Education

Empowering Minds: Education and Schools in Our Community

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Big Bear Valley is served by a single K-12 public district, Bear Valley Unified, along with a small set of private and charter options. For higher education and specialized programs, families use online options and institutions down the mountain in the Inland Empire.

Education Snapshot

Public district: Bear Valley Unified School District

Enrollment: About 2,200 students, K-12

Schools: Elementary, middle, high, and a continuation high school

High school rating: About 6 of 10 (GreatSchools); B+ (Niche)

Nearest universities: Inland Empire, about 1 to 1.5 hours

Public Schools

Bear Valley Unified School District serves the towns of the Big Bear area with roughly 2,200 students across six schools. The district covers Big Bear Elementary, North Shore Elementary, Baldwin Lane Elementary, Big Bear Middle School, Big Bear High School, and Chautauqua High School (continuation).

Measure	Big Bear High School
GreatSchools rating	About 6 of 10
Niche grade	B+
Graduation rate	About 92 percent
AP participation	About 27 percent
Student-teacher ratio	About 17 to 1

Academic Programs

Advanced Placement (AP) coursework at the high school
Gifted and Talented program
Dual enrollment and college-credit options while in high school, promoted by the district
Career and technical pathways

Note on ratings: the district overall carries mixed ratings across its schools, with the high school rating near the middle of the scale and some elementary and middle schools rated lower. Families should review individual school data for the grades that apply to their children.

Private and Alternative Options

A small number of private and faith-based schools operate in the valley
Homeschooling and online programs are used by some mountain families
No Waldorf school or boarding school operates within the valley itself

Higher Education

No four-year university or community college campus in Big Bear Lake itself
San Bernardino Valley College, Crafton Hills College, and California State University San Bernardino are about an hour to 90 minutes down the mountain
The University of Redlands and the University of California, Riverside are within about 1.5 hours
Online and hybrid programs are widely used given the mountain location

For Relocating Families

Families relocating to Big Bear should plan around a single public district with solid but mixed ratings, a limited set of private options, and higher education located down the mountain. The district actively promotes college-credit and dual-enrollment pathways, which is a notable strength for college-bound students.

School ratings and data from GreatSchools, Niche, US News, and district sources. The recruiter flagged verifying the current local school rating for recruitment materials, so confirm the latest figures before publication. Ratings change year to year.

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