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San Marcos Unified School District

255 Pico Ave. Ste. 250
San Marcos, CA 92069-3712
(District boundaries shown in map)
9/
10
Top 20%

Top Rankings

San Marcos Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025-26 school year, there are 4 public high schools serving 6,358 students in San Marcos Unified School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public high schools in California.
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High Schools in San Marcos Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 32% (versus the California public high school average of 28%), and reading proficiency score of 60% (versus the 51% statewide average).
ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High School in San Marcos Unified School District have a Graduation Rate of 95%, which is more than the California average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is San Marcos High School, with 96% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in California or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 65% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public high school average of 79% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
19 Schools
2,817 Schools
# Students
19,355 Students
2,139,525 Students
# Teachers
796 Teachers
100,737 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
24:1
24:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

San Marcos Unified School District, which is ranked #350 of all 1,910 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 95% has increased from 94% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#327 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 20%)
47%
34%
60%
47%
39%
29%
95%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.65
0.63
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
8%
11%
% Hispanic
46%
56%
% Black
1%
5%
% White
37%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $18,236 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,948 is less than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$353 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$289 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$18,236
$19,974
Spending / Student
$14,948
$18,396

Best San Marcos Unified School District ºÚÁÏÍø¹ÙÍø High Schools (2025-26)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
San Marcos High School
(Math: 36% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1615 San Marcos Blvd.
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2200
Gr: 9-12 | 3,201 students Student-teacher ratio: 27:1 Minority enrollment: 57%
Rank: #22.
Mission Hills High School
(Math: 30% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
1 Mission Hills Ct.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2700
Gr: 9-12 | 2,834 students Student-teacher ratio: 27:1 Minority enrollment: 73%
Rank: #33.
Foothills High School
Alternative School
(Math: 11-19% | Reading: 60-64%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
158 Cassou Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2544
Gr: 9-12 | 110 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 68%
Rank: #44.
Twin Oaks High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 10-14%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
158 Cassou Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2555
Gr: 9-12 | 213 students Student-teacher ratio: 16:1 Minority enrollment: 77%

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Quick Facts (2025-26)

  • District size: 19 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 19,355 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 24:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 63%
  • : 95% (Top 5% in CA)
  • : Top 20%
  • : 47% (Top 20%)
  • : 60% (Top 20%)
  • : 39% (Top 30%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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