Walnut Valley Unified Elementary Schools Ranked — California

Introduction

If you're a parent considering a move to the Diamond Bar or Walnut area, you've probably already noticed that this part of the San Gabriel Valley takes education seriously. Walnut Valley Unified is one of those districts that consistently punches above its weight, drawing families who want strong academics without necessarily paying private school tuition. The communities here — Diamond Bar, Walnut, and the broader Walnut Valley area — tend to attract professionals and families who are deeply invested in their kids' schooling, and that culture shows up in the test scores.

What's striking about WVUSD's elementary schools is how competitive they are even at the middle and lower end of the district rankings. A school sitting at the 84th percentile nationally would be a standout in many districts — here, it's roughly the middle of the pack. Whether you're looking for an elite academic environment or simply a solid neighborhood school where your child will be challenged and supported, this district has a lot to offer. Here's a closer look at how each elementary school stacks up.

1. Maple Hill Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Diamond Bar

Maple Hill Elementary sits at the very top of Walnut Valley Unified — and honestly, it's not particularly close. Scoring at the 98th percentile nationally in English, Math, and Science, this school is performing at an elite level by any measure. Diamond Bar as a city has long been associated with high academic expectations, and Maple Hill is the clearest expression of that culture within the district. Families who prioritize rigorous academics and are looking for a school where high achievement is simply the norm will feel right at home here.

2. Quail Summit Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Diamond Bar

Quail Summit Elementary is another Diamond Bar gem, landing at the 96th percentile overall with a particularly impressive 98th percentile in Math. This is a school that clearly excels at quantitative thinking, making it especially appealing to families in STEM-oriented households — of which there are plenty in this part of the San Gabriel Valley. The surrounding neighborhood is quiet and residential, with the kind of engaged parent community that tends to make a good school even better over time.

3. Leonard G. Westhoff Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Walnut

Westhoff Elementary brings strong, well-rounded academics to the Walnut side of the district, ranking 95th percentile overall with scores of 96th in both English and Math. Walnut is a community with deep roots and a strong sense of neighborhood identity, and Westhoff fits that character well — it's a school with genuine academic substance rather than one that coasts on its zip code. Families looking for a high-performing school with a slightly more settled, less frenetic feel than some of the Diamond Bar campuses may find Westhoff to be a perfect fit.

4. Walnut Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Walnut

Walnut Elementary is exactly what you'd hope a neighborhood school could be — consistently strong across every subject, sitting at the 94th percentile overall. With scores of 94th in English, 95th in Math, and 93rd in Science, there's no obvious weak spot here, which speaks to a well-rounded instructional program. This is a school that will appeal to families who want dependable, high-quality academics in a community-minded environment, without necessarily needing to be in the very tippy-top tier of the district.

5. Evergreen Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Diamond Bar

Evergreen Elementary rounds out the top five in the district with a 92nd percentile overall ranking, including a notable 94th percentile in Science — the highest science score among the district's middle-ranked schools. Diamond Bar continues to show up strongly at this level, and Evergreen is a solid choice for families settling into the city who want a school with genuine academic strength. It's the kind of school where kids are expected to work hard, and the results reflect that expectation.

Score Trends — Top 5

Maple Hill Elementary continues its upward trajectory with English scores rising from 83 to 86 and Math improving from 73 to 75—solid, steady gains across both subjects. Quail Summit Elementary presents a concerning picture, with English plummeting 16 points (from 73 to 57) while Math also dipped 4 points, making it the most troubled school in this group. Leonard G. Westhoff Elementary is showing impressive momentum, particularly in Math where scores jumped 11 points from 57 to 68, alongside a 6-point English gain that signals real progress. Walnut Elementary remains relatively stable with a slight 2-point English decline offset by a 3-point Math improvement, suggesting consistent but modest performance. Overall, Maple Hill and Westhoff are the standouts here, while Quail Summit urgently needs intervention to reverse its dramatic English decline.

6. Castle Rock Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Diamond Bar

Castle Rock Elementary sits at the 88th percentile overall, which — it's worth repeating — is a genuinely strong performance nationally, even if it places sixth within this competitive district. Science is a relative strength here at the 90th percentile, and Math comes in at 89th. For families moving to Diamond Bar who may not land in the attendance zones for the district's top-ranked schools, Castle Rock is by no means a consolation prize — it's a school that would rank among the best in many other California districts.

7. Vejar Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Walnut

Vejar Elementary lands at the 86th percentile overall, offering a balanced academic profile across English, Math, and Science. Located in Walnut, the school serves a community that values education and tends to produce engaged, motivated students. Families who are newer to the district or are considering the Walnut area specifically will find Vejar to be a reliable, well-regarded campus. At the 86th percentile, it's performing well above the national average across every subject.

8. Cyrus J. Morris Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Walnut

Cyrus J. Morris Elementary ties Vejar at the 86th percentile overall, with a slight edge in Math at the 89th percentile. Also located in Walnut, Morris serves a community with strong family involvement and the kind of local pride that often translates into school spirit and parental engagement. For families choosing between the Walnut-area schools, Morris and Vejar are genuinely close in overall performance — local factors like commute, sibling placement, and neighborhood familiarity may end up being the deciding factors.

9. Collegewood Elementary — Walnut Valley Unified, Walnut Valley

Collegewood Elementary rounds out the district rankings at the 84th percentile overall, with Science as a particular area of strength at the 87th percentile. While it sits ninth in the district, an 84th percentile national ranking still means Collegewood is outperforming the vast majority of elementary schools across the country. Families in the broader Walnut Valley attendance area who end up at Collegewood are still getting a school that takes academics seriously — and in a district like WVUSD, even the ninth-ranked school carries real credibility.

Score Trends — #6-10

Castle Rock Elementary is the real success story among schools 6-10, with both English and Math showing double-digit jumps (English +8 to 42, Math +9 to 41), demonstrating meaningful improvement from a lower baseline. Evergreen Elementary, conversely, is struggling significantly with both subjects declining—English dropped 5 points to 54 and Math fell 5 points to 44, putting it among the district's lowest performers. Vejar Elementary also shows concerning losses, with English down 6 points (to 39) and Math down 9 points (to 36), reflecting broad academic challenges. Cyrus J. Morris Elementary faced a dramatic 17-point English collapse (from 50 to 33) along with a 7-point Math decline, representing one of the most troubling year-over-year changes in the data. On a positive note, Collegewood Elementary demonstrated remarkable growth from its very low starting point, with English jumping 11 points to 33 and Math rising 4 points to 27, though both subjects still need substantial support.

How We Rank Schools

Our rankings are built on California's Smarter Balanced assessment data, which measures student performance in English and Math, along with California Science Test results. We weight the subjects as follows: English counts for 40% of a school's overall score, Math counts for 40%, and Science accounts for the remaining 20%. When calculating rankings, we give more weight to recent years, so a school's most current results have a greater impact on its final score than data from several years ago. This approach rewards schools that are improving while ensuring that long-term performance still matters. All percentile scores reflect how a school compares to other public elementary schools across California.

Compare Schools Yourself

Rankings are a useful starting point, but every family's priorities are different. Maybe Math scores matter more to you than Science, or you want to compare two specific schools side by side before deciding where to buy. Our comparison tool at /compare lets you put any schools head to head across every subject and see exactly how they stack up. It's free to use, and it's the best way to go deeper than a ranked list can take you.

Top 14 Rankings

Rank	School	District	City	English	Math	Overall
1	Chaparral Middle	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	99	98	98
2	South Pointe Middle	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	96	98	97
3	Walnut High	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	93	96	95
4	Diamond Bar High	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	90	96	94
5	Suzanne Middle	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	91	93	93
6	Maple Hill Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	98	98	98
7	Quail Summit Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	93	98	96
8	Leonard G. Westhoff Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	96	96	95
9	Walnut Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	94	95	94
10	Evergreen Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	91	91	92
11	Castle Rock Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Diamond Bar	85	89	88
12	Vejar Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	84	88	86
13	Cyrus J. Morris Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut	84	89	86
14	Collegewood Elementary	Walnut Valley Unified	Walnut Valley	82	85	84