Public schools in Riverside, CA
85 open public schools with an address in Riverside, operated by 8 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
85
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
56,725
81 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
23.1:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
4
17 magnet · 1 virtual
An overview of Riverside public schools
The federal directory lists 85 public schools in Riverside, CA: 45 elementary, 11 middle, 19 high, 10 combined or other. The 81 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 56,725 students, an average of 700 per school. The largest campus is Martin Luther King Jr. High (2,699 students), and the largest elementary school is Mark Twain Elementary (1,033).
Riverside Unified operates the most schools here (50), and 3 regular districts have at least one Riverside campus, 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 23.1:1, 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, 17 magnet schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 22 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 12 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 10 of 23 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 77% 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 Riverside
Riverside Unified
Public school district
50 schools in Riverside
Alvord Unified
Public school district
25 schools in Riverside · 26 total
Riverside County Office of Education
Public school district
5 schools in Riverside
California School for the Deaf-Riverside (ST Special Schl)
State operated agency
1 school in Riverside
Gateway College and Career Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Riverside
REACH Leadership STEAM Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Riverside
Riverside County Office Of Education ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Riverside
Scholarship Prep - Riverside District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Riverside
Elementary schools in Riverside
45| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 487 | 24.4:1 | |
| Alcott Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 603 | 26.1:1 | |
| Allan Orrenmaa Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 507 | 23.9:1 | |
| Arlanza Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 431 | 23.3:1 | |
| Benjamin Franklin Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 767 | 25.6:1 | |
| Bryant Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 332 | 23.7:1 | |
| Casa Blanca Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | — | — | |
| Castle View Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 684 | 22.1:1 | |
| Collett Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 425 | 22.4:1 | |
| Emerson Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 669 | 23:1 | |
| Foothill Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 451 | 22.3:1 | |
| Fremont Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 593 | 21.2:1 | |
| Harada Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 603 | 22.2:1 | |
| Harrison Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 571 | 22:1 | |
| Hawthorne Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 663 | 23.5:1 | |
| Highgrove Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 848 | 26.1:1 | |
| Jackson Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 657 | 24:1 | |
| Jefferson Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 886 | 25.7:1 | |
| John F. Kennedy Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 864 | 24.4:1 | |
| La Granada Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 524 | 21.9:1 | |
| Lake Hills Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 638 | 22.8:1 | |
| Lake Mathews Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 733 | 26.6:1 | |
| Liberty Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 651 | 25.5:1 | |
| Longfellow Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 701 | 23.4:1 | |
| Madison Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 675 | 25:1 | |
| Magnolia Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 535 | 25.2:1 | |
| Mark Twain Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 1,033 | 26.2:1 | |
| Monroe Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 596 | 23.8:1 | |
| Mountain View Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 851 | 24.3:1 | |
| Myra Linn Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 440 | 21.2:1 | |
| Pachappa Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 676 | 23.9:1 | |
| Patricia Beatty Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 494 | 23.6:1 | |
| Phillip M. Stokoe Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 621 | 22.6:1 | |
| REACH Leadership STEAM Academy REACH Leadership STEAM Academy District · Charter | KG–08 | 645 | 28:1 | |
| Rosemary Kennedy Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 398 | 21.1:1 | |
| S. Christa McAuliffe Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 508 | 22.3:1 | |
| Summit Elementary Alvord Unified · Special Education School | KG–05 | 0 | — | |
| Terrace Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 740 | 23.5:1 | |
| Tomas Rivera Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 699 | 25.9:1 | |
| Twinhill Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 442 | 22.7:1 | |
| Valley View Elementary Alvord Unified | KG–05 | 675 | 23.1:1 | |
| Victoria Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 488 | 22.2:1 | |
| Washington Elementary Riverside Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 818 | 23.4:1 | |
| William Howard Taft Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 635 | 24.4:1 | |
| Woodcrest Elementary Riverside Unified | KG–06 | 660 | 24.9:1 |
Middle schools in Riverside
11| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amelia Earhart Middle Riverside Unified | 07–08 | 743 | 23.2:1 | |
| Arizona Middle Alvord Unified | 06–08 | 804 | 21.7:1 | |
| Central Middle Riverside Unified | 07–08 | 621 | 21.1:1 | |
| Chemawa Middle Riverside Unified | 07–08 | 885 | 23.7:1 | |
| Frank Augustus Miller Middle Riverside Unified | 07–08 | 844 | 23.6:1 | |
| Loma Vista Middle Alvord Unified | 06–08 | 1,027 | 21.7:1 | |
| Matthew Gage Middle Riverside Unified · Magnet | 07–08 | 840 | 21.2:1 | |
| Sierra Middle Riverside Unified · Magnet | 07–08 | 829 | 22.3:1 | |
| University Heights Middle Riverside Unified | 07–08 | 870 | 22.6:1 | |
| Wells Middle Alvord Unified | 06–08 | 768 | 22.3:1 | |
| Ysmael Villegas Middle Alvord Unified | 06–08 | 1,136 | 23.8:1 |
High schools in Riverside
19| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abraham Lincoln Continuation Riverside Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 148 | 12.2:1 | |
| Alvord High Alvord Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 130 | 13.8:1 | |
| Arlington High Riverside Unified · Magnet | 09–12 | 1,920 | 22.6:1 | |
| CBK Charter Riverside County Office of Education · Charter · Alternative School | 09–12 | 612 | 27:1 | |
| Gateway College and Career Academy Gateway College and Career Academy District · Charter | 09–12 | 394 | 49.4:1 | |
| Hillcrest High Alvord Unified | 09–12 | 1,780 | 23.8:1 | |
| John W. North High Riverside Unified · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,011 | 22.8:1 | |
| La Sierra High Alvord Unified | 09–12 | 1,514 | 21.1:1 | |
| Martin Luther King Jr. High Riverside Unified · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,699 | 24.1:1 | |
| Mission View High Alvord Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 90 | 14:1 | |
| Norte Vista High Alvord Unified | 09–12 | 1,804 | 20.8:1 | |
| Opportunity Program Riverside Unified · Alternative School | 07–12 | 33 | 9.3:1 | |
| Polytechnic High Riverside Unified · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,484 | 23.8:1 | |
| Raincross High (Continuation) Riverside Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 136 | 8.5:1 | |
| Ramona High Riverside Unified · Magnet | 09–12 | 2,142 | 22.9:1 | |
| Riverside County Community Riverside County Office of Education · Alternative School | 07–12 | 181 | 14.1:1 | |
| Riverside County ROP Riverside County Office Of Education ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Riverside STEM Academy Riverside Unified · Magnet | 05–12 | 665 | 25.6:1 | |
| Summit Secondary Alvord Unified · Special Education School | 06–12 | 0 | — |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Riverside
10| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California School for the Deaf-Riverside California School for the Deaf-Riverside (ST Special Schl) · Special Education School | KG–12 | 350 | 5.3:1 | |
| Educational Options Center State Preschool Riverside Unified | Not reported | — | — | |
| Gateway Alvord Unified · Special Education School | KG–12 | 0 | — | |
| Preschool Grasp Riverside County Office of Education | Not reported | — | — | |
| Riverside County Juvenile Court Riverside County Office of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 104 | 14.9:1 | |
| Riverside County Special Education Riverside County Office of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | 584 | 8.1:1 | |
| Riverside Virtual Riverside Unified · Virtual | KG–12 | 524 | 16.3:1 | |
| Scholarship Prep - Riverside Scholarship Prep - Riverside District · Charter | KG–12 | — | — | |
| Summit View Independent Study Riverside Unified · Alternative School | KG–12 | 62 | 26.2:1 | |
| Sunshine Early Childhood Center Riverside Unified · Special Education School | Not reported | 74 | 15.2:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White13%
- Hispanic73.1%
- Black5.2%
- Asian4.9%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
- Multiracial3.1%
Enrollment-weighted across 77 Riverside schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (56,725 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Riverside
How many public schools are in Riverside, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 85 open public schools with a location address in Riverside: 45 elementary, 11 middle, 19 high, 10 combined or other. Together they reported 56,725 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Riverside?
Schools with an address in Riverside belong to 8 education agencies, led by Riverside Unified (50 schools), Alvord Unified (25 schools), Riverside County Office of Education (5 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Riverside?
Martin Luther King Jr. High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Riverside, with 2,699 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Riverside?
Yes. 4 of the 85 public schools in Riverside are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including CBK Charter, Gateway College and Career Academy, REACH Leadership STEAM Academy. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Riverside schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Riverside public schools is 23.1:1, 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 Riverside 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