Public schools in Whittier, CA
44 open public schools with an address in Whittier, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
44
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
25,230
43 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
22.9:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Whittier public schools
The federal directory lists 44 public schools in Whittier, CA: 29 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 1 combined or other. The 43 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 25,230 students, an average of 587 per school. The largest campus is La Serna High (2,372 students), and the largest elementary school is Ocean View Elementary (668).
East Whittier City Elementary operates the most schools here (13), and 6 regular districts have at least one Whittier 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 22.9:1, 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.
Among 6 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 5 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 6 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 73% 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 Whittier
East Whittier City Elementary
Public school district
13 schools in Whittier
Whittier City
Public school district
13 schools in Whittier
South Whittier Elementary
Public school district
6 schools in Whittier
Whittier Union High
Public school district
6 schools in Whittier · 7 total
Lowell Joint
Public school district
3 schools in Whittier · 6 total
Los Nietos
Public school district
2 schools in Whittier · 4 total
Tri-Cities ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Whittier
Elementary schools in Whittier
29| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ada S. Nelson Elementary Los Nietos | KG–05 | 358 | 25.6:1 | |
| Aeolian Elementary Los Nietos | KG–05 | 283 | 21.8:1 | |
| Carmela Elementary South Whittier Elementary | KG–06 | 317 | 21.1:1 | |
| Ceres Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 492 | 22.4:1 | |
| Christian Sorensen Science Academy Whittier City | KG–05 | 446 | 24.1:1 | |
| Daniel Phelan Language Academy Whittier City | KG–05 | 507 | 24.6:1 | |
| Evergreen Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 392 | 25.1:1 | |
| Howard J. McKibben Elementary South Whittier Elementary | KG–06 | 430 | 23.9:1 | |
| Jordan Elementary Lowell Joint | KG–06 | 516 | 24.6:1 | |
| La Colima Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 378 | 20.8:1 | |
| Lake Marie Elementary South Whittier Elementary | KG–06 | 186 | 23.3:1 | |
| Laurel Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 465 | 25.6:1 | |
| Leffingwell Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 551 | 24.5:1 | |
| Loma Vista Elementary South Whittier Elementary | KG–06 | 379 | 23.7:1 | |
| Longfellow Elementary Whittier City | KG–05 | 499 | 23.2:1 | |
| Los Altos Elementary South Whittier Elementary | KG–06 | 457 | 21.8:1 | |
| Lou Henry Hoover School of Fine Arts Whittier City | KG–05 | 374 | 26:1 | |
| Lydia Jackson College Preparatory Academy Whittier City | KG–05 | 338 | 21.4:1 | |
| Meadow Green Elementary Lowell Joint | KG–06 | 470 | 24.7:1 | |
| Mill School and Technology Academy Whittier City | KG–05 | 341 | 23.8:1 | |
| Mulberry Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 447 | 25.6:1 | |
| Murphy Ranch Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 466 | 28.2:1 | |
| Ocean View Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 668 | 26.2:1 | |
| Orange Grove Elementary Whittier City | KG–05 | 324 | 21.1:1 | |
| Orchard Dale Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 472 | 22.5:1 | |
| Scott Avenue Elementary East Whittier City Elementary | KG–05 | 494 | 24.5:1 | |
| Wallen L. Andrews Whittier City | KG–08 | 542 | 20.8:1 | |
| West Whittier Elementary Whittier City | KG–05 | 346 | 19.9:1 | |
| Whittier Independent Study Whittier City · Alternative School | KG–08 | 67 | 33.5:1 |
Middle schools in Whittier
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Whittier Middle East Whittier City Elementary | 06–08 | 985 | 22.3:1 | |
| Granada Middle East Whittier City Elementary | 06–08 | 989 | 20.4:1 | |
| Hillview Middle East Whittier City Elementary | 06–08 | 643 | 19.1:1 | |
| Katherine Edwards Mid Sch STEAM & Dual Immersion Acad Whittier City | 06–08 | 894 | 21:1 | |
| Rancho-Starbuck Intermediate Lowell Joint | 07–08 | 687 | 23.3:1 | |
| Richard L. Graves Middle South Whittier Elementary | 06–08 | 484 | 19.6:1 | |
| Walter F. Dexter Middle Whittier City | 06–08 | 610 | 21.4:1 |
High schools in Whittier
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California High Whittier Union High | 09–12 | 2,261 | 22.1:1 | |
| Frontier High (Continuation) Whittier Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 364 | 13.2:1 | |
| La Serna High Whittier Union High | 09–12 | 2,372 | 25.9:1 | |
| Pioneer High Whittier Union High | 09–12 | 1,000 | 18.8:1 | |
| Sierra Vista High (Alternative) Whittier Union High · Alternative School | 09–12 | 284 | 22:1 | |
| Tri-Cities ROP Tri-Cities ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Whittier High Whittier Union High | 09–12 | 1,652 | 21.4:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Whittier
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education Center Whittier City | Not reported | — | — |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White6.3%
- Hispanic88.1%
- Black0.9%
- Asian2.5%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0%
- Multiracial1.9%
Enrollment-weighted across 42 Whittier schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (25,230 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Whittier
How many public schools are in Whittier, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 44 open public schools with a location address in Whittier: 29 elementary, 7 middle, 7 high, 1 combined or other. Together they reported 25,230 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Whittier?
Schools with an address in Whittier belong to 7 education agencies, led by East Whittier City Elementary (13 schools), Whittier City (13 schools), South Whittier Elementary (6 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Whittier?
La Serna High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Whittier, with 2,372 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Whittier?
No school with an address in Whittier is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in California.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Whittier schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Whittier public schools is 22.9:1, 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 Whittier 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