Public schools in Compton, CA
40 open public schools with an address in Compton, operated by 6 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
40
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
17,761
39 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
24.7:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
4
1 virtual
An overview of Compton public schools
The federal directory lists 40 public schools in Compton, CA: 21 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 5 combined or other. The 39 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 17,761 students, an average of 455 per school. The largest campus is Manuel Dominguez High (1,582 students), and the largest elementary school is KIPP Compton Community (783).
Compton Unified operates the most schools here (35), plus 5 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 24.7:1, higher than the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 4 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 5 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 5 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 90% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Compton
Compton Unified
Public school district
35 schools in Compton · 37 total
Bridges Preparatory Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Compton
Compton Unified ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Compton
ISANA Achernar Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Compton
KIPP Compton Community District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Compton
Lifeline Education Charter District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Compton
Elementary schools in Compton
21| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anderson Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 451 | 25.2:1 | |
| Bursch Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 370 | 25.5:1 | |
| Clinton William Jefferson Compton Unified | KG–08 | 692 | 25.3:1 | |
| Dickison Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 681 | 24.3:1 | |
| Emerson Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 544 | 23.9:1 | |
| Foster Elementary Compton Unified | KG–05 | 398 | 24.9:1 | |
| ISANA Achernar Academy ISANA Achernar Academy District · Charter | KG–08 | 407 | 21.3:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 642 | 27.2:1 | |
| Kelly Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 685 | 25.9:1 | |
| KIPP Compton Community KIPP Compton Community District · Charter | KG–08 | 783 | 24.8:1 | |
| Laurel Street Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 377 | 25.2:1 | |
| Longfellow Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 450 | 25:1 | |
| Martin Luther King Elementary Compton Unified | KG–06 | 336 | 24.1:1 | |
| Mayo Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 440 | 24.4:1 | |
| McKinley Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 331 | 22.8:1 | |
| Robert F. Kennedy Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 610 | 22.6:1 | |
| Ronald E. McNair Elementary Compton Unified | KG–06 | 358 | 23.8:1 | |
| Roosevelt Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 534 | 26.8:1 | |
| Rosecrans Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 459 | 24.9:1 | |
| Tibby Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 554 | 24.7:1 | |
| Washington Elementary Compton Unified | KG–08 | 268 | 25.1:1 |
Middle schools in Compton
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridges Preparatory Academy Bridges Preparatory Academy District · Charter | 06–08 | 151 | 29:1 | |
| Bunche Middle Compton Unified | 06–08 | 286 | 25.2:1 | |
| Compton Community Day Middle Compton Unified · Alternative School | 06–08 | 2 | 0.9:1 | |
| Davis Middle Compton Unified | 06–08 | 520 | 26.2:1 | |
| Early College Middle Compton Unified | 06–08 | 304 | 28:1 | |
| Enterprise Middle Compton Unified | 07–08 | 182 | 18.1:1 | |
| Whaley Middle Compton Unified | 06–08 | 429 | 24.3:1 |
High schools in Compton
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centennial High Compton Unified | 09–12 | 908 | 20.1:1 | |
| Cesar Chavez Continuation High Compton Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 263 | 17.3:1 | |
| Compton Community Day High Compton Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 6 | 2.7:1 | |
| Compton Early College High Compton Unified | 09–12 | 556 | 30.8:1 | |
| Compton High Compton Unified | 09–12 | 1,438 | 25.8:1 | |
| Compton Unified ROP Compton Unified ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Manuel Dominguez High Compton Unified | 09–12 | 1,582 | 22:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Compton
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compton Academy of Technology and Innovation High Compton Unified | 09–09 | — | — | |
| Compton STEP Compton Unified · Special Education School | KG–12 | 15 | 7.7:1 | |
| Compton Virtual Academy Compton Unified · Virtual · Alternative School | KG–12 | 0 | — | |
| Lifeline Education Charter Lifeline Education Charter District · Charter | KG–12 | 698 | 23:1 | |
| Thurgood Marshall Compton Unified | KG–12 | 51 | 16.7:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White0.3%
- Hispanic82.4%
- Black15.8%
- Asian0.1%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.5%
- Multiracial0.8%
Enrollment-weighted across 37 Compton schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (17,761 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Compton
How many public schools are in Compton, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 40 open public schools with a location address in Compton: 21 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 5 combined or other. Together they reported 17,761 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Compton?
Schools with an address in Compton belong to 6 education agencies, led by Compton Unified (35 schools), Bridges Preparatory Academy District (1 school), Compton Unified ROP (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Compton?
Manuel Dominguez High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Compton, with 1,582 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Compton?
Yes. 4 of the 40 public schools in Compton are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Bridges Preparatory Academy, ISANA Achernar Academy, KIPP Compton Community. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Compton schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Compton public schools is 24.7:1, higher than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Compton guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities