Schools in Palo Alto Unified · Santa Clara County

About schools in Santa Clara County

Silicon Valley's density and ambition show up directly in its public schools. Santa Clara County's 373 ranked schools span 34 districts across a compact but economically stratified region — from Palo Alto and Cupertino to the broader San Jose metro — and nearly half score in the top quartile statewide. That concentration of strong performers is unusual at this scale. William Faria Elementary in Cupertino and Herbert Hoover Elementary in Palo Alto both sit at the 100th percentile, reflecting the academic intensity their communities expect. With 61 charter options alongside traditional district schools, families here have meaningful choices, though performance varies considerably across the county's different cities and neighborhoods.