Here's How Novato Schools Rank: Niche

NOVATO, CA — Novato has multiple top-ranked schools, according to new grades and rankings released by Niche. The ranking and review site gave schools in the area a mix of A and B grades.

Here's how Niche graded and ranked Novato schools:

• Novato Charter School: A-, ranked 20th best public elementary school and 10th best public middle school in Marin County and 511th best public middle school in California
• Pleasant Valley Elementary School: B+, ranked 23rd best public elementary school in Marin County
• Rancho Elementary School: B+, ranked 24th best public elementary school in Marin County
• Nova Education Center: B+, ranked 25th best public elementary school and 12th best public middle school in Marin County and 677th best public middle school in California
• San Ramon Elementary School: B+, ranked 28th best public elementary school in Marin County
• Lu Sutton Elementary School: B, ranked 26th best public elementary school in Marin County
• Loma Verde Elementary School: B, ranked 30th best public elementary school in Marin County
• Lynwood Elementary School: B, ranked 31st best public elementary school in Marin County
• Hamilton Meadow Park: B-, did not receive a ranking
• Olive Elementary School: B-, did not receive a ranking
• Sinaloa Middle School: A-, ranked 11th best public middle school in Marin County and 512th best public middle school in California
• San Jose Intermediate School: B+, ranked 13th best public middle school in Marin County and 712th best public middle school in California
• Novato High School: A, ranked fifth best public high school in Marin County and 331st best public high school in California
• San Marin High School: A-, ranked sixth best public high school in Marin County and 432nd best public high school in California
• Nova Education Center: B+, ranked eighth best public high school in Marin County and 589th best public high school in California
• Marin Oaks High School: Did not receive a grade or ranking

Related: Novato School Calendar 2019-2020

Niche looked at more than 94,000 public schools, 4,100 private schools and nearly 11,000 school districts across the country. The rankings are meant to help parents and students find schools that best fit their needs.

"Unlike traditional school rankings, which rely almost exclusively on test scores and academic performance, Niche's rankings provide a real-life view of what it's like to attend a given school," the company said in a news release.

Comments from current students, alumni, and parents are included in the analysis, as well as observations about things like campus life, extracurricular activities, sports options, diversity, and programs for gifted and special needs students.

"Parents and students need more than test-score data," Luke Skurman, CEO at Niche, said in the news release. "They need to understand what it's really like to attend a school before they start the application or registration process."

For the first time, Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire, and Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Alexandria, Virginia, were ranked the top private and public high schools, respectively, in the nation.

2020 top public high schools:

1. Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology
2. Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
3. Walter Payton College Prep
4. Stuyvesant High School
5. Bergen County Academies

2020 top private high schools:

1. Phillips Exeter Academy
2. St. Mark's School of Texas
3. Phillips Academy
4. The College Preparatory School
5. Trinity School

Patch national staffer Dan Hampton contributed to this report.