Top Rankings
Santa Cruz City High School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:
Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 9 public schools serving 4,492 students in Santa Cruz City High School District. This district's average testing ranking is 8/10, which is in the top 30% of public schools in California.
Public Schools in Santa Cruz City High School District have an average math proficiency score of 37% (versus the California public school average of 33%), and reading proficiency score of 58% (versus the 47% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 53% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public school average of 80% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
9 Schools
10,369 Schools
# Students
4,492 Students
5,826,838 Students
# Teachers
224 Teachers
268,012 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
20:1
20:1
District Rank
Santa Cruz City High School District, which is ranked #504 of all 1,925 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2021-2022 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 94% has increased from 90% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#516 out of 1941 school districts
(Top 30%)
(Top 30%)

Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
36%
33%

Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
58%
47%

Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
33%
29%
Graduation Rate
94%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.61
0.63
# American Indian Students
8 Students
25,796 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
120 Students
705,807 Students
% Asian Students
3%
12%
# Hispanic Students
1,819 Students
3,264,561 Students
% Hispanic Students
41%
56%
# Black Students
57 Students
286,112 Students
% Black Students
1%
5%
# White Students
2,133 Students
1,178,558 Students
% White Students
47%
20%
# Hawaiian Students
7 Students
23,731 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
339 Students
333,755 Students
% of Two or more races Students
8%
6%
Students by Grade:
# Students in PK Grade:
-
83
# Students in K Grade:
2
522,456
# Students in 1st Grade:
3
396,605
# Students in 2nd Grade:
9
414,466
# Students in 3rd Grade:
7
416,628
# Students in 4th Grade:
8
426,361
# Students in 5th Grade:
3
430,587
# Students in 6th Grade:
337
432,997
# Students in 7th Grade:
299
439,621
# Students in 8th Grade:
325
441,777
# Students in 9th Grade:
905
466,534
# Students in 10th Grade:
799
476,585
# Students in 11th Grade:
877
469,511
# Students in 12th Grade:
918
492,627
# Ungraded Students:
-
-
Best Santa Cruz City High School District Public Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Santa Cruz High School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 68%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
415 Walnut Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3960
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3960
Grades: 9-12
| 1,104 students
Rank: #22.
Mission Hill Middle School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
425 King St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3860
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3860
Grades: 6-8
| 500 students
Rank: #33.
Alternative Family Education
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Grades: K-12
| 110 students
Rank: #44.
Soquel High School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
401 Old San Jose Rd.
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 429-3909
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 429-3909
Grades: 9-12
| 1,048 students
Rank: #55.
Harbor High School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
300 La Fonda Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3810
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3810
Grades: 9-12
| 1,040 students
Rank: #66.
Ark Independent Studies
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Grades: 6-12
| 52 students
Rank: #77.
Branciforte Middle School
(Math: 31% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
315 Poplar St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3883
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3883
Grades: 6-8
| 435 students
Rank: #88.
Delta Charter
Charter School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
Rank:
3/
Bottom 50%10
6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 477-5212
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 477-5212
Grades: 9-12
| 116 students
Rank: #99.
Costanoa Continuation High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
Rank:
2/
Bottom 50%10
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Grades: 9-12
| 87 students
Frequently Asked Questions
How many schools belong to Santa Cruz City High School District?
Santa Cruz City High School District manages 9 public schools serving 4,492 students.
What is the rank of Santa Cruz City High School District?
Santa Cruz City High School District is ranked #504 out of 1,925 school districts in California (top 30%) based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data for the 2021-2022 school year. This district ranks in the top 20% of California school districts for: Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
What is the racial composition of students in Santa Cruz City High School District?
47% of Santa Cruz City High School District students are White, 41% of students are Hispanic, 8% of students are Two or more races, 3% of students are Asian, and 1% of students are Black.
What is the student/teacher ratio of Santa Cruz City High School District?
Santa Cruz City High School District has a student/teacher ratio of 20:1, which is lower than the California state average of 22:1.
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