. Department of Education.

The review site also looked at millions of reviews from students and parents.

Niche doled out A+ to D- grades to local schools by factoring in state test scores, student-teacher ratios, diversity, teacher quality, the overall quality of the school district and more.

This story was originally published October 1, 2024 at 10:08 AM.

Hannah Poukish

The Tribune

+1 805-781-7815

Hannah Poukish covers San Luis Obispo County as The Tribune’s government reporter. She previously reported and produced stories for The Sacramento Bee, CNN, Spectrum News and The Mercury News in San Jose. She graduated from Stanford University with a master’s degree in journalism.