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Santa Barbara Senior High

Q: Is Santa Barbara Senior High a good school?

Santa Barbara Senior High ranks 994 th of 2137 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

994^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,137 California High Schools

Better than 53% of California high schools

Summary

Santa Barbara Senior High is a grades 9–12 public school in Santa Barbara, California, serving 1,924 students in Santa Barbara Unified. Its 91% graduation rate is above the state’s 88%, but chronic absenteeism is a significant concern: 29% of students were chronically absent in 2025–2026, compared with 18% statewide and 18% districtwide. The clearest academic weakness is mathematics, where proficiency was 26%—well below the state and district.

English is the school’s strongest subject relative to the state, but results are mixed against nearby comprehensive high schools. In 2025–2026, ELA proficiency was 51%, 2 points above the state but 2 points below the district; math was 26%, 13 points below the state and 18 below the district; and science was 32%, below both. Among Dos Pueblos Senior High, San Marcos Senior High, Carpinteria Senior High and Santa Barbara, the school placed third in each subject. Its math result was 8 points below those three schools’ average, while ELA was 4 points below their average.

Scores have risen since 2022–2023, but math has not closed its gap with the state: ELA increased 8 points to 51%, science rose 11 points to 32%, and math gained 4 points to 26%. SchoolDigger’s statewide standing improved from the 43rd percentile in 2023–2024 to the 53rd percentile and 3 stars in 2025–2026. In 2024–2025, the student–teacher ratio was 19.4, and 62% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible. SchoolDigger’s student-group rankings also show notable differences: its measure of how well the school serves Multi-racial Students rose from the 8th percentile in 2023–2024 to the 30th in 2025–2026, still below the overall 53rd percentile; for English Language Learner Students, it was at the 21st percentile in 2023–2024, compared with 43rd overall.

1,924

Students ?

19.4

Student/teacher ratio ?

$23,604

Per pupil spending ?

61.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

700 East Anapamu St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93103-2384

(805) 966-9101

District: Santa Barbara Unified

Feeder schools for Santa Barbara Senior High:

Elementary:	Cleveland Elementary
	Franklin Elementary
	McKinley Elementary
	Peabody Charter
	More...
	Roosevelt Elementary
	Washington Elementary
Middle:	Santa Barbara Junior High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

62.4%

White:

30.0%

Two or more races:

4.5%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Santa Barbara Senior High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 62nd percentile in 2015 → 53rd in 2026

Strengths

✓91% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Above the California median (53rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Test scores below the California average (36% vs 42% meeting standards)

!High chronic absenteeism (29% vs 18% California)

!Ranking has slipped — down 9 percentile points since 2015

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg47%

California avg42%

994^th of 2,137

California public high schools ?

Top 47%▼ down 4 pts since 2016

From top 42% (2016) to top 47% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

4^th of 5High Schools in the Santa Barbara Unified

354^th of 968Santa Barbara Unified among California districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	52.0	994 of 2137	53.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.7	1195 of 2162	44.7%	★★☆☆☆
2024	39.8	1239 of 2159	42.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.1	1081 of 2170	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	48.4	967 of 2123	54.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.1	451 of 2133	78.9%	★★★★☆
2018	67.4	646 of 2017	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2017	61.3	764 of 2021	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	56.6	866 of 2039	57.5%	★★★☆☆
2015	59.1	761 of 1994	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2013	51.4	751 of 2426	69.0%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	28.0	433 of 573	24.4%	★☆☆☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	35.5	675 of 1161	41.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	42.4	514 of 1117	54.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	31.6	666 of 1052	36.7%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	29.7	853 of 1085	21.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	31.2	795 of 1064	25.3%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	29.5	838 of 1044	19.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	28.1	856 of 941	9.0%	☆☆☆☆☆
2018	46.0	350 of 938	62.7%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	52.1	872 of 1865	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	42.5	1060 of 1906	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	46.1	985 of 1915	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	47.6	949 of 1915	50.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.4	747 of 1858	59.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.3	367 of 1833	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.1	575 of 1760	67.3%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.2	1144 of 1880	39.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.2	1280 of 1900	32.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	34.0	1285 of 1902	32.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	37.2	1194 of 1917	37.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.0	1289 of 1861	30.7%	★★☆☆☆
2019	64.2	550 of 1814	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.4	833 of 1742	52.2%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	31.3	205 of 299	31.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	51.1	128 of 290	55.9%	★★★☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	37.5	1258 of 1999	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	34.4	1330 of 2013	33.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	1377 of 2026	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	35.5	1283 of 2030	36.8%	★★☆☆☆
2022	31.7	1317 of 1943	32.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	52.6	860 of 1937	55.6%	★★★☆☆
2018	43.7	1109 of 1862	40.4%	★★☆☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	46.4	1006 of 1932	47.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	38.4	1166 of 1942	40.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.2	1325 of 1948	32.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.1	1070 of 1963	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2022	39.0	1076 of 1916	43.8%	★★☆☆☆
2019	67.8	521 of 1880	72.3%	★★★★☆
2018	62.7	677 of 1834	63.1%	★★★☆☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	15.6	151 of 175	13.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	16.3	160 of 183	12.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	11.7	172 of 190	9.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2022	9.8	160 of 168	4.8%	☆☆☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	33.0	409 of 588	30.4%	★★☆☆☆
2025	30.1	413 of 577	28.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	9.7	526 of 574	8.4%	☆☆☆☆☆
2023	16.4	451 of 541	16.6%	★☆☆☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	37.7	681 of 1235	44.9%	★★☆☆☆
2025	57.2	380 of 1252	69.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.8	660 of 1216	45.7%	★★☆☆☆
2023	41.3	584 of 1197	51.2%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	472 of 1132	58.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	40.1	738 of 1155	36.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	33.1	821 of 1173	30.0%	★★☆☆☆
2023	51.6	585 of 1193	51.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.9	439 of 1204	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2019	81.7	176 of 1222	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	76.2	282 of 1173	76.0%	★★★★☆

How student groups rank statewide ? (each group's percentile vs the same group at other schools — higher is better; the +/- beside each compares the group with this school's overall percentile)

White (2026)58th percentile+5 vs school

Female (2026)53rd percentile~ school

Male (2026)48th percentile-6 vs school

Special Education (2026)45th percentile-9 vs school

Disabled (2022)42nd percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)39th percentile-14 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)37th percentile-16 vs school

Homeless (2023)31st percentile-19 vs school

Multi-racial (2026)30th percentile-23 vs school

Asian (2024)24th percentile-18 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)21st percentile-21 vs school

Military Connected (2025)14th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy51%~ state avg

Science32%-4 vs state

Mathematics26%-13 vs state

★

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Schools Near Santa Barbara Senior High

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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 (2026)				Ranking (2025)				CAST Science (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2026)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2026)				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/reduced lunch (2024-25)	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 11th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	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
Santa Barbara Senior High	Public	9-12	700 East Anapamu St.	Santa Barbara	93103	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 966-9101	1,924	99	19.4	61.7%	578 (30.0%)	11 (0.6%)	1,201 (62.4%)	32 (1.7%)	9 (0.5%)	1 (0.1%)	87 (4.5%)	52	994^th of 2137 public high schools	53.5%		42.7	1195^th of 2162 public high schools	44.7%	201		32.4	15.4	31.9			51.2	51.2			25.6	25.6	$23,604	$22,678	$926
La Cuesta Continuation High	Public	9-12	710 Santa Barbara St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	77	9	8.4	89.6%	3 (3.9%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (94.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.3%)	17.5	1699^th of 2137 public high schools	20.5%		7.4	2137^th of 2162 public high schools	1.2%	438		5.0	30.8	11.3			17.1	17.1			5.7	5.7	$78,215	$76,436	$1,779
Alta Vista Alternative High	Public, Virtual	9-12	215 East Ortega St.	Santa Barbara	93101	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	Yes	(n/a)	(805) 966-0883	119	9	12.6	59.7%	35 (29.4%)	0 (0.0%)	70 (58.8%)	6 (5.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.4%)	53.2	968^th of 2137 public high schools	54.7%		25.7	1576^th of 2162 public high schools	27.1%	608		36.0		33.3			51.9	51.9			23.1	23.1	$21,342	$20,804	$538
Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program-South	Public	9-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93160	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(805) 967-4711	0			—	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Barbara County Community	Public	5-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93160	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-5307	27	4	6.7	88.9%	1 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	26 (96.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)								(n/a)	0.0			0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0		0.0	$69,428	$69,428	$00
Santa Barbara County Juvenile Court	Public	5-12	4400 Cathedral Oaks Rd.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-5307	31	3	10.2	90.3%	2 (6.5%)	0 (0.0%)	28 (90.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.2%)	6.5	2115^th of 2137 public high schools	1.0%					(n/a)							0.0	0.0			0.0	0.0	$63,122	$55,166	$7,956
San Marcos Senior High	Public	9-12	4750 Hollister Ave.	Santa Barbara	93110	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 967-4581	1,926	91	21.1	58.0%	616 (32.0%)	9 (0.5%)	1,165 (60.5%)	47 (2.4%)	2 (0.1%)	3 (0.2%)	84 (4.4%)	63.4	746^th of 2137 public high schools	65.1%		72.2	559^th of 2162 public high schools	74.1%	187		43.2		42.4			53.4	53.4			30.5	30.5	$21,272	$20,128	$1,144
Carpinteria Senior High	Public	9-12	4810 Foothill Rd.	Carpinteria	93013	Santa Barbara County	Carpinteria Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 684-4107	593	33	18.2	65.3%	121 (20.4%)	2 (0.3%)	448 (75.5%)	12 (2.0%)	2 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.3%)	37.6	1330^th of 2137 public high schools	37.8%		57.1	890^th of 2162 public high schools	58.8%	440		20.0		20.4			41.3	41.3			23.4	23.4	$24,317	$23,636	$681
Dos Pueblos Senior High	Public	9-12	7266 Alameda Ave.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 968-2541	2,149	95	22.6	43.9%	895 (41.6%)	24 (1.1%)	908 (42.3%)	132 (6.1%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	181 (8.4%)	84.4	306^th of 2137 public high schools	85.7%		83.6	344^th of 2162 public high schools	84.1%	38		52.4	14.3	51.3			71.2	71.2			48.2	48.2	$20,647	$19,878	$769

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Barbara Senior High

What is the racial makeup of Santa Barbara Senior High?

Students at Santa Barbara Senior High are 62% Hispanic, 30% White, 5% Two or more races, 2% Asian.

Is Santa Barbara Senior High a good school?

Santa Barbara Senior High ranks 994^th of 2137 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Barbara Senior High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,924 students attended Santa Barbara Senior High.

What schools feed into Santa Barbara Senior High?

Santa Barbara Senior High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Cleveland Elementary
Elementary : Franklin Elementary
Elementary : McKinley Elementary
Elementary : Peabody Charter
Elementary : Roosevelt Elementary
Elementary : Washington Elementary
Middle : Santa Barbara Junior High

What district is Santa Barbara Senior High in?

Santa Barbara Unified

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Latest California data All new data »

2013–14 through 2024–25 immunization rates (updated)NewOct 19, 2026

2025–26 attendance data, dropout rates & graduation ratesNewOct 15, 2026

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresNewOct 15, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

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.