Mahadev Maitri Foundation
US Initiatives
Middle Schools

Best Middle Schools
in Sweetwater Union High

This page covers 11 of the 12 middle schools in Sweetwater Union High had enough federal data to rank. 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 below 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.

11
Schools Ranked
California
State
None
Charter Schools
RankingsHow We RankFAQAbout Data

Middle Schools Rankings

Showing 10 of 11
1
rank
Rancho del Rey Middle
Grades 07–081,606 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
45
/100
Student:Teacher
26.0:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
25%
Low economic need
2
rank
Bonita Vista Middle
Grades 07–08839 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
44
/100
Student:Teacher
24.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
39%
Near nat'l 52.2%
3
rank
Chula Vista Middle
Grades 07–08638 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
43
/100
Student:Teacher
21.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
73%
High economic need
4
rank
Eastlake Middle
Grades 07–081,611 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
41
/100
Student:Teacher
27.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
26%
Low economic need
5
rank
Castle Park Middle
Grades 07–08724 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
40
/100
Student:Teacher
20.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
80%
High economic need
6
rank
Hilltop Middle
Grades 07–08869 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
39
/100
Student:Teacher
25.4:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
48/100
Near nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
71%
High economic need
7
rank
Granger Junior High
Grades 07–09794 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
37
/100
Student:Teacher
22.5:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
84%
High economic need
8
rank
Southwest Middle
Grades 07–08441 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
34
/100
Student:Teacher
21.2:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
25/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
78%
High economic need
9
rank
Mar Vista Academy
Grades 07–08552 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
33
/100
Student:Teacher
20.9:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
25/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
86%
High economic need
10
rank
National City Middle
Grades 07–08698 students
Scores consistently across all ranking signals
33
/100
Student:Teacher
24.6:1
Near nat'l 15.4:1
Opportunity
38/100
Below nat'l median
Per-Pupil Spend
$16,384
Above nat'l avg
Free Lunch
93%
High economic need
1 more middle schools in Sweetwater Union High not shown here.
View all schools in Sweetwater Union High
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
11
Middle Schools
29
Total Schools
45
#1 Score
38
Avg Score
Top Ranked Middle School
1
Compare Sweetwater Union High with neighbouring districts
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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.