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Palm Springs from the Museum TrailPhoto: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0
C+
Schools in Palm Springs · Palm Springs Unified School District

Palm Springs’s public schools score below 57% of California districts on tests and graduation

In Palm Springs, 20% of tested students are proficient in math, below the California average (33%). The grade covers the public school district serving Palm Springs, from kindergarten through graduation, on state tests and graduation. Each state writes its own tests, so this is the one TownRatings grade compared within California, not nationally.

#574of 847 California townsK–12Where will my kid go?

From California state tests taken in spring 2022, when 97% of students in the tested grades sat them, and the class of 2023’s four-year graduation rate, as reported to the U.S. Department of Education.

Reading proficiency
36%
▼ 11 pts vs CA 47%
2021–22
Math proficiency
20%
▼ 13 pts vs CA 33%
2021–22
Graduate on time
89%
▲ 3 pts vs CA 86%
class of 2023
Spent per student
$22.8K
▲ 7% vs CA $21.2K
FY2024
Students per teacher
20.0
CA 21.6 · smaller classes
Schools in town
10
3,516 students on the public path
In brief

Palm Springs’s schools, in brief

Results trail the state

In spring 2022, 36% of tested students were proficient in reading and 20% in math, against 47% and 33% statewide; 97% of students in the tested grades sat the tests. The grade ↓

Graduation

89% of the class of 2023 graduated in four years, against 86% across California. Districts ↓

Spending and class size

The district spends $22,793 per student, against $21,206 across California (FY2024). Spending doesn’t count toward the grade. Districts ↓

Three elementary schools, then one middle and one high school

Which elementary school depends on the address; from grade 6 the district’s path is Raymond Cree Middle, then Palm Springs High. Enrollment is down 8% since 2020–21. See the path ↓

Choice beyond the district

Cielo Vista Charter, Desert Chapel Christian School (private), St. Theresa Elementary School (private) and Montessori School of Palm Springs (private) are in town. Every school ↓

Written from the figures on this page. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023; each school’s own letter uses 2020–21 results.

The School Grade

What’s behind Palm Springs’s grade

C Test scoresC+ Graduation

C+: better than 43% of California school districts, #574 of 847 California towns. Graduation is above the California average; test scores are below it.

California school districts we grade (1,872)Better than 43%
Lower resultsHigher results
California towns with similar household incomes (501)Better than 41%
C+B−A fairly firm grade. Ordinary sampling error in 10,973 test results and a graduating class of 1,707 could put Palm Springs anywhere from C+ to B−. The tests are from spring 2022, when 97% of Palm Springs’s students in the tested grades sat them (10,963 in math, 10,983 in reading).

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where will my kid go?

Pick a grade. These are the public schools that serve Palm Springs, with each school’s own grade.

The path, start to finish
K–53 elementary schoolsDepends on your addressNo scores
6–8Raymond Cree MiddlePalm Springs Unified School DistrictNo scores
9–12Palm Springs HighPalm Springs Unified School DistrictB

Palm Springs’s public schools are run by Palm Springs Unified School District, which also serves Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs and Rancho Mirage. Parts of Palm Springs (10% of its land) are served by Banning Unified instead. To confirm the school for a specific address, ask the district.

The district

Spending and class size are shown but don’t count toward the grade. Each district’s own page has every school.

Palm Springs Unified School DistrictGrades K–12 · 27 schools · 20,007 students, down 8% since 2020–21 · 20.0 per teacher (CA 21.6)
$22,793CA $21,206 · FY2024
C+
Test scores · 2021–22

Well below the state in reading

Reading36%
State average 46.7% · 10983 students tested
Math20%
State average 33.1% · 10963 students tested

Palm Springs vs. its neighbors

Schools grades for the California towns that share Palm Springs’s borders.

Schools next door
TownSchoolsMain districts
Palm SpringsC+Palm Springs Unified
Cathedral CityC+Palm Springs Unified
Desert Hot SpringsC+Palm Springs Unified
Rancho MirageC+Palm Springs Unified

All 3 neighbors share Palm Springs Unified with Palm Springs, so their letters differ mainly through other districts.

Every school in Palm Springs

10 schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with California’s other public schools (the newest school-level results we have).

District schools in Palm Springsby address
Katherine Finchy Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
464 students20:1Rate it →
Vista del Monte Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
435 students19:1Rate it →
Cahuilla Elementary
Elementary · Grades K–5
399 students19:1Rate it →
Raymond Cree Middle
Middle · Grades 6–8
721 students20:1Rate it →
Palm Springs High
High · Grades 9–12
B
1,497 students21:1Rate it →
Other district programsby referral or application
Desert Learning Academy
Grades K–12
B−
Alternative Education
317 students16:1Rate it →
Charter schoolsfree, open by application
Cielo Vista Charter
Elementary · Grades K–8
Charter
824 students20:1Rate it →
Private schoolstuition; no state tests, so no grade
Desert Chapel Christian School
Grades PK–12
Private · Religious
240 students13:1Rate it →
St. Theresa Elementary School
Elementary · Grades PK–8
Private · Catholic
177 students18:1Rate it →
Montessori School of Palm Springs
Elementary · Grades PK–1
Private · Nonsectarian
54 students12:1Rate it →

Left off: 1 public program with fewer than 25 students (Virtual Pre).

Questions about Palm Springs’s schools

Are Palm Springs’s schools good?

On California’s tests they score below most of the state: the public schools Palm Springs children attend score below 57% of California’s school districts on tests and graduation, a C+ Schools grade, #574 of 847 California towns. Among towns with similar incomes they beat 41%. Tests are from 2021–22, graduation from the class of 2023.

What school district is Palm Springs in?

Palm Springs Unified School District, which runs grades K–12 and enrolls 20,007 students in 27 schools (2024–25). Small parts of Palm Springs are served by Banning Unified.

Where do Palm Springs kids go to high school?

Palm Springs High, with 1,497 students; its own test results earn a B.

What is Palm Springs’s graduation rate?

89% of the class of 2023 in Palm Springs Unified School District graduated in four years, against 86% across California.

How much does Palm Springs spend per student?

$22,793 in Palm Springs Unified School District (FY2024), against $21,206 across California. Spending doesn’t count toward the grade.

Are there private schools in Palm Springs?

Yes: Desert Chapel Christian School (religious, grades PK–12, 240 students), St. Theresa Elementary School (Catholic, grades PK–8, 177 students) and Montessori School of Palm Springs (nonsectarian, grades PK–1, 54 students). Palm Springs also has 1 charter school, free and open by application.

Parents talk

What Palm Springs families are saying about school.

Town Square →
Start the conversation

Looking for colleges? Colleges near Palm Springs → They have their own page.

School data: state test results (2021–22, with participation) and four-year graduation rates (class of 2023) reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express); each school’s own letter uses its 2020–21 results (EDFacts via the Urban Institute); schools and enrollment from NCES (2024–25; private schools 2023–24); spending from the Census Bureau’s school finance survey (FY2024). The School Grade is our own summary, graded within California. Stars are from neighbors.