Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in San Diego Unified

This page covers 24 middle schools in San Diego Unified. 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.

24
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 24
1
rank
Pacific Beach Middle
Grades 06–08579 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
62
/100
Student:Teacher
19.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Farb Middle
Grades 06–08464 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
19.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
54/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
67%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Marston Middle
Grades 06–08594 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
20.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
41%
Near nat'l 52.2%
4
rank
Taft Middle
Grades 06–08384 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
18.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
44/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
52%
Near nat'l 52.2%
5
rank
De Portola Middle
Grades 06–08632 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
55
/100
Student:Teacher
22.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
54/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
38%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Correia Middle
Grades 07–08590 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
22.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
34%
Low economic need
7
rank
Marshall Middle
Grades 06–081,317 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
25.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
49/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
16%
Low economic need
8
rank
Muirlands Middle
Grades 06–08696 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
23.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
25%
Low economic need
9
rank
Lewis Middle
Grades 06–08971 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
24.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
42%
Near nat'l 52.2%
10
rank
Standley Middle
Grades 06–08814 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($26,968/student)
53
/100
Student:Teacher
24.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
52/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$26,968
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
14 more middle schools in San Diego Unified not shown here.
View all schools in San Diego Unified
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
24
Middle Schools
174
Total Schools
62
#1 Score
51
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare San Diego Unified with neighbouring districts
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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.