These Are The Best School Districts In San Diego County: Ranking

SAN DIEGO, CA — San Dieguito Union High School District was ranked as the best in San Diego County and the third-best in California in Niche's 2025 Best Schools and Districts rankings released this week.

San Dieguito Union High School District district was among 15 school districts in the San Diego region and 300 school districts in the state that earned a mention in Niche's ranking of more than 11,000 school districts nationwide.

Niche gave San Dieguito Union High School District a letter grade of A+. Grades in specific categories were:

• Academics: A+
• Teachers: A+
• Clubs and activities: A
• Sports: A
• Resources and facilities: A-
• Diversity: B+
• College prep: A+
• Administration: A
• Food: B

The school district, which has 12,615 students, received high marks from students, parents and teachers.

The district has students in grades 7-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 25 to 1, according to Niche. According to state test scores, 66% of students are at least proficient in math and 77% in reading.

For more information, read the full report on San Dieguito Union High School District.

The top 15 school districts in San Diego County and the letter grades assigned by Niche include:

1. San Dieguito Union High School District, A+
2. Poway Unified School District, A+
3. Coronado Unified School District, A+
4. Carlsbad Unified School District, A+
5. San Marcos Unified School District, A
6. Grossmont Union High School District, A
7. San Diego Unified School District, A
8. Sweetwater Union High School District, A-
9. Escondido Union High School District, A-
10. Vista Unified School District, A-
11. Ramona City Unified School District, B+
12. Bonsall Unified School District, B+
13. Fallbrook Union High School District, B+
14. Oceanside Unified School District, B+
15. Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District, B

The top five school districts nationwide are concentrated in two states, Illinois and New York. They are:

1. Adlai E. Stevenson High School District 125 (Illinois)
2. Glenbrook High School District 225 (Illinois)
3. Evanston Township High School District 202 (Illinois)
4. East Williston Union Free School District (New York)
5. Syosset Central School District (New York)

The rankings differ from others that rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance in that it also includes input from students, alumni and parents, as well as quantitative data from sources such as the U.S. Department of Education to evaluate teachers, resources and facilities.