Public schools in Merced, CA
36 open public schools with an address in Merced, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
36
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
22,528
35 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
22.5:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
1
0 virtual
An overview of Merced public schools
The federal directory lists 36 public schools in Merced, CA: 19 elementary, 5 middle, 9 high, 3 combined or other. The 35 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 22,528 students, an average of 644 per school. The largest campus is Merced High (1,943 students), and the largest elementary school is Pioneer Elementary (1,055).
Merced City Elementary operates the most schools here (19), and 6 regular districts have at least one Merced campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. 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 22.5:1, similar to 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 1 charter school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 9 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 3 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 10 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 80% 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 Merced
Merced City Elementary
Public school district
19 schools in Merced
Merced Union High
Public school district
6 schools in Merced · 9 total
Merced County Office of Education
Public school district
4 schools in Merced · 7 total
Weaver Union
Public school district
4 schools in Merced
McSwain Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Merced
Merced County ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Merced
Plainsburg Union Elementary
Public school district
1 school in Merced
Elementary schools in Merced
19| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada Givens Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 579 | 23.2:1 | |
| Alicia Reyes Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 540 | 24.6:1 | |
| Allan Peterson Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 690 | 25.6:1 | |
| Charles Wright Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 527 | 22:1 | |
| Don Stowell Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 501 | 21.8:1 | |
| Donn B. Chenoweth Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 722 | 24.9:1 | |
| Farmdale Elementary Weaver Union | KG–05 | 919 | 20.8:1 | |
| Franklin Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–03 | 602 | 22.3:1 | |
| Joe Stefani Merced City Elementary | 03–06 | 641 | 27.6:1 | |
| John C. Fremont Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 580 | 25.3:1 | |
| John Muir Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 613 | 25.6:1 | |
| Leontine Gracey Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 509 | 23.1:1 | |
| Luther Burbank Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 716 | 25.6:1 | |
| Margaret Sheehy Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 481 | 24.1:1 | |
| McSwain Elementary McSwain Union Elementary | KG–08 | 912 | 20.9:1 | |
| Merced City School District Community Day Merced City Elementary · Alternative School | KG–06 | 22 | 7.7:1 | |
| Pioneer Elementary Weaver Union | KG–05 | 1,055 | 20.3:1 | |
| Plainsburg Union Elementary Plainsburg Union Elementary | KG–08 | 113 | 19.5:1 | |
| Rudolph Rivera Elementary Merced City Elementary | KG–06 | 917 | 27:1 |
Middle schools in Merced
5| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herbert H. Cruickshank Middle Merced City Elementary | 07–08 | 624 | 30.1:1 | |
| Herbert Hoover Middle Merced City Elementary | 07–08 | 629 | 29.6:1 | |
| Rudolph Rivera Middle Merced City Elementary | 07–08 | 608 | 28.7:1 | |
| Tenaya Middle Merced City Elementary | 07–08 | 607 | 27.2:1 | |
| Weaver Middle Weaver Union | 06–08 | 1,073 | 22.2:1 |
High schools in Merced
9| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Come Back Charter Merced County Office of Education · Charter | 09–12 | 128 | 27.2:1 | |
| El Capitan High Merced Union High | 09–12 | 1,793 | 21.2:1 | |
| Golden Valley High Merced Union High | 09–12 | 1,917 | 21.4:1 | |
| Independence High (Alternative) Merced Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 87 | 8.3:1 | |
| Merced County ROP Merced County ROP · Career and Technical School | 11–12 | 0 | — | |
| Merced High Merced Union High | 09–12 | 1,943 | 22.6:1 | |
| Sequoia High Merced Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 77 | 9:1 | |
| Valley Merced Community Merced County Office of Education · Alternative School | 06–12 | 99 | 20.2:1 | |
| Yosemite High (Continuation) Merced Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 342 | 16.1:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Merced
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merced County Juvenile Court Merced County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 20 | 18:1 | |
| Merced County Special Education Merced County Office of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | 942 | 13:1 | |
| Weaver Preschool Weaver Union | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White12%
- Hispanic69.5%
- Black4.5%
- Asian9.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial3.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 34 Merced schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (22,528 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Merced
How many public schools are in Merced, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 36 open public schools with a location address in Merced: 19 elementary, 5 middle, 9 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 22,528 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Merced?
Schools with an address in Merced belong to 7 education agencies, led by Merced City Elementary (19 schools), Merced Union High (6 schools), Merced County Office of Education (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Merced?
Merced High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Merced, with 1,943 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Merced?
Yes. 1 of the 36 public schools in Merced are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Come Back Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Merced schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Merced public schools is 22.5:1, similar to 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 Merced 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