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High Schools in Capistrano Unified

Coming soon: We're expecting this year's test scores from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will be posted the moment they're released!

Coming soon: This year's test scores are expected from the California Department of Education any day now — new rankings will follow the moment they're released!

At a glance

DistrictCapistrano Unified193^rd of 1,543 California districtsFull district overview →

Schools

14,003

Students

5-star schools

Top rankedTesoro High52^nd of 2,162 California high schools

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Biggest riser

Capistrano Union High up 132 spots statewide this year

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Smallest classes

Capistrano Union High 8.6 students per teacher

SchoolDigger ratings

5★

4★

1★

1 school without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)

Compare California districts →See the top-ranked California schools →

Summary:

This analysis examines nine high schools serving grades 9-12 within the Capistrano Unified School District in California, revealing a generally high-performing district where most schools rank in the state's top quarter, though significant disparities exist between campuses.

Tesoro High stands out as the district's top academic performer, ranking 52nd in the state with the highest proficiency rates in English, math, and science, alongside the lowest chronic absenteeism among comprehensive high schools. Other strong options include San Clemente High, which has shown impressive recent improvement, and Aliso Niguel High, which boasts the district's highest graduation rate. In contrast, Capistrano Union High faces considerable challenges, ranking in the state's bottom fifth with much higher student poverty and absenteeism rates.

Key takeaways for parents include noting that while the district excels in English, math performance is more variable, with only Tesoro exceeding the district average. Also, smaller alternative schools like California Preparatory Academy and Bridges Community Day receive significantly more funding per student to serve specialized needs. Overall, Capistrano Unified offers several excellent high school choices, but it's important to compare individual school data on academic performance, absenteeism, and graduation rates to find the best fit.

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2025)				Ranking (2024)				CAST Science (2025)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2025)		Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2025)		Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients (2025)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	SchoolDigger Rating (2025)	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Capistrano Valley High	Public	9-12	26301 Via Escolar	Mission Viejo	92692	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 364-6100	1,991	91	21.7	40.5%	894 (44.9%)	27 (1.4%)	621 (31.2%)	204 (10.2%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	233 (11.7%)	90.7	187^th of 2162 public high schools	91.4%		87	280^th of 2159 public high schools	87.0%	93	57.2		57.0	74.8	74.8	50.8	50.8	$18,521	$17,482	$1,039
Dana Hills High	Public	9-12	33333 Golden Lantern	Dana Point	92629	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 496-6666	1,725	80	21.5	42.0%	898 (52.1%)	11 (0.6%)	599 (34.7%)	68 (3.9%)	3 (0.2%)	3 (0.2%)	141 (8.2%)	80.2	405^th of 2162 public high schools	81.3%		93	161^st of 2159 public high schools	92.5%	244	44.9	8.7	42.8	71.0	71.0	39.8	39.8	$19,845	$18,822	$1,023
San Clemente High	Public	9-12	700 Avenido Pico	San Clemente	92673	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 492-4165	2,740	116	23.6	37.6%	1,649 (60.2%)	12 (0.4%)	760 (27.7%)	62 (2.3%)	8 (0.3%)	7 (0.3%)	238 (8.7%)	91.4	175^th of 2162 public high schools	91.9%		88	261^st of 2159 public high schools	87.9%	86	59.8	24.0	58.3	74.0	74.0	55.0	55.0	$17,763	$16,782	$981
Capistrano Union High	Public	9-12	31422 Camino Capistrano	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 489-7216	103	12	8.6	84.5%	22 (21.4%)	3 (2.9%)	75 (72.8%)	1 (1.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.9%)	16.5	1756^th of 2162 public high schools	18.8%		13	1888^th of 2159 public high schools	12.6%	132	12.9		15.2	24.2	24.2	0.0	0.0	$58,764	$54,874	$3,890
Aliso Niguel High	Public	9-12	28000 Wolverine Way	Aliso Viejo	92656	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 831-5590	2,563	109	23.5	33.1%	1,262 (49.2%)	23 (0.9%)	553 (21.6%)	444 (17.3%)	4 (0.2%)	3 (0.1%)	269 (10.5%)	92.9	149^th of 2162 public high schools	93.1%		92.8	167^th of 2159 public high schools	92.3%	18	63.4	29.4	62.6	78.0	78.0	52.5	52.5	$18,007	$17,020	$987
Tesoro High	Public	9-12	1 Tesoro Creek Rd.	Rancho Santa Margarita	92688	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5310	2,030	89	22.6	23.4%	1,136 (56.0%)	28 (1.4%)	327 (16.1%)	322 (15.9%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	209 (10.3%)	97.1	52^nd of 2162 public high schools	97.6%		94.9	114^th of 2159 public high schools	94.7%	62	72.3	28.1	69.5	89.9	89.9	64.9	64.9	$18,058	$17,026	$1,032
Bridges Community Day	Public	6-12	31576 El Camino Real	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5302	12	3	3.7	25.0%	6 (50.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (33.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (8.3%)								(n/a)								$70,836	$69,828	$1,008
San Juan Hills High	Public	9-12	29211 Stallion Ridge	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(949) 234-5900	2,641	114	23.2	38.1%	1,317 (49.9%)	19 (0.7%)	900 (34.1%)	164 (6.2%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	230 (8.7%)	93.3	137^th of 2162 public high schools	93.7%		94	131^st of 2159 public high schools	93.9%	6	58.5		57.9	79.7	79.7	55.9	55.9	$17,380	$16,388	$992
California Preparatory Academy	Public, Virtual	9-12	32972 Calle Perfecto	San Juan Capistrano	92675	Orange County	Capistrano Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(949) 234-5317	198	9	22.9	22.7%	139 (70.2%)	2 (1.0%)	25 (12.6%)	6 (3.0%)	1 (0.5%)	1 (0.5%)	23 (11.6%)	74.4	501^st of 2162 public high schools	76.8%		90.9	201^st of 2159 public high schools	90.7%	300	44.4		45.6	69.8	69.8	28.6	28.6	$23,965	$23,178	$787

Districts nearby

District	Distance	# of Schools	Statewide Rank
Community Roots Academy District	1.57 mi	1	160^th
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts District	1.59 mi	1	151^st
Orange County Department of Education	1.59 mi	16
OCASA College Prep District	2.59 mi	1
California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano District	2.98 mi	1	314^th

See the top CA California districts

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.