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What are the best public schools in Fresno County? See the latest rankings

Third-grade teacher Chelsea Toews asks for a show of hands at Liberty Elementary School in Clovis Unified on the first day of class in 2014.
Third-grade teacher Chelsea Toews asks for a show of hands at Liberty Elementary School in Clovis Unified on the first day of class in 2014. Fresno Bee file

From curriculum to teachers, a lot of factors go into picking the best school for your child to attend.

Niche, a ratings and review website, recently released its rankings of the best elementary, middle and high schools in Fresno County for 2025.

Niche focused on factors such as academics, diversity, teachers and college preparation, grading schools on a scale of A+ through D-..

Enterprise Alternative School was the best public elementary school in Fresno County, according to Niche.

The campus, which serves students in kindergarten through 12th grade, also landed at No. 1 on Niche’s list of the top 10 middle schools in the area.

Niche named Design Science Middle College High School in Fresno as the best pubic high school in Fresno County.

According to Niche, the No. 1 private school serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade was Fresno Adventist Academy. It also topped the list of the best local private high schools.

Design Science Middle College High School on the Fresno City College campus, shown Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Fresno.
Design Science Middle College High School on the Fresno City College campus, shown Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022 in Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com

Why are these the best public schools in Fresno County?

Enterprise Alternative School, part of the Clovis Unified School District, received an overall grade of A+ from Niche.

The school has a total of 45 students in grades K-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 8 to 1.

The alternative school “uses an independent study learning strategy,” it said on its website.

The school scored A grades for academics and diversity, and an A+ for teachers.

“ I love Enterprise because I am very independent,” one student wrote in a review on Niche adding that teachers at the school make special efforts to keep student “on track.”

Enterprise Alternative School was one of the top 20 public middle schools in California, Niche said, and ranked among the top 40 public elementary schools in the Golden State.

Part of the Fresno Unified School District, Design Science Middle College High School earned an overall Niche grade of A+.

The school has 245 students ninth through 12th grades with a student-teacher ratio of 25 to 1, Niche said.

The school scored A grades in academics, teachers, diversity and college prep.

In a Niche review, one student wrote that Design Science boasts “some of the best staff and teachers I’ve had.”

“They want every one of their students to pass and do well,” the student said.Academics are highly valued here.”

Design Science was one of 30 California schools recently named as National Blue Ribbon Schools by the U.S. Department of Education, The Fresno Bee previously reported.

The National Blue Ribbon Schools award program honors “high-performing schools and schools that are making great strides in closing achievement gaps,” the agency said on its website.

What are the best elementary schools in Fresno County?

These were the top 10 elementary schools in the Fresno area, according to Niche:

  1. Enterprise Alternative School in Fresno
  2. James S. Fugman Elementary School in Clovis
  3. Big Creek Elementary School
  4. Harold L. Woods Elementary School in Clovis
  5. Liberty Elementary School in Clovis
  6. Hume Lake Charter School
  7. Copper Hills Elementary School in Clovis
  8. Garfield Elementary School in Clovis
  9. Dry Creek Elementary School in Clovis
  10. Riverview Elementary School in Clovis

What are the top middle schools in Fresno area?

These were the best middle schools in Fresno County, according to Niche:

  1. Enterprise Alternative School in Fresno
  2. Big Creek Elementary School
  3. Hume Lake Charter School
  4. Granite Ridge Intermediate School in Clovis
  5. Alta Sierra Intermediate School in Clovis
  6. Clay Elementary School in Kingsburg
  7. Quail Lake Environmental Charter School in Sanger
  8. Hallmark Charter School in Sanger
  9. Reyburn Intermediate School in Clovis
  10. Kastner Intermediate School in Clovis

Where are the best local high schools?

Niche named these 10 high schools the best in Fresno County:

  1. Design Science Middle College High School in Fresno

  2. Enterprise Alternative School

  3. Clovis North High School

  4. Buchanan High School in Clovis

  5. Clovis West High School

  6. Hume Lake Charter School

  7. Hallmark Academy in Sanger

  8. Reedley Middle College High School in Kings Canyon

  9. Clovis East High School

  10. Edison High School in Fresno

How did Niche come up with its rankings?

Niche said it based its rankings on “rigorous analysis of academic and student life data” from the U.S. Department of Education.

The review site also looked at millions of reviews from students and parents.

Niche gave grades to local schools based on state test scores, student-teacher ratios, diversity, teacher quality, the overall quality of the school district and other factors

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