Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Riverside Unified

This page covers 7 middle schools in Riverside Unified. Rankings use a composite of neighborhood opportunity, class sizes, and per-student investment — signals available consistently from federal data across all US public schools. Schools in this district score near the national median on neighborhood opportunity. Use these rankings as a starting point; pair them with school visits and conversations with local parents before making any enrollment decision.

7
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 7 of 7
1
rank
Amelia Earhart Middle
Grades 07–08798 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
42
/100
Student:Teacher
25.8:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
51%
Near nat'l 52.2%
2
rank
Central Middle
Grades 07–08584 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
20.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
84%
High economic need
3
rank
Matthew Gage Middle
Grades 07–08885 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
22.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
70%
High economic need
4
rank
University Heights Middle
Grades 07–08804 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
22.1:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
92%
High economic need
5
rank
Frank Augustus Miller Middle
Grades 07–08831 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
40
/100
Student:Teacher
24.7:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
53%
Near nat'l 52.2%
6
rank
Chemawa Middle
Grades 07–08798 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
39
/100
Student:Teacher
22.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
46/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
90%
High economic need
7
rank
Sierra Middle
Grades 07–08830 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,213/student)
36
/100
Student:Teacher
23.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,213
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
87%
High economic need
How We Rank Middle Schools

Each school receives a composite score (0–100) built from 4 federal data signals, weighted to reflect what matters most at the middle school level. All signals are normalised against national benchmarks so a school's score reflects its standing across the entire US, not just within this district.

Neighborhood Opportunity
35%
Harvard Opportunity Atlas score for the school's neighbourhood. Reflects long-run economic outcomes for children raised in this area.
Student-Teacher Ratio
30%
Lower ratio = smaller classes. Particularly important during the middle years when academic and social needs are at their most complex.
Per-Pupil Expenditure
20%
Annual district spending per enrolled student from the NCES F-33 Finance Survey. Compared against national average.
Free Lunch Rate
15%
Percentage of students qualifying for free/reduced-price lunch. Reflects the economic profile of the community the school serves.
Test scores are excluded: they are not published as consistent open federal data across all states, making reliable cross-district comparison impossible with this signal alone.
District at a Glance
7
Middle Schools
48
Total Schools
42
#1 Score
40
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Riverside Unified with neighbouring districts
⇄ Compare districts
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Data

All figures on this page come directly from US federal open datasets: NCES Common Core of Data (enrollment, school characteristics, student-teacher ratios), NCES F-33 Finance Survey (per-pupil expenditure), Harvard Opportunity Atlas (neighbourhood opportunity scores). Federal data is published on an annual cycle and may not reflect the very latest school-year changes. Rankings reflect available data and should be used as a starting point — not a substitute for visiting schools or consulting district resources directly. What this ranking does not measure: teacher quality, classroom culture, extracurricular programmes, school safety, or parent and student satisfaction.