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 7 public high schools serving 3,557 students in Santa Cruz City High School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public high schools in California.
Public High Schools in Santa Cruz City High School District have an average math proficiency score of 35% (versus the California public high school average of 28%), and reading proficiency score of 62% (versus the 51% statewide average).
Public High School in Santa Cruz City High School District have a Graduation Rate of 93%, which is more than the California average of 87%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Santa Cruz High School, with 97% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in California or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 53% 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
9 Schools
2,817 Schools
# Students
4,492 Students
2,139,525 Students
# Teachers
224 Teachers
100,737 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
10,468 Students
% American Indian Students
n/a
1%
# Asian Students
120 Students
244,247 Students
% Asian Students
3%
11%
# Hispanic Students
1,819 Students
1,190,384 Students
% Hispanic Students
41%
56%
# Black Students
57 Students
110,575 Students
% Black Students
1%
5%
# White Students
2,133 Students
458,887 Students
% White Students
47%
22%
# Hawaiian Students
7 Students
9,060 Students
% Hawaiian Students
n/a
n/a
# Two or more races Students
339 Students
108,483 Students
% of Two or more races Students
8%
5%

Students by Grade:

# Students in PK Grade:
-
18
# Students in K Grade:
2
25,126
# Students in 1st Grade:
3
19,346
# Students in 2nd Grade:
9
19,826
# Students in 3rd Grade:
7
19,554
# Students in 4th Grade:
8
19,798
# Students in 5th Grade:
3
20,237
# Students in 6th Grade:
337
29,089
# Students in 7th Grade:
299
39,371
# Students in 8th Grade:
325
41,955
# Students in 9th Grade:
905
466,491
# Students in 10th Grade:
799
476,582
# Students in 11th Grade:
877
469,509
# Students in 12th Grade:
918
492,623
# Ungraded Students:
-
-

Best Santa Cruz City High School District Public High 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.
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: #33.
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: #44.
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: #55.
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: #66.
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: #77.
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

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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

Quick Links