MARIN COUNTY SCHOOLS OVERVIEW
The Branson School, Ross
One of the many reasons people decide to buy a home in Marin is the excellent school system, both public and private. Marin schools are consistently ranked among the top in the country. This website features rankings from GreatSchools on each home search detail page so you can easily compare nearby schools.
NEW: The California State Board of Education has created the new California School Dashboard which allows parents to see reports for any local agency or school. It includes performance on six state indicators which include: chronic absenteeism, suspension rate, English learner progress, graduation rate and more. Users can search to see the reports for any local educational agency or school.
Following is a list of Marin schools by town. Please note that school districts and enrollment requirements can change. As we view homes for sale together we can discuss school districts for each property. You may also want to consult this map which displays schools throughout the county along with their corresponding ratings. I always recommend that buyers contact the school district directly for any home they considering to verify availability and enrollment.
One public service note: While the focus on test scores and rankings can be helpful in understanding one aspect of school performance, there are many other factors that determine whether a school is right for your child. I have spoken with many parents who were very excited about the education their children received at some of the schools that may not have rated highly compared to other schools in Marin. It is not always just about the scores. In any event, we are proud of all of our great schools here in Marin!
If you are new to Marin, The Marin County Office of Education is an excellent website to learn more about the public school system, including Marin School District Boundaries, Interdistrict Transfers and statistics about the public school system in Marin.
BELVEDERE / TIBURON
Reed Union School District (Public)
Ring Mountain Day School (Private)
Saint Hilary School (Private)
CORTE MADERA / LARKSPUR
Neil Cummins School (Public)
The Cove School (Public)
Hall Middle School (Public)
Marin Country Day School (Private)
Marin Montessori School (Private)
Marin Primary (Private)
Redwood High School (Public, serves several towns)
St. Patrick School (Private)
SAUSALITO
Headlands Preparatory School (Private)
Sausalito Marin City School District (Public)
Lycee Francais de San Francisco (Private)
Mill Valley School District (Public)
Tamalpais High (Public, serves several towns)
Edna Maguire Elementary (Public)
Old Mill School (Public)
Park School (Public)
Tamalpais Valley School (Public)
Mill Valley Middle School (Public)
Strawberry Point School (Public)
Marin Horizon School (Private)
Mount Tamalpais School (Private)
Ring Mountain Day School (Private)
Wende Kumara School (Private)
Ross Academy Montessori School (Private)
KENTFIELD / GREENBRAE
Kentfield School District (Public)
Bacich Elementary School (Public)
Kent Middle School (Public)
Marin Catholic (Private)
ROSS
Ross School District (Public)
Branson School (Private)
FAIRFAX / SAN ANSELMO
Ross Valley School District (Public)
Brookside Elementary School (Public)
Hidden Valley Elementary School (Public)
Manor Elementary (Public)
Wade Thomas Elementary (Public)
While Hill Middle School (Public)
Archie Williams High School (Public, serves several towns, formerly Sir Francis Drake)
Cascade Canyon School (Private)
San Domenico School (Private)
Miller Creek School District (Public)
Miller Creek Middle School (Public)
Dixie Elementary (Public)
Vallecito Elementary (Public)
Mary E. Silviera Elementary (Public)
San Rafael School District (Public)
List of All San Rafael Public Schools
Brandeis Marin (Private)
Caulbridge School (Private)
Marin Academy (Private)
Marin Waldorf School (Private)
Mark Day School (Private)
Montessori de Terra Linda (Private)
Saint Isabella School (Private)
St. Raphael Elementary School (Private)
Novato Unified School District (Public)
Marin Christian Academy (Private)
Good Shepherd Lutheran School (Private)
Montessori School of Novato (Private)
North Bay Christian Academy (Private)
Our Lady Of Loretto School (Private)
Marin County is also home to two higher-education institutions:
College of Marin and Dominican University of California.
See also:
2021 California Distinguished Schools List
2020 California Distinguished Schools List
2018 California Distinguished Schools List
2017 List of Marin Gold Ribbon Schools (program now discontinued)
Marin Preschool Guide from Marin Mommies
Please note this information changes frequently.
Please feel free to let me know if any inaccuracies via the comment / contact forms below or give me a call at 415-847-5584. Thank you.
A Word About Which Towns Feed Which Public High Schools in Marin County
SOUTHERN MARIN
In central and southern Marin County (south of San Rafael), there are three public high schools (listed above): Tam, Redwood and Drake, which is how most people refer to them. Sir Francis Drake will have a new name soon. Transferring between these schools is relatively easy within the district, according to parents with whom I have spoken. However it is difficult if not impossible to transfer between those schools and schools farther north in San Rafael and Novato. You can read more about open enrollment transfers here.
Tamalpais High School Attendance Area
Bolinas-Stinson School District
Mill Valley School District
Sausalito Marin City School District
Archie Williams High School (formerly Drake) Attendance Area
Lagunitas School District
Nicasio School District
Ross Valley School District
Redwood High School Attendance Area
Kentfield School District
Larkspur Corte Madera School District
Reed Union School District
Ross School District
CENTRAL MARIN / SAN RAFAEL
Within San Rafael, there are two school districts: The San Rafael School District (central / southern San Rafael), and the Miller Creek School District. Miller Creek School District includes three elementary schools for transitional kindergarten through 5th grades: Dixie School, Vallecito School and Mary E. Silveira School. Sixth through eighth graders attend Miller Creek Middle School. District enrollment is approximately 2,000. Class sizes average 22 students in kindergarten through third grade, 25 students in grades four and five, and 26 to 30 in grades six through eight.
Miller Creek School District is within the San Rafael High School District and most Miller Creek graduates attend Terra Linda High School.
NORTHERN MARIN / NOVATO SCHOOLS
In the northern section of the county, Novato, there are two high schools, San Marin High School and Novato High School. They are in the Novato Unified school district. They have a great website, and you can even use their interactive school boundary map tool here.
I am happy to work with my clients to help them determine neighborhoods and homes that are within their desired school districts. As mentioned above, I always recommend that buyers contact the school district directly for any home they considering to verify availability and enrollment.
I hope this Marin Schools guide is useful to you as you learn more about the great schools here in Marin County. I endeavor to keep this page updated and current. If you find any errors or have any suggestions in the above content, please add a comment below and I will update this page within 48 hours. Thank you!
Last Updated: 5/13/2021
Thinking of Moving to Marin County?
Let Me Be Your Guide! Call or Text Me Anytime at 415-847-5584.
About the Author
Thomas Henthorne is consistently top-ranked, award-winning real estate agent in Marin, helping people buy and sell homes for almost a decade. He writes the #1 real estate blog in Marin County and is a frequent speaker on panels at industry gatherings.
He may be reached at 415-847-5584.
See something on this page that needs updating? Please add your comment here and I’ll update it within 48 hours…. Thank you! Thomas
Saint Mark School (Private) is in Venice, CA, not in Marin. Thinking maybe about Mark Day School in Terra Linda? https://www.markdayschool.org/
Whoa that would be a long commute! Thank you so much, Bruce, I’ve corrected the link. I really appreciate your help!
This is a great place to start as I try to figure out schools in Marin. Thank you for putting it together.
It would be great if you can add Headlands Preparatory in Sausalito as well. http://www.headlandsprep.com
Sure thing – just added it. Thanks, Nicola! Best, Thomas