Best Elementary Schools in Alameda County, California
Introduction
Alameda County is home to some of the most academically accomplished elementary schools in California — and it's not hard to see why families relocate here specifically for the schools. Stretching from the waterfront city of Piedmont to the sprawling tech-adjacent suburbs of Fremont and Dublin, this county offers a remarkable range of communities, each with its own character and its own standout schools.
What makes the top schools in Alameda County particularly impressive is how consistently strong they are across every subject. The schools on this list didn't earn their spots by excelling in one area — they ranked at or near the 99th percentile in English, Math, and Science simultaneously. Whether you're a family drawn to Fremont's diverse, high-achieving neighborhoods or Dublin's newer master-planned communities, you'll find schools here that rival the best in the state. Here's a closer look at the ten best elementary schools in Alameda County.
1. Warm Springs Elementary — Fremont Unified, Fremont
Warm Springs Elementary sits in the southeastern corner of Fremont, a neighborhood that has quietly become one of the most sought-after addresses in the East Bay for education-minded families. Scoring at the 99th percentile in English and Science and a perfect 100th percentile in Math, this school consistently ranks among the very best in California. Families who prioritize rigorous academics in a diverse, community-oriented setting — and who want their kids surrounded by peers who take learning seriously — tend to feel right at home here.
2. Mission San Jose Elementary — Fremont Unified, Fremont
The Mission San Jose neighborhood in Fremont has long had a reputation as one of the most academically competitive communities in the Bay Area, and Mission San Jose Elementary is a big reason why. Scoring at the 99th percentile across English, Math, and Science, this school draws families who are deeply invested in their children's education and tend to be highly engaged in school life. The surrounding neighborhood is quiet, well-maintained, and conveniently close to the hills — a genuinely lovely place to raise kids.
3. Joshua Chadbourne Elementary — Fremont Unified, Fremont
Joshua Chadbourne Elementary is another gem within the Fremont Unified School District, scoring at the 99th percentile in English, Math, and Science. Fremont Unified has a remarkable concentration of high-performing schools, and Chadbourne holds its own among the district's best. Families who want a strong academic environment with the stability and resources of a well-established public school district will find a lot to like here.
4. J. M. Amador Elementary — Dublin Unified, Dublin
Dublin has transformed dramatically over the past two decades from a small bedroom community into one of the fastest-growing cities in California — and its schools have kept pace. J. M. Amador Elementary scores at the 99th percentile in English, Math, and Science, making it one of the top-performing schools in the entire county. Dublin Unified has built a strong reputation on the back of new facilities, engaged parent communities, and high expectations, and Amador exemplifies all of that.
5. Fred E. Weibel Elementary — Fremont Unified, Fremont
Fred E. Weibel Elementary rounds out an impressive group of 99th percentile schools within Fremont Unified, scoring at the top tier in English, Math, and Science. Weibel is located in a well-established Fremont neighborhood and draws families who appreciate both academic excellence and a school community with a genuine sense of tradition. For parents who want a high-achieving public school without the pressure of a lottery or charter application, Weibel is a compelling choice.
Score Trends — Top 5
The first five elementary schools show mixed results this year. Warm Springs Elementary is leading the charge with an English score jump from 92 to 95, though their Math dipped slightly from 97 to 96—still an impressive overall performance. Mission San Jose Elementary, however, is facing real challenges, with both English and Math dropping significantly (English fell 7 points from 102 to 95, and Math dropped 7 points from 100 to 93), making it the biggest concern in this group. Joshua Chadbourne Elementary is holding relatively steady with modest gains in English (91 to 92) but a small Math decline (94 to 92), while J. M. Amador Elementary shows a similar pattern—English slipped 3 points to 95, but Math improved 1 point to 90. Overall, this group is treading water, with Warm Springs as the bright spot and Mission San Jose demanding closer attention.
6. Cottonwood Creek — Dublin Unified, Dublin
Cottonwood Creek is one of Dublin's newer elementary schools, and it has wasted no time establishing itself as one of the best in the county. With a perfect 100th percentile score in Math, a 99th percentile in English, and a 97th percentile in Science, it earns an overall 99th percentile ranking. Dublin's newer developments tend to attract young professional families with high expectations for public education, and Cottonwood Creek has clearly risen to meet that demand.
7. Beach Elementary — Piedmont City Unified, Piedmont
Piedmont is a small, incorporated city entirely surrounded by Oakland — and it operates its own unified school district, which gives it an unusual degree of control over its schools' quality and culture. Beach Elementary scores at the 98th percentile in English, a 99th in Math, and a 99th in Science, landing it firmly in the overall 99th percentile. Piedmont's schools are a major reason families pay a premium to live in this tight-knit, walkable community, where parent involvement is exceptionally high and the schools feel almost like an extension of the neighborhood itself.
8. James Leitch Elementary — Fremont Unified, Fremont
James Leitch Elementary is another strong performer within Fremont Unified, earning a perfect 100th percentile score in Math and a 97th percentile in English for an overall 99th percentile ranking. Fremont's diversity is one of the city's defining characteristics, and Leitch reflects that — it's a school where students from a wide range of backgrounds come together in a rigorous academic environment. For families who want both excellence and a genuinely multicultural school community, Leitch is worth a serious look.
9. Yu Ming Charter — Alameda County Office of Education, Oakland
Yu Ming Charter is one of the most distinctive schools on this list — and one of the most distinctive in the entire Bay Area. A Mandarin immersion charter school serving students from Oakland and the surrounding area, Yu Ming scores at the 98th percentile in English, a perfect 100th percentile in Math, and the 96th percentile in Science, earning an overall 98th percentile ranking. Families who enroll here are getting both a top-tier academic education and genuine bilingual fluency — a rare combination that makes Yu Ming Charter stand out well beyond its test scores.
10. Harold William Kolb — Dublin Unified, Dublin
Harold William Kolb Elementary is the third Dublin Unified school to crack the top ten, which says a great deal about what Dublin has built as a school district. Scoring at the 98th percentile in English, the 99th in Math, and the 95th in Science for an overall 98th percentile ranking, Kolb is a high-performing school in a city that has made education a clear priority. Families moving to Dublin who want a neighborhood public school with consistently strong outcomes will find Kolb to be a reliable and impressive option.
Score Trends — #6-10
Fred E. Weibel Elementary is the real success story here, with outstanding gains in both subjects: English jumped 5 points (87 to 92) and Math surged an impressive 15 points (78 to 93). James Leitch Elementary also deserves recognition, improving English from 73 to 81 and Math from 95 to 101—showing strong upward momentum across the board. Beach Elementary, unfortunately, is experiencing a dramatic reversal, with English plummeting 21 points (105 to 84) and Math falling 18 points (100 to 82)—a troubling shift that warrants investigation. Cottonwood Creek Elementary is stable but slightly declining in English (98 to 95) while inching up in Math (96 to 97), and both Yu Ming Charter and Harold William Kolb are relatively flat, though Harold William Kolb's 14-point English drop (97 to 83) is concerning despite stable Math scores.
How We Rank Schools
The School Advocate ranks schools using state standardized test data across three subjects: English, Math, and Science. English and Math each account for 40% of a school's overall score, while Science makes up the remaining 20%. We weight more recent test years more heavily than older data to make sure rankings reflect where a school is performing now, not just where it was several years ago. Scores are converted into percentile rankings so you can see how each school compares to every other public school in California — not just the ones in its district or county.
Compare Schools Yourself
Numbers only tell part of the story. If you want to dig into the details and compare specific schools side by side — whether you're deciding between two neighborhoods or just doing your research — head over to our school comparison tool at /compare. You can pull up any schools you're considering and look at how they stack up across every subject, so you can make the most informed decision possible for your family.
Top 50 Rankings
| Rank | School | District | City | English | Math | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Warm Springs Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 99 | 100 | 99 |
| 2 | Mission San Jose Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 3 | Joshua Chadbourne Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 4 | J. M. Amador Elementary | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 5 | Fred E. Weibel Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 99 | 99 | 99 |
| 6 | Cottonwood Creek | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 99 | 100 | 99 |
| 7 | Beach Elementary | Piedmont City Unified | Piedmont | 98 | 99 | 99 |
| 8 | James Leitch Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 97 | 100 | 99 |
| 9 | Yu Ming Charter | Alameda County Office of Education | Oakland | 98 | 100 | 98 |
| 10 | Harold William Kolb | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 98 | 99 | 98 |
| 11 | Henry P. Mohr Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 98 | 99 | 98 |
| 12 | Ardenwood Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 97 | 98 | 98 |
| 13 | Walnut Grove Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 97 | 98 | 98 |
| 14 | Ruth Acty Elementary | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley | 98 | 98 | 98 |
| 15 | Lila Bringhurst Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 97 | 98 | 98 |
| 16 | Wildwood Elementary | Piedmont City Unified | Piedmont | 98 | 98 | 98 |
| 17 | John Gomes Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 95 | 99 | 97 |
| 18 | Warwick Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 96 | 95 | 97 |
| 19 | Jensen Ranch Elementary | Castro Valley Unified | Castro Valley | 97 | 96 | 97 |
| 20 | John Green Elementary | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 94 | 97 | 96 |
| 21 | Emma C. Smith Elementary | Livermore Valley Joint Unified | Livermore | 96 | 96 | 96 |
| 22 | Berkeley Arts Magnet at Whittier | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley | 97 | 93 | 96 |
| 23 | Sunol Glen Elementary | Sunol Glen Unified | Sunol | 95 | 97 | 96 |
| 24 | Lydiksen Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 94 | 95 | 95 |
| 25 | Havens Elementary | Piedmont City Unified | Piedmont | 93 | 96 | 95 |
| 26 | Lawrence Elementary | Livermore Valley Joint Unified | Livermore | 94 | 93 | 95 |
| 27 | Donlon Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 93 | 95 | 95 |
| 28 | Amelia Earhart Elementary | Alameda Unified | Alameda | 91 | 97 | 94 |
| 29 | O. N. Hirsch Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 94 | 96 | 94 |
| 30 | Vintage Hills Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 93 | 93 | 94 |
| 31 | Niles Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 92 | 94 | 94 |
| 32 | Bay Farm | Alameda Unified | Alameda | 94 | 94 | 94 |
| 33 | Dublin Elementary | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| 34 | James Dougherty Elementary | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 93 | 94 | 94 |
| 35 | Mission Valley Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 91 | 95 | 94 |
| 36 | Harvey Green Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 92 | 95 | 94 |
| 37 | Parkmont Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 93 | 93 | 94 |
| 38 | Proctor Elementary | Castro Valley Unified | Castro Valley | 93 | 93 | 94 |
| 39 | Cornell Elementary | Albany City Unified | Albany | 93 | 92 | 93 |
| 40 | Edison Elementary | Alameda Unified | Alameda | 91 | 94 | 93 |
| 41 | Murray Elementary | Dublin Unified | Dublin | 90 | 93 | 92 |
| 42 | Frank Otis Elementary | Alameda Unified | Alameda | 90 | 93 | 92 |
| 43 | Fairlands Elementary | Pleasanton Unified | Pleasanton | 90 | 95 | 92 |
| 44 | Forest Park Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 89 | 93 | 92 |
| 45 | Sunset Elementary | Livermore Valley Joint Unified | Livermore | 92 | 90 | 91 |
| 46 | Emerson Elementary | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley | 91 | 91 | 91 |
| 47 | Brookvale Elementary | Fremont Unified | Fremont | 90 | 91 | 91 |
| 48 | Chabot Elementary | Oakland Unified | Oakland | 90 | 90 | 91 |
| 49 | Rosa Parks Environmental Science | Berkeley Unified | Berkeley | 90 | 90 | 91 |
| 50 | Crocker Highlands Elementary | Oakland Unified | Oakland | 89 | 90 | 91 |