Santa Cruz City High School District

133 Mission St. Ste. 100
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3747
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

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
268,018 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.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#516 out of 1941 school districts
(Top 30%)
This chart displays the overall district rank of Santa Cruz City High  School District, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
36%
33%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of Santa Cruz City High  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Math of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
58%
47%
This chart displays the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of Santa Cruz City High  School District and the percentage of public school students that scored at or above 'proficient' levels in Reading/Language Arts of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.
33%
29%
94%
87%
This chart displays public school graduation rate of Santa Cruz City High  School District and public school graduation rate of California by year, with the latest 2021-22 school year data.

Students by Ethnicity:

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)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Santa Cruz High School
(Math: 49% | Reading: 68%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
415 Walnut Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3960
Grades: 9-12
| 1,104 students
Rank: #22.
Mission Hill Middle School
(Math: 43% | Reading: 60%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
425 King St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3860
Grades: 6-8
| 500 students
Rank: #33.
Alternative Family Education
Alternative School
(Math: <50% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Grades: K-12
| 110 students
Rank: #44.
Soquel High School
(Math: 30-34% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
401 Old San Jose Rd.
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 429-3909
Grades: 9-12
| 1,048 students
Rank: #55.
Harbor High School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
300 La Fonda Ave.
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:
7/
10
Top 50%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Grades: 6-12
| 52 students
Rank: #77.
Branciforte Middle School
(Math: 31% | Reading: 49%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
315 Poplar St.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3883
Grades: 6-8
| 435 students
Rank: #88.
Delta Charter
Charter School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 477-5212
Grades: 9-12
| 116 students
Rank: #99.
Costanoa Continuation High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
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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Quick Stats (2025)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: KG-12
  • Enrollment: 4,492 students
  • Student:Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 53%
  • : 94% (Top 30% in CA)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 36% (Top 50%)
  • : 58% (Top 30%)
  • : 33% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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