2026 Top Cities by School Score in Santa Cruz County
2026 Top Cities by School Score in:
Discover Santa Cruz's top neighborhoods based on schools, using scores from GreatSchools.org . Ideal for education-focused families, this list showcases areas with top-rated schools first.
Santa Cruz County's highest school score is 3.5 out of 5, in Live Oak. No ranked city in Santa Cruz County scores 4 out of 5 or higher for schools. Aptos follows at 2.6 out of 5.
School : 3.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.7/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 3.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.7/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.6/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 1.4/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.6/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 1.4/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.6/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.5/5
Safety : 5.0/5
Amenities : 0.6/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.4/5
Safety : 2.8/5
Amenities : 2.7/5
Price : $449,506
Appreciation : -
Value: $15 Overvalued
School : 2.4/5
Safety : 2.8/5
Amenities : 2.7/5
Price : $449,506
Appreciation : -
Value: $15 Overvalued
School : 2.0/5
Safety : 4.0/5
Amenities : 1.9/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
School : 2.0/5
Safety : 4.0/5
Amenities : 1.9/5
Price : -
Appreciation : -
Value: $0
Scores updated October 2026
Santa Cruz County schools: your questions, answered
What are the best cities for schools in Santa Cruz County?
By Houseberry's school score, the top-ranked cities in Santa Cruz County are Live Oak (3.5 out of 5), Aptos (2.6 out of 5) and Pasatiempo (2.5 out of 5), out of 5 ranked.
Which cities in Santa Cruz County have school scores of 4 out of 5 or higher?
Of the 5 cities in Santa Cruz County with a school score, none scores 4 out of 5 or higher for schools.
Which cities in Santa Cruz County rank highly for both schools and overall?
No ranked city in Santa Cruz County scores 4 out of 5 or higher both for schools and overall.
Which city in Santa Cruz County has the highest overall score?
Live Oak has the highest overall score of the ranked cities in Santa Cruz County, at 4.1 out of 5.
More rankings in Santa Cruz County
- Best cities in Santa Cruz County
- Safest cities in Santa Cruz County
- Best cities for amenities in Santa Cruz County
- Best-value cities in Santa Cruz County
- Fastest-appreciating cities in Santa Cruz County
Nearby counties
Santa Clara County · San Mateo County · Alameda County · San Francisco County · Contra Costa County