Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Bakersfield City

This page covers 10 middle schools in Bakersfield City. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

10
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 10
1
rank
Walter Stiern Middle
Grades 06–08659 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
18.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
2
rank
Chipman Junior High
Grades 07–08727 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
21.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
72%
High economic need
3
rank
Washington Middle
Grades 06–08660 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
22.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
4
rank
Abraham Lincoln Jr. High
Grades 07–08620 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
21.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
92%
High economic need
5
rank
Sequoia Jr. High
Grades 07–08771 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
39
/100
Student:Teacher
21.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
91%
High economic need
6
rank
Paul L. Cato Middle
Grades 06–08629 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
39
/100
Student:Teacher
25.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
57%
Near nat'l 52.2%
7
rank
Emerson Middle
Grades 06–08754 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
38
/100
Student:Teacher
21.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
93%
High economic need
8
rank
Compton Junior High
Grades 07–08563 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
37
/100
Student:Teacher
22.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
87%
High economic need
9
rank
Curran Middle
Grades 06–081,023 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
35
/100
Student:Teacher
23.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
87%
High economic need
10
rank
Sierra Middle
Grades 06–08738 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($18,394/student)
35
/100
Student:Teacher
23.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$18,394
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
89%
High economic need
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
10
Middle Schools
44
Total Schools
43
#1 Score
39
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Bakersfield City with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.