Balboa Gifted/High Ability Magnet Elementary in Northridge is the highest-ranked Los Angeles school on the 2027 U.S. News Best Elementary Schools list, placing No. 15 out of 5,920 ranked California campuses.
Wonderland Avenue Elementary in Laurel Canyon came in close behind at No. 18 statewide, with an overall score of 99.71 out of 100. Both are Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) campuses.
The rankings evaluated more than 46,700 public elementary schools nationwide. U.S. News based the results on 2023-2024 state assessment data, weighting math and reading proficiency at 50% and student performance relative to socioeconomic expectations at the other 50%.
Balboa, a public magnet school serving grades 1-5, posted strong test numbers. Eighty-eight percent of its 650 students scored at or above proficient in math, and 93% hit that mark in reading. Those figures dwarf the LAUSD averages of 38% in math and 42% in reading. The school earned an overall score of 99.76 out of 100.
Wonderland Avenue, a K-5 campus with 435 students, performed even higher in math proficiency at 90%, with 93% proficient in reading. Founded in 1926 and nestled in the Hollywood Hills above Laurel Canyon, the school houses both a neighborhood program and a gifted magnet that draws students citywide, according to the school's website. Wonderland also earned a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School designation.
The results land as LAUSD reports broader gains. The district said in an Oct. 15 press release that students achieved their highest-ever scores in English, math and science on state assessments, marking a third consecutive year of improvement. LAUSD's math proficiency rate of 39.8% surpassed the statewide average of 38.4% for the first time since testing began in 2014-15, the district said.
Superintendent Andrés E. Chait, appointed in June, said in the release that the district must ensure every student has access to excellent teaching and meaningful academic support.
No on-record comments from the principals of Balboa or Wonderland about the 2027 rankings were available as of publication.
LAUSD contains 784 schools and 408,026 students, according to U.S. News' district profile. About 60% of district students are economically disadvantaged. At Balboa, 31% qualify; at Wonderland, 27%.
California's top 10 elementary schools
For comparison, here are the 10 highest-ranked public elementary schools statewide, according to U.S. News. Some serve wider grade spans but were ranked on grades 3-5 test scores only.
- Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter — El Dorado Hills (K-12)
- Cold Spring Elementary — Santa Barbara
- Murdock-Portal Elementary — San Jose
- William Faria Elementary — Cupertino
- North Star Academy — Redwood City (grades 3-8)
- Herbert Hoover Elementary — Palo Alto
- Covington Elementary — Los Altos
- Bullis Charter — Los Altos (K-8)
- Elkhorn — Stockton (grades 4-8)
- Jack L. Weaver Elementary — Los Alamitos
The No. 1 school statewide, Buckeye Union Mandarin Immersion Charter in El Dorado Hills, posted 96% math proficiency and 98% reading proficiency among its 180 students.
