What are the best public schools in Alameda CA?

Alameda Unified has some of the strongest public schools in the East Bay. Alameda High School rates 10/10 on GreatSchools. Lincoln Middle School rates 9/10. Top elementary schools include Amelia Earhart (10/10), Edison, Frank Otis, and Franklin (all 9/10), and Bay Farm K–8 (9/10). Spring 2026 median home price in Alameda is $1.62M for 3+ bed / 2+ bath.

What are the best public schools in Berkeley CA?

Berkeley Unified has excellent schools at every level. Washington Elementary rates 10/10, Oxford and Berkeley Arts Magnet rate 9/10, and Willard Middle School rates 10/10. Berkeley High School rates 9/10. Note: Berkeley uses an integration lottery — living near a school does not guarantee enrollment. Spring 2026 median prices range from $1.49M (South & West Berkeley) to $2.20M (Clairmont & Elmwood area).

What are the schools like in Albany CA?

Albany City Unified is one of the most consistent small school districts in the East Bay. Albany High School rates 10/10 on GreatSchools (#76 in California) with a 95% graduation rate. Albany Middle School rates 8/10. Elementary schools include Ocean View (a 2025 California Distinguished School), Cornell, Marin, and Harding. Spring 2026 median home price in Albany is $1.59M for 3+ bed / 2+ bath.

What are the schools like in Orinda CA?

Orinda has outstanding public schools at every level. Elementary schools rate 8–9/10, including Los Perales (9/10) and Del Rey, Rheem, Glorietta, and Wagner Ranch (all 8/10). Orinda Intermediate rates 8/10. Students feed into Miramonte High School (10/10, #31 in California). Spring 2026 median home price in Orinda is $2.19M for 3+ bed / 2+ bath.

What are the schools like in Lafayette CA?

Lafayette elementary schools (Burton Valley, Happy Valley, Springhill, Lafayette Elementary) all rate 8/10. M.H. Stanley Middle School rates 7/10. Students feed into Acalanes High School (10/10, #77 in California) via the Acalanes Union High School District. Spring 2026 median home price in Lafayette is $2.02M for 3+ bed / 2+ bath.

What are the schools like in Piedmont CA?

Piedmont Unified is a small, self-contained school district completely surrounded by Oakland. Havens and Wildwood elementary schools rate 9/10, Beach Elementary rates 8/10, Piedmont Middle rates 8/10, and Piedmont High rates 9/10 (top 100 nationally). It is not part of Oakland Unified. Spring 2026 median home price in Piedmont is $3.23M for 3+ bed / 2+ bath — the highest in the East Bay.

What schools are in Rockridge Oakland?

Rockridge is served by Chabot Elementary (8/10) and Peralta Elementary (9/10) at the elementary level, Claremont Middle School (7/10), and Oakland Technical High School (8/10). Upper Rockridge is zoned for Hillcrest K–8 (7/10), the only K–8 school in Oakland Unified, which also feeds into Oakland Tech.

What schools are in Crocker Highlands Oakland?

Crocker Highlands Elementary (8/10, a 2025 California Distinguished School) feeds into Edna Brewer Middle School (7/10). High school students are zoned for Oakland High School (4/10), though many families pursue a lottery transfer to Oakland Technical High School (8/10).

How much does it cost to buy a home near good schools in the East Bay?

Spring 2026 median sale prices (3+ bed / 2+ bath) near top-rated East Bay schools: Piedmont $3.23M, Oakland Rockridge $2.25M, Orinda $2.19M, Lafayette $2.02M, Moraga $2.00M, Berkeley Hills $1.95M, Kensington $1.80M, Alameda $1.62M, Albany $1.59M, El Cerrito $1.29M. School zone and neighborhood can shift prices significantly even within the same city.

Are there good public schools in Oakland?

Yes — several Oakland neighborhoods have strong public schools. Rockridge has Peralta (9/10) and Chabot (8/10) elementaries and feeds into Oakland Tech (8/10). Crocker Highlands Elementary is 8/10 and a California Distinguished School. Montclair and Thornhill have 8–9/10 rated elementaries. The main challenge in Oakland is the high school level, where most neighborhoods are zoned for schools below 7/10 except Rockridge (Oakland Tech) and Upper Rockridge (also Oakland Tech).

What are the best neighborhoods to buy in if schools matter?

If K–12 school quality is the top priority, Moraga, Orinda, and Albany offer the strongest all-levels public pipelines at different price points. Albany is the most affordable with Albany High rated 10/10. Piedmont offers a self-contained 10/10 high school district within Oakland's borders. In Oakland itself, Rockridge has the strongest complete public pipeline within Oakland Unified.

What high school do Montclair Oakland kids attend?

Students in Montclair and Thornhill are zoned for Montera Middle School and then Skyline High School — not Oakland Technical. Both Montera and Skyline are rated 6/10 on GreatSchools.

Does living near a school in Berkeley guarantee enrollment?

No. Berkeley Unified uses an integration lottery system. Families rank school preferences and placement considers zone priority plus district diversity goals. Living near a school increases your odds but does not guarantee placement — this is an important distinction for buyers moving to Berkeley specifically for a school.

East Bay School Guide 2026 | GreatSchools Ratings & Home Prices by Neighborhood

Rating Key

9–10 Excellent 8 Strong 7 Good 6 Below threshold ≤5 Weak

Whole-City Districts — Consistent 7+ at every level

Area	Elementary	Middle	High School	Median Sale Price	Homes Sold
AlbanyAlbany City Unified	Ocean View, Cornell, Marin, Harding K–5 · typically 7–9 range Ocean View: 2025 CA Distinguished School	Albany Middle8/10 6–8 · only middle school · top 10% CA	Albany High10/10 #76 in CA · A+ Niche · 95% grad rate	$1.59M	17
AlamedaAlameda Unified	Amelia Earhart Elementary10/10 K–5 · Bay Farm Island · largest elem Edison · Frank Otis · Franklin9/10 K–5 · main island Bay Farm School9/10 K–8 · covers elem + middle grades William G. Paden8/10 K–5	Lincoln Middle9/10 6–8 · Fernside Blvd · top 5% CA Will C. Wood Middle7/10 6–8 · Grand St Bay Farm K–8 also covers middle grades	Alameda High10/10 A+ Niche · 97% grad rate · SAT avg 1310 Encinal Jr/Sr High7/10 6–12 · west end · $50M renovation 2021	$1.62M	65
BerkeleyBerkeley Unified	Washington10/10 K–5 · North Berkeley Oxford · Arts Magnet9/10 Thousand Oaks · Sylvia Mendez8/10 Mendez is dual Spanish/English immersion Cragmont · Emerson · John Muir7/10	Willard Middle10/10 6–8 · Stuart St MLK Jr. · Longfellow8/10 6–8	Berkeley High9/10 9–12 · only public HS · #213 in CA Lottery/integration system — zone ≠ guarantee	Hills & Thousand Oaks$1.95M	Hills & Thousand Oaks76
				Clairmont & Elmwood$2.20M	Clairmont & Elmwood39
				South & West$1.49M	South & West26
PiedmontPiedmont Unified	Havens · Wildwood9/10 K–5 Beach Elementary8/10 K–5	Piedmont Middle8/10 6–8 · feeds all three elementaries	Piedmont High9/10 A+ Niche · top 100 nationally · separate city district	$3.23M	48
OrindaOrinda Union Elem. + Acalanes HS District	Los Perales9/10 K–5 Del Rey · Rheem · Glorietta · Wagner Ranch8/10 K–5	Orinda Intermediate8/10 6–8 · only middle school	Miramonte High10/10 #31 in CA · A+ Niche · 98% grad rate	$2.19M	82
LafayetteLafayette Elem. District + Acalanes HS District	Burton Valley · Happy Valley · Springhill · Lafayette Elem.8/10 K–5	M.H. Stanley Middle7/10 6–8 · only middle school	Acalanes High10/10 #77 in CA · A+ Niche · 97% grad rate	$2.02M	100
MoragaMoraga Elem. District + Acalanes HS District	Los Perales9/10 K–5 Donald Rheem · Camino Pablo8/10 K–5	Joaquin Moraga Intermediate9/10 6–8 · only middle school	Campolindo High10/10 #30 in CA · A+ Niche · 99% grad rate	$2.00M	45

Oakland (OUSD) — By neighborhood pipeline

Neighborhood	Elementary	Middle	High School	Median Sale Price	Homes Sold
Upper RockridgeHillcrest zone	Hillcrest Elementary7/10 K–8 · only K-8 in OUSD · covers both levels	Covered by Hillcrest K–8 or Claremont Middle 7/10 if not at Hillcrest	Oakland Technical8/10 A Niche · #557 in CA	$2.25M	34
RockridgeChabot / Peralta zone	Peralta Elementary9/10 K–5 · Lower Rockridge · oversubscribed Chabot Elementary8/10 K–5 · Rockridge	Claremont Middle7/10 6–8 · College Ave at BART	Oakland Technical8/10	$2.25M	34
Crocker HighlandsTrestle Glen area	Crocker Highlands Elem.8/10 K–5 · 2025 CA Distinguished School	Edna Brewer Middle7/10 6–8 · 13th Ave	Oakland High4/10 9–12 · zoned HS Many families pursue lottery transfer to Oakland Tech	$1.96M	26
Glenview	Glenview Elementary7/10 K–5 · MacArthur Blvd	Edna Brewer Middle7/10 6–8 · 13th Ave	Oakland High4/10 Many families pursue lottery transfer to Oakland Tech	$1.36M	14
Montclair / Thornhill	Montclair Elementary9/10 K–5 · Mountain Blvd Thornhill Elementary8/10 K–5 · Thornhill Dr	Montera Middle6/10 6–8 · feeds Skyline HS	Skyline High6/10 B+ Niche · 45-acre hill campus	$1.50M	73

El Cerrito & Kensington — WCCUSD: Mixed pipeline

Area	Elementary	Middle	High School	Median Sale Price	Homes Sold
El CerritoWest Contra Costa Unified	Madera Elementary K–6 · highest-rated elem in city · B+ Niche Fairmont · Harding5/10 K–6 · most neighborhood elementaries	Fred T. Korematsu Middle4–5/10 7–8 · below avg per GS · #44 most diverse MS in CA	El Cerrito Senior High7/10 B+ Niche · 93% grad rate · SAT avg 1260 IT Academy · Media Academy · career pathways	$1.29M	34
KensingtonUnincorporated · West Contra Costa Unified	Kensington Hilltop Elem.8/10 K–6 · only school in Kensington · CA Distinguished Test score rating: 10/10 — overall pulled down by equity sub-score. Top-scoring school in all of WCCUSD. 96th percentile in CA.	Fred T. Korematsu Middle4–5/10 7–8 · zoned assignment Many families pursue interdistrict transfers to Albany or Berkeley middle schools	El Cerrito Senior High7/10 9–12 · zoned HS for Kensington Some families transfer to Berkeley High (9/10) via interdistrict permit	$1.80M	17

Notes

GreatSchools rates schools 1–10 based on test scores, college readiness, academic progress, and equity relative to other California schools.
Oakland Unified uses a neighborhood lottery — zone priority does not guarantee placement. Siblings of enrolled students get first priority.
Berkeley Unified uses an integration lottery. Placement is by ranked preference within zones, not purely by address.
Orinda, Lafayette, and Moraga each have separate K–8 elementary districts. After 8th grade, students feed into the Acalanes Union High School District (Miramonte, Acalanes, or Campolindo).
Piedmont is a separate city and school district geographically surrounded by Oakland. Not part of Oakland Unified.
Alameda Unified has two HS pipelines: most of the main island feeds into Alameda High (10/10), while the west end feeds into Encinal Jr/Sr High (7/10, grades 6–12).
El Cerrito WCCUSD ratings are partly dragged down by a high ELL population — parent satisfaction is generally higher than raw numbers suggest. El Cerrito High is the standout at 7/10.
Crocker Highlands and Glenview families frequently pursue lottery transfers to Oakland Tech to bypass the Oakland High assignment.

East Bay School Guide.
Ratings, pipelines, the full picture.

Whole-City Districts — Consistent 7+ at every level

Oakland (OUSD) — By neighborhood pipeline

El Cerrito & Kensington — WCCUSD: Mixed pipeline

A block can make a $300,000 difference.
Know exactly where you're buying.

East Bay School Guide.Ratings, pipelines, the full picture.

Whole-City Districts — Consistent 7+ at every level

Oakland (OUSD) — By neighborhood pipeline

El Cerrito & Kensington — WCCUSD: Mixed pipeline

A block can make a $300,000 difference.Know exactly where you're buying.

East Bay School Guide.
Ratings, pipelines, the full picture.

A block can make a $300,000 difference.
Know exactly where you're buying.