Rancho Santa Margarita's Best Middle Schools Ranked In New Analysis

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA — Arroya Vista Middle School is the best public middle school in Rancho Santa Margarita, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News researchers based the 2025 ranking of the nation’s best public middle schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers analyzed 59,128 middle schools for the report.

The top public middle schools in Rancho Santa Margarita are:

• #95 Arroya Vista Middle, 23371 Arroyo Vista.
  • Capistrano Unified School District.
• #307 Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate, 21931 Alma Aldea.
  • Saddleback Valley Unified School District.

Go here to see the full list of best California middle schools.

The methodology for the rankings focused on state assessments of students who were proficient or above proficient in math and reading/language arts, while also accounting for students’ background and their achievements in core subjects. Student-teacher ratios were applied to break ties.

The rankings are intended as an evaluation tool to give parents a snapshot of how well schools provide a high-quality education and prepare students for a successful future, LaMont Jones, managing editor for Education at U.S. News, said in a news release.