Three Carlsbad Unified elementary schools landed among the top 170 public elementary schools in California in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report rankings released Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Poinsettia Elementary placed No. 63 statewide and No. 7 in San Diego County. Pacific Rim Elementary came in at No. 111 statewide and No. 14 in the county. Aviara Oaks Elementary ranked No. 167 statewide and No. 17 in the county.

All three schools appeared on the county's top-20 list, as compiled by Patch. Carlsbad claimed three of those 20 spots.

The rankings evaluated about 46,000 public elementary schools nationwide. U.S. News based the 2027 edition on data collected from state education agencies by RTI International, alongside data from the U.S. Department of Education. That marked a shift from prior years, when state-level reports were not part of the methodology.

The updated approach assessed student performance in reading and math across all proficiency levels while accounting for student background and scores on state assessments, according to a U.S. News news release.

Eric Brooks, U.S. News director of education data analysis, said in the release that the new data offers "a richer, more complete picture of how elementary and middle schools are driving student growth."

Carlsbad Unified's elementary students tested well districtwide. According to the U.S. News district profile, 76% of the district's elementary students scored at or above proficient in reading and 73% scored at or above proficient in math. That data comes from the 2023-2024 school year.

The district, led by Superintendent Dr. Andrea Norman, serves about 10,700 students across nine elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. No public statement from the district or from any of the three ranked schools' principals appeared in available records as of publication.

Carmel Creek Elementary in San Diego topped the county list at No. 31 statewide. Charter schools were ranked in a separate category.

Parents can view the full rankings and individual school profiles at usnews.com/education/k12.