These Sacramento-area school districts are among the most diverse in America, Niche says

Jacqueline Pinedo
·3 min read

Three Sacramento-area school districts are among the most diverse in the nation, according to ranking and review website Niche.

Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento was in first place on Niche’s 2024 Most Diverse School Districts in California list, while Elk Grove Unified School District came in second.

Sacramento City Unified School District in Sacramento rounded out the top 10.

In addition, Natomas Unified ranked second on Niche’s 2024 list of the most diverse school districts in the United States, compared to Elk Grove landed at No. 6 and Sacramento City Unified at No. 133.

Niche said it based the Sacramento-area school districts’ A+ ratings on “racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.”

The ranking and review website, which grades schools on a scale from A+ to D-, also looked at factors such as academics, administration, teachers and college prep.

Niche based its rankings on “the most up-to-date data available from dozens of public data sources” such as the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Census Bureau “along with millions of reviews from students, parents and residents,” the company said on its website.

How diverse is Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento?

Natomas Unified School District has 14,197 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22 to 1, according to Niche.

The district has a total of 12 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and six high schools. Most schools have a B+ to C rating, according to Niche, with only two high schools in the district earning an A rating.

The district has a 94% graduation rate, according to Niche.

Here’s how the Natomas school district breaks down in terms of ethnicity, according to Niche:

  • Hispanic: 32.9% of students

  • Asian: 22.6%

  • African American: 18.3%

  • White: 13.7%

  • Multiracial: 10.4%

  • Pacific Islander: 1.7%

  • Native American: 0.6%

  • Unknown: 0.1%

What about Elk Grove school district?

Elk Grove Unified School District has 62,229 students in grades ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade.

There are 23 students to every teacher, and a 93% average graduation rate among students, Niche said.

The district has a total of 44 elementary schools, 11 middle schools and 15 high schools. Those schools have overall Niche rankings ranging from A to C-.

Here’s how the Elk Grove school district student body breaks down in terms of ethnicity, according to Niche:

  • Asian: 33.6% of students

  • Hispanic: 27.6%

  • White: 16.6%

  • African American: 10.5%

  • Multicultural: 9.3%

  • Pacific Islander: 1.9%

  • Native American: 0.4%

What about Sacramento City school district?

Sacramento City Unified School District has 39,711 students enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12th grade. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23 to 1, according to Niche.

The district has a total of 53 elementary schools, 15 middle schools and 14 high schools. The schools have Niche rankings ranging from A through D.

Here’s how the Sacramento City Unified breaks down in terms of ethnicity, according to Niche:

  • Hispanic: 41.3% of students

  • Asian: 19%

  • White: 16.8%

  • African American: 12.2%

  • Multiracial: 7.9%

  • Pacific Islander: 2.3%

  • Native American: 0.5%

What are the 10 most diverse school districts in California?

These are the top 10 most diverse school districts in California, according to Niche:

  1. Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento

  2. Elk Grove Unified School District in Elk Grove

  3. Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District in Fairfield

  4. Culver City Unified School District in Culver City

  5. San Francisco Unified School District in San Francisco

  6. New Haven Unified School District in Union City

  7. San Diego Unified School District in San Diego

  8. San Leandro Unified School District in San Leandro

  9. Santa Clara Unified School District in Santa Clara

  10. Sacramento City Unified School District in Sacramento

What do you want to know about life in Sacramento? Ask our service journalism team your top-of-mind questions in the module below or email servicejournalists@sacbee.com.