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Santa Ana Unified


At a glance
1254thof 1,543 California districts▼ 23
Better than 18% of California districts
1601 East Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701-6322
·(714) 558-5501·All California district rankings →
Statewide performance 2016–2025
2025: better than 18.7% of districts
53
Schools
35,993
Students
1
5-star school
Top rankedMiddle College High66th of 2,162 California high schools
Biggest riser
John F. Kennedy Elementary up 552 spots statewide this year
Smallest classes
Advanced Learning Academy 11.6 students per teacher
SchoolDigger ratings
3★
2★
1★
0★
4 schools without a SchoolDigger rating (too few tested students)
Summary:

The Santa Ana Unified district serves a high-need community through 51 schools, including 34 elementary, 6 middle, 10 high, and 1 alternative school, with over 90% of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

While the district faces academic challenges overall, it contains standout schools that prove high achievement is possible. Middle College High is a top-tier state performer with a 100% graduation rate, and comprehensive high schools like Segerstrom High and Hector G. Godinez also excel. At the elementary level, John Muir Fundamental Elementary leads, and schools with "Fundamental" in their name consistently show lower absenteeism and stronger results.

However, the district has a stark performance gap. Schools like Cesar E. Chavez High, Lorin Griset Academy, and Romero-Cruz Academy face severe challenges with very low test scores and alarmingly high chronic absenteeism, which is a critical indicator of school struggle. Notably, higher per-student spending does not guarantee better performance, as effective use of resources and strong school culture, as seen in the successful schools, appear to be more important factors.

Ranking:
Map legend
E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private




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.

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