Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in San Jose Unified

This page covers 6 middle schools in San Jose 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.

6
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 6 of 6
1
rank
Bret Harte Middle
Grades 06–08914 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
54
/100
Student:Teacher
21.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
12%
Low economic need
2
rank
John Muir Middle
Grades 06–08787 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
50
/100
Student:Teacher
21.3:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
58/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
51%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Castillero Middle
Grades 06–08881 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
49
/100
Student:Teacher
23.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
31%
Low economic need
4
rank
Muwekma Ohlone Middle
Grades 06–08630 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
48
/100
Student:Teacher
19.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
53/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
68%
High economic need
5
rank
Willow Glen Middle
Grades 06–081,155 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
46
/100
Student:Teacher
24.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
47/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
35%
Low economic need
6
rank
Herbert Hoover Middle
Grades 06–08971 students
Ranked for: above-average investment ($17,600/student)
43
/100
Student:Teacher
21.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
41/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$17,600
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
61%
Near nat'l 52.2%
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
6
Middle Schools
42
Total Schools
54
#1 Score
48
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Bret Harte Middle
Score: 54/100
Compare San Jose 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.