Best Schools in Hayward CA | 🏫Top Elementary, Charter, Private, and High Schools

The beautiful city of Hayward, located in Alameda County, has a booming population of over 162,000 as of the 2020 census.  Located just between San Francisco and Jose, on the Oakland and Fremont side of the bay, employment opportunities are seemingly endless.  Considered to be the most beautiful city on the eastern side of the bay, Hayward is a wonderful place to settle a family in – especially if you want a diversity of cultures, opportunity for rural and urban exploration, and a broad spectrum of opportunities for your children to experience.  The bay offers sea-faring experience while the urban areas give off a familiar “it takes a city” feel, and the Garin Regional Park helps remind citizens that we still rely on mother earth for survival and leads to an appreciation of the natural, untouched environment.

Of course, you know the area is perfect for well rounded development in any child… but what about the schools?  California remains a top 20 state when it comes to education, at least in competition with the other 49 states, but not all schools in the state are created equal.  The local schools in Hayward are no different but we wouldn’t ever go as far as to say that schools not on our list are bad.  That’s certainly not the case.  We just want to provide our customers with the material necessary to make the best, most educated choice they can for their children.  We find that the larger a city is, the more confusing the research will be when you’re looking for a new school system.  No school is going to come right out and advertise their flaws, of course, but if you dig deep enough you can figure out what’s what and where your children belong.  For some people, that even means different schools for different kids in the same family!

Each school system cares about educational development, student improvement, and how to help mold a child into the best person the kid can be according to government regulations and test results.  It’s not all about the SAT’s, ACT’s, and upper level testing given to kids as they move from grade to grade toward adulthood, though.  Personal interest should be taken into consideration, special needs should be accommodated, and different sports and extracurriculars should be available to help expose our youth to as many avenues of success life may have to offer!  Perhaps the arts are the future of your children.  Maybe they have a desire to protect people or our freedoms in the military or in a police force capacity.  College was drilled into our heads for years but there are plenty of other avenues into the workforce and meaningful places in society.

With all of that in mind, we’ve taken the liberty to build a list of the best schools in Hayward, CA to make it simpler for our customers to make informed decisions about where to send their children to school.

Best High Schools in Hayward

Most high school students attend one of the three schools under the Hayward Unified School District umbrella.  The school district does a good job of providing the kids with plenty of opportunities outside of the classroom by directing funds from school taxes into things like the brand new football fields all three schools got in 2018.  More recently, a new performing arts center and updated classroom wings are underway.  

Apart from the three public high schools forming the HUSD, there are a few other high schools.  We’ve decided to present the best couple of options to you, based on curriculum, extracurriculars, ability to accommodate special needs, and safety.  Remember that if a school isn’t listed, that doesn’t mean it’s bad.  Most of the options in the area are far superior to much of the country!

Hayward High School – Best School for Life Skills and Adulthood Exposure in Hayward, CA

• Address – 24411 Amador Street, Hayward, CA 94544
• Phone – (510) 784-2600
• Grades – 9 to 12
• Student:Teacher Ratio – 23:1
• Graduation Rate – 90%
• Average SAT – 1070

What Makes Hayward High School great?

• Programs with paths into University of California – Berkeley
• Exceptionally diverse staff and students with outward focus on full equality
• Bilingual staff (English/Spanish)
• Youth Enrichment Program
• Lunch assistant plans for less fortunate children
• Ample sports and performing arts programs

There is no better public high school for those who want their children to prepare for life after school.  Whether the student is interested in joining the workforce or moving on to college, Hayward High gives them every opportunity to prepare for life’s next steps!

Hayward Leadership Public High – Best Charter School in Hayward, CA

• Address – 28000 Calaroga Ave, Hayward, CA 94545
• Phone – (510) 300-1340
• Grades – 9 to 12
• Student:Teacher Ratio – 19:1
• Graduation Rate – 95%
• Average SAT – 1080

What Makes Hayward Leadership Public High great?

• Programs with paths into University of California – Berkeley AND UCLA
• Tuition free
• 2022 Best High School – Awarded by the U.S. News & World Report for ranking as one of the best high schools in the United States
• Programs with job paths into local business (apprenticeships and internships)
• Free programs to help learn English
• Bilingual staff (English/Spanish)
• Direct line to Tufts University through the Voices program
• Dress code implemented 

Hayward Leadership is such a good school system because of the experiences students will get while attending the facilities.  The impressive education is nothing to scoff at, but the benefits a bilingual staff carries are simply impossible to ignore.  If you want your child to view the world as a melting pot of opportunity, diversity, and cultural indifference, there is no better option.

Best Elementary Schools in Hayward, CA

Early childhood education is considered just as important, if not more important, than high school education.  We’re not here to debate the semantics, but we can certainly see how influencing a young child’s education will help mold and shape the type of adolescent and eventually, the type of adult one turns out to be.  Social skills, learning exercises, physical health, and critical thinking developments in childhood dictate later life successes and failures, so we tried to keep that in mind when we did the research necessary to pick out the best elementary schools available to our customers their families.

Much like the high schools, the Hayward Unified School District has a slew of elementary schools under their umbrella.  Because there are so many more of them, it’s a bit more difficult to distribute the funds and keep everything up to snuff but compared to the national average, they continue to do very well.  Apart from the HUSD schools, there are others as well…

Hayward Twin Oaks Montessori – Top Hayward Elementary School for Learning Disabilities and Life Skills

• Address – 951 Palisade Street, Hayward, CA 94542
• Phone – (510) 888-1317
• Grades – 1 to 6
• Students:Teacher Ratio – 16:1
• Enrollment – 218 students
• Type – Charter

What Makes Hayward Twin Oaks Montessori a great elementary school?

• Secondary education preparatory programs
• Bus transportation offered
• Focus on environmental problems, cultivating “environmental stewards” to help shape the world they will inherit 
• Uninterrupted work periods of 2.5 hours to help improve focus
• Allow freedom of movement about assigned classrooms
• Education tailored uniquely based on scientific observation of child development
• Free meal program

Hayward Twin Oaks has made a specialty of taking in underprivileged kids or those with disabilities.  We don’t want to make it seem like those are the only students that attend – they’re definitely not.  We just want you to know there is no better elementary school in the area for people with learning disabilities.

Southgate Elementary School – Best Public Elementary School in Hayward

• Address – 26601 Calaroga Ave, Hayward, CA 94545
• Phone – (510) 784-2600
• Grades – K to 6
• Student:Teacher Ratio – 21:1
• Enrollment – 677
• Type – Public

What Makes Southgate Elementary a great elementary school?

• Top testing rates for math and literacy in the county
• Major focus on safety
• Anonymous reporting in multiple languages
• Programs for every student to learn fluent English
• Bus transportation offered
• Partnership with Soul Shoppe
• Has an African American Student Achievement Initiative program
• Facilitates Home Learning and Distance Learning in multiple languages
• Offers Chromebooks and internet access assistance

Southgate is a fantastic option for families that are big on technology.  Southgate Elementary infuses distance learning seamlessly and encourages the use of tablets, laptops, and the internet to further education.  With a reasonable student:teacher ratio complemented by technology, it is likely children progress more quickly at Southgate than any other Hayward elementary school.

Best Private Schools in Hayward

Hayward is not unlike most other cities in California, or the rest of the country for that matter.  While there are certainly benefits in going to public school, there are benefits to private schools as well.  Though costly, private schools tend to have better attendance, post-education employment opportunities, better collegiate paths, and even higher ratings when it comes to safety.  Hayward’s best schools are private schools.  If you’re willing to spend extra on your children and their education, then you’re definitely giving them a leg up in the area by fast-tracking them through the private school’s pre-formed relationships with local business and colleges.

California Crosspoint Academy – 100% Graduation Rate in Hayward, CA

• • Address – 25500 Industrial Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94545
  • Phone – (510) 995-5333
  • Type – Coed, Christian
  • Student:Teacher Ratio – 10:1
  • Enrollment – 497
  • Grades – PK to 12
  • Test Scores – 1320 average SAT, 31 average ACT
  • Tuition – $17,800 annually

What Makes California Crosspoint Academy School Great?

• 100% graduation rate
• 100% collegiate or job placement after graduation
• Direct lines into UCLA, UCSD, UC Irvine, USC, and Stanford
• STEAM programming
• Boarding option for students
• #18 of 149 best Christian high schools in California
• Racially diverse
• Average state financial aid = ~$11,000 annually

Moreau Catholic High School – Top Tier Private School in Hayward, CA

• • Address – 27170 Mission Boulevard, Hayward, CA 94544
  • Phone – (510) 881-4300
  • Type – Coed, Catholic
  • Student:Teacher Ratio – 14:1
  • Enrollment – 825
  • Grades – 9 to 12
  • Test Scores – 1230 average SAT, 28 average ACT
  • Tuition – $21,660 annually

What Makes Moreau Catholic High School Great?

• 20 Honors and 22 AP classes
• 97% College Attendance
• 100% college attendance OR job placement after graduation
• 100% graduation rate
• Focus in marine education
• International Student Program
• Virtual tours with audio
• Relationships with UC Davis, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UCSD, Santa Clara, and USC
• Ample clubs with budgets for improvements appropriated annually
• Over $6,300 annual state financial aid available

Hayward, CA Schools FAQ

Does Hayward have good schools?

Ranking well above even the national averages, Hayward has a terrific selection of schools for new families to choose from!

What is the best high school in Hayward, CA?

It’s difficult to deny how good the private schools are in Hayward, but the public high schools are nearly as impressive.  The best public high school is Hayward Leadership Public but Hayward High is a close second!

What is the best school district in Hayward, CA?

The best school district is definitely the Hayward Unified School District but not all of the best options fall in that particular district’s umbrella!

Since no two children are exactly the same and there are so many different viable options for all age groups, it’s feasible for children from the same household to attend different school systems to best suit their individual needs.  The best takeaway that we can give our customers is that they’re fortunate to be moving to a location with a ton of great options for all age groups!  If you’re going to be moving to the Hayward, CA area, give AMS Relocation a call at 650-284-2931 for a free quote today so you can move on to getting your child enrolled as a new student in the school of his/her/your choice!