Education
U.S. News 2027 School Rankings: Seven Schools Near Bolsa Made the List. Here’s How to Read It
U.S. News released its 2027 elementary and middle school rankings on Oct. 20, 2026. According to OCDE, 29 Orange County schools earned 31 spots in California’s top 100. Seven of those spots belong to GGUSD and Fountain Valley schools near the Bolsa area.
- Seven schools near Bolsa made California’s top 100. They are Ethan B. Allen, Patton, McGarvin and Bell in GGUSD, plus Newland, Plavan and Masuda in the Fountain Valley School District.
- Half of each ranking score accounts for socioeconomic factors. Scores are based on math and English test results from the 2023–24 school year.
- A ranking can’t tell you which school fits your child. Ask about student support and enrollment boundaries too.
What was released?
On Oct. 20, 2026, U.S. News & World Report released its 2027 Best Elementary and Middle Schools rankings. It reviewed more than 65,000 public schools nationwide. Schools are ranked only within their state and district; there is no national ranking for these grade levels.
The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) reported on Oct. 21 that 29 Orange County campuses earned 31 spots in California’s top 100. The numbers differ because schools that serve both grade levels can appear on both the elementary and middle school lists.
Orange County’s top finishers were Jack L. Weaver Elementary in Los Alamitos Unified (No. 10 among elementary schools) and Oxford Academy in Anaheim Union High School District (No. 3 among middle schools).
Which schools near Bolsa made the list?
According to OCDE’s list, schools near Little Saigon include:
Elementary schools
- Ethan B. Allen Elementary, GGUSD: No. 28
- William T. Newland Elementary, Fountain Valley School District: No. 54
- Plavan Elementary, Fountain Valley School District: No. 65
- Patton Elementary, GGUSD: No. 89
Middle schools
- Masuda Middle, Fountain Valley School District: No. 71
- Sarah McGarvin Intermediate (in Westminster), GGUSD: No. 86
- Hilton D. Bell Intermediate, GGUSD: No. 90
No Westminster School District (WSD) school appears in the top 100 list that OCDE published.
How are the rankings calculated?
According to OCDE, U.S. News updated its method this year. Half of each school’s score reflects student proficiency in math and English. The other half compares academic performance with students’ socioeconomic background.
The data comes from state education agencies and the U.S. Department of Education, including 2023–24 test results. Student-teacher ratios break ties.
That means the rankings reflect test scores from more than two years ago. They don’t measure this year’s classes, individual teachers or the feel of a campus.
OCDE also notes that rankings are just one way to look at academic performance. Families should weigh them alongside other factors that matter to their child.
What else should parents ask?
Every child needs different things. When looking at a school, parents can ask:
- How does the school support students who are learning English?
- What special education programs and disability support does it offer?
- How many students are in each class?
- What clubs, sports and after-school activities are available?
- How do parents reach teachers, and is Vietnamese interpretation available?
Official data on each school is available on the California School Dashboard (caschooldashboard.org), run by the California Department of Education.
Living nearby doesn’t guarantee a seat
Living near a school doesn’t automatically mean your child can enroll there. Each district sets its own boundaries and enrollment rules.
Before renting or buying a home for a school, ask the district about current boundaries. A high ranking doesn’t guarantee your child will do well, or that nearby home prices will rise.
Translation assisted by AI and reviewed by an editor.
xếp hạng → to rank, ranking
Trường của em được xếp hạng 28 ở California.
trường tiểu học → elementary school
Em tôi đang học trường tiểu học gần nhà.
trường trung học cơ sở → middle school
Năm sau con lên trường trung học cơ sở.
ghi danh → to enroll, enrollment
Ba mẹ cần ghi danh cho con trước tháng Tám.
học khu → school district
Nhà mình thuộc học khu Garden Grove.
điểm thi → test scores
Điểm thi chỉ là một phần của chuyện học.
phù hợp → suitable, a good fit
Trường nào phù hợp với con thì tốt nhất.
🧩 Play Cầu Chữ — the daily word game from Bolsa Bridge, built from vocabulary boxes like this one →
Sources & verification notes · 3 sources
- OCDE — OC elementary and middle schools rank among California’s best in latest U.S. News list — https://newsroom.ocde.us/oc-elementary-and-middle-schools-rank-among-californias-best-in-latest-u-s-news-list/. OCDE’s English-language report published Oct. 21, 2026. It gives the 29 campuses/31 spots figure, the full school list with ranks, and a methodology summary. School names, ranks and districts come from this source.
- U.S. News — How U.S. News calculated the rankings — https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/articles/how-us-news-calculated-the-rankings. U.S. News’s English-language methodology page, linked by OCDE. Bolsa Bridge could not load it during fact-checking (timeout); the methodology described here is attributed to OCDE.
- California School Dashboard — https://www.caschooldashboard.org/. The California Department of Education’s official school data site, in English with language options. The article points readers to it but cites no figures from it.