These Are The Best Middle Schools In San Diego County: U.S. News Ranking

SAN DIEGO, CA — R. Roger Rowe Middle in Rancho Santa Fe is the best public middle school in San Diego County, according to a new ranking from U.S. News & World Report. The school in Rancho Santa Fe School District ranked 18th in California.

U.S. News researchers based the 2026 ranking of the nation's best public middle schools on publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers ranked more than 23,000 middle schools in its 2026 report, which was released Tuesday.

• Related: These Are The Top Elementary Schools In San Diego County, U.S. News Says In New Ranking

The top 10 public middle schools in the San Diego region are:

1. R. Roger Rowe Middle, Rancho Santa Fe (No. 18 in CA)
2. Pacific Trails Middle, San Diego (No. 19 in CA)
3. Carmel Valley Middle, San Diego (No. 35 in CA)
4. Design 39 Campus, San Diego (No. 56 in CA)
5. Earl Warren Middle Solana Beach (No. 66 in CA)
6. College Preparatory Middle Spring Valley (No. 68 in CA)
7. Mesa Verde Middle San Diego (No. 80 in CA)
8. Marshall Middle San Diego (No. 84 in CA)
9. Oak Valley Middle San Diego (No. 92 in CA)
10. JCS - Mountain Oaks Encinitas (No. 94 in CA)

The ranking methodology considered student proficiency in math and reading/language arts state assessments, adjusting for student backgrounds and core subject achievements. In cases of ties, student-teacher ratios were used as a deciding factor.

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.

Also see:

• CA's Best Middle Schools Ranked In New Analysis
• These Are The Top Elementary Schools In CA, U.S. News Says In New Ranking
• These Are The Best School Districts In CA, New Ranking Says
• Here Are The Best Colleges In California, According To Niche