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Santa Ynez Elementary

Q: Is Santa Ynez Elementary a good school?

Santa Ynez Elementary ranks 1564 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 1-8

1564^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 73% of California elementary schools

Summary

Santa Ynez Elementary is a small, well-regarded public school serving grades 1 through 8 with about 147 students, offering a supportive learning environment in the Santa Ynez Valley with a favorable student-teacher ratio.

The school consistently performs above state averages, especially in English and Science, and is distinguished by its exceptionally low rate of chronic student absences—less than half the state average. This strong attendance reflects high engagement and a supportive school community. Furthermore, the school, part of the College Elementary district, demonstrates effective support for students from all economic backgrounds, with its academic results for these students ranking well above average. Compared to nearby schools like Ellwood Elementary or Olga L. Reed Elementary, Santa Ynez Elementary shows remarkable stability in its high performance year after year.

While strong overall, the school has identified areas for growth, including strengthening mathematics instruction in the upper grades and addressing a notable performance gap between male and female students. The school's higher per-student spending is associated with its low class sizes and strong outcomes. It is part of a cluster of high-performing schools in the valley, such as Ballard Elementary and Los Olivos Elementary, suggesting a regional commitment to education. For parents, Santa Ynez Elementary represents a stable, high-achieving, and attentive school environment focused on student success.

147

Students ?

14.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$3,905

Per pupil spending ?

45.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

3325 Pine St.
Santa Ynez, CA 93460-0188

(805) 686-7310

District: College Elementary

Students who attend Santa Ynez Elementary usually attend:

High:

Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

55.8%

White:

36.7%

Two or more races:

4.8%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Santa Ynez Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▲ Ranking trend: Improving — 48th percentile in 2015 → 73rd in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (50% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranking is trending up — up 25 percentile points since 2015

✓Above the California median (73rd percentile)

Worth a look

!Some student groups rank well below the school's overall statewide standing

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school50%

District avg50%

California avg41%

Elementary school

1,564^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 27%▲ up 26 pts since 2015

From bottom 48% (2015) to top 27% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

701^st of 2,761

California public middle schools ?

Top 25%▲ up 7 pts since 2015

From top 33% (2015) to top 25% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

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

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	70.8	1564 of 5857	73.3%	★★★★☆
2024	65.9	1777 of 5869	69.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	65.8	1762 of 5859	69.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.0	1569 of 5883	73.3%	★★★★☆
2021	38.7	801 of 1417	43.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	75.8	1352 of 5789	76.6%	★★★★☆
2018	70.0	1570 of 5662	72.3%	★★★★☆
2017	50.9	2493 of 5692	56.2%	★★★☆☆
2016	49.3	2518 of 5614	55.1%	★★★☆☆
2015	41.5	2941 of 5611	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2013	44.0	3075 of 5530	44.4%	★★☆☆☆
2012	53.2	2433 of 5390	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	72.0	1392 of 5377	74.1%	★★★★☆
2010	74.9	1236 of 5314	76.7%	★★★★☆
2009	77.8	1102 of 5193	78.8%	★★★★☆
2008	74.4	1218 of 5113	76.2%	★★★★☆
2007	70.8	1337 of 5113	73.9%	★★★★☆
2006	63.8	1598 of 4818	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2005	68.0	1423 of 4822	70.5%	★★★★☆
2004	60.4	1692 of 4809	64.8%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	57.4	2078 of 5597	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	37.3	3247 of 5612	42.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	42.6	2842 of 5609	49.3%	★★☆☆☆
2019	66.7	1666 of 5492	69.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	59.5	1727 of 5107	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	60.1	1680 of 5107	67.1%	★★★☆☆
2023	67.9	1280 of 5087	74.8%	★★★★☆
2022	60.9	1592 of 5084	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	78.3	770 of 4963	84.5%	★★★★☆
2018	80.5	670 of 4830	86.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	66.2	1477 of 5460	72.9%	★★★★☆
2024	67.1	1401 of 5517	74.6%	★★★★☆
2023	76.9	901 of 5363	83.2%	★★★★☆
2022	58.5	1771 of 5264	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2021	47.7	510 of 1110	54.1%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	82.7	977 of 5638	82.7%	★★★★☆
2022	61.8	1876 of 5663	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2021	40.5	697 of 1272	45.2%	★★☆☆☆
2019	81.0	1019 of 5510	81.5%	★★★★☆
2018	79.7	1074 of 5431	80.2%	★★★★☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	68.7	701 of 2761	74.6%	★★★★☆
2024	65.7	776 of 2783	72.1%	★★★★☆
2023	53.7	1062 of 2781	61.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	71.7	648 of 2740	76.4%	★★★★☆
2021	62.6	297 of 894	66.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	66.2	763 of 2715	71.9%	★★★★☆
2018	70.1	644 of 2480	74.0%	★★★★☆
2017	57.2	938 of 2508	62.6%	★★★☆☆
2016	61.3	833 of 2497	66.6%	★★★☆☆
2015	62.3	813 of 2477	67.2%	★★★☆☆
2013	83.3	241 of 2379	89.9%	★★★★☆
2012	72.3	514 of 2259	77.2%	★★★★☆
2011	85.4	177 of 2236	92.1%	★★★★★
2010	77.5	363 of 2179	83.3%	★★★★☆
2009	67.5	575 of 2063	72.1%	★★★★☆
2008	61.7	668 of 2005	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2007	71.4	463 of 1999	76.8%	★★★★☆
2006	60.3	628 of 1804	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2005	58.9	630 of 1777	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2004	45.7	867 of 1769	51.0%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	49.9	1102 of 2533	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	40.1	1337 of 2551	47.6%	★★☆☆☆
2023	44.2	1207 of 2531	52.3%	★★★☆☆
2021	61.5	239 of 738	67.6%	★★★☆☆
2019	61.4	802 of 2380	66.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	89.7	225 of 2262	90.1%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.0	673 of 2395	71.9%	★★★★☆
2024	69.6	523 of 2388	78.1%	★★★★☆
2023	58.0	767 of 2374	67.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	78.1	329 of 2359	86.1%	★★★★☆
2019	80.5	296 of 2213	86.6%	★★★★☆
2018	83.6	217 of 2072	89.5%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	64.7	650 of 2579	74.8%	★★★★☆
2022	81.6	275 of 2458	88.8%	★★★★☆
2021	67.7	171 of 721	76.3%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	74.3	539 of 2534	78.7%	★★★★☆
2024	80.8	415 of 2552	83.7%	★★★★☆
2023	61.5	781 of 2538	69.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.2	747 of 2527	70.4%	★★★★☆
2021	64.4	237 of 763	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	70.7	605 of 2407	74.9%	★★★★☆
2018	59.3	793 of 2273	65.1%	★★★☆☆

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)

Elementary school

Male (2023)83rd percentile+13 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)73rd percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)66th percentile-7 vs school

Female (2025)63rd percentile-10 vs school

Middle school

Male (2025)79th percentile+4 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2024)75th percentile+3 vs school

Hispanic (2025)72nd percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)56th percentile-18 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy61%+12 vs state

Science46%+13 vs state

Mathematics40%+3 vs state

★

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Schools Near Santa Ynez Elementary

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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 Immunizations 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)							% Completely Immunized (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	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	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 5th Grade	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy 6th Grade	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 All Grades	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 3rd Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 4th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 5th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	% Completely Immunized KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Santa Ynez Elementary	Public	1-8	3325 Pine St.	Santa Ynez	93460	Santa Barbara County	College Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 686-7310	147	10	14.1	45.6%	54 (36.7%)	0 (0.0%)	82 (55.8%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (2.7%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (4.8%)	70.8	1564^th of 5857 public elementary schools	73.3%		65.9	1777^th of 5869 public elementary schools	69.7%	213	45.0	46.2	45.7	56.3	50.0	75.0	68.8	52.4	61.5	61.1	56.3	42.9	35.0	46.7	38.1	30.8	40.2				$3,905	$3,196	$709
College Elementary	Public	K	3525 Pine St.	Santa Ynez	93460	Santa Barbara County	College Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 686-7300	28	2	14.0	35.7%	15 (53.6%)	0 (0.0%)	12 (42.9%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (3.6%)								(n/a)																					$3,905	$3,196	$709
Santa Ynez Valley Charter	Public, Charter	K-8	1224 Tyndall St.	Santa Ynez	93460	Santa Barbara County	Santa Ynez Valley Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 686-7360	189	12	15.7	20.6%	72 (38.1%)	1 (0.5%)	30 (15.9%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (1.1%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (44.4%)	45.8	2843^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	51.5%		34.6	3556^th of 5869 public elementary schools	39.4%	713	42.9		42.3	52.9	18.2	47.6	42.9			45.5	52.9	22.7	19.1	28.6			33.9
Ballard Elementary	Public	K-6	2425 School St.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Ballard Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-4812	113	7	16.1	10.6%	89 (78.8%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (12.4%)	2 (1.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (7.1%)	88.3	756^th of 5857 public elementary schools	87.1%		92	568^th of 5869 public elementary schools	90.3%	188	50.0		50.0	55.0	86.4	78.6	93.3			77.5	70.0	68.2	50.0	73.3			66.2				$55,723	$55,468	$255
Solvang Elementary	Public	K-8	565 Atterdag Rd.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Solvang Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-4810	602	31	19.3	38.2%	197 (32.7%)	3 (0.5%)	348 (57.8%)	5 (0.8%)	4 (0.7%)	0 (0.0%)	44 (7.3%)	50.8	2557^th of 5857 public elementary schools	56.3%		56.4	2217^th of 5869 public elementary schools	62.2%	340	35.6	52.2	44.5	41.7	41.4	56.9	54.4	71.0	73.5	56.9	43.6	27.1	28.8	52.2	37.7	68.1	42.7	96.3		96.3	$28,112	$27,214	$898
Los Olivos Elementary	Public	K-8	2540 Alamo Pintado Ave.	Los Olivos	93441	Santa Barbara County	Los Olivos Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-4025	159	11	14.8	18.9%	102 (64.2%)	2 (1.3%)	42 (26.4%)	2 (1.3%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	11 (6.9%)	84.8	929^th of 5857 public elementary schools	84.1%		71	1550^th of 5869 public elementary schools	73.6%	621	58.3	50.0	53.3	63.6	68.8	66.7		64.7	83.3	64.2	63.6	62.5	58.3		52.9	33.3	51.6				$22,798	$22,608	$190
Oak Valley Elementary	Public	K-5	595 Second St.	Buellton	93427	Santa Barbara County	Buellton Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-6992	377	18	20.9	56.8%	142 (37.7%)	5 (1.3%)	193 (51.2%)	7 (1.9%)	1 (0.3%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (7.7%)	66.5	1764^th of 5857 public elementary schools	69.9%		39.7	3190^th of 5869 public elementary schools	45.6%	1426	45.5		45.5	54.9	50.9	50.0				52.0	54.9	55.9	38.6				50.7	97.1	97.1		$19,265	$18,484	$781
Vista de Las Cruces	Public	K-8	9467 San Julian Rd.	Gaviota	93117	Santa Barbara County	Vista del Mar Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 686-1880	65	5	13.0	40.0%	35 (53.8%)	0 (0.0%)	22 (33.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (12.3%)								(n/a)			44.4	63.6						46.8	72.7						48.9				$33,975	$33,754	$221
Olga L. Reed Elementary	Public	K-8	480 Centennial St.	Los Alamos	93440	Santa Barbara County	Orcutt Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 344-2401	170	7	24.1	95.9%	16 (9.4%)	0 (0.0%)	142 (83.5%)	1 (0.6%)	3 (1.8%)	1 (0.6%)	6 (3.5%)	29.1	4037^th of 5857 public elementary schools	31.1%		24.6	4402^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	25.0%	365	12.5	15.0	13.9	35.3	42.9	25.0	24.0	55.6	60.0	41.2	41.2	50.0	31.3	8.0	22.2	30.0	27.7				$55,046	$24,644	$30,402
Brandon Elementary	Public	K-6	195 Brandon Dr.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Goleta Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 571-3770	429	21	20.4	42.2%	162 (37.8%)	3 (0.7%)	206 (48.0%)	16 (3.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	42 (9.8%)	72.6	1492^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	74.5%		62.3	1968^th of 5869 public elementary schools	66.5%	476	55.3		55.3	41.7	38.6	70.7	70.8			57.6	58.3	43.9	50.0	52.3			50.8				$36,847	$36,206	$641

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Ynez Elementary

Is Santa Ynez Elementary a good school?

Santa Ynez Elementary ranks 1564^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Santa Ynez Elementary attend?

Students who attend Santa Ynez Elementary usually go on to attend:

High : Santa Ynez Valley Union High

What district is Santa Ynez Elementary in?

College Elementary

What is the racial makeup of Santa Ynez Elementary?

Students at Santa Ynez Elementary are 56% Hispanic, 37% White, 5% Two or more races, 3% American Indian.

How many students attend Santa Ynez Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 147 students attended Santa Ynez Elementary.

Rate Santa Ynez Elementary!

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending dataJul 1, 2026

2024–25 attendance dataMar 13, 2026

2024–25 CSA Spanish test scoresDec 22, 2025

2024–25 dropout rates & graduation ratesNov 14, 2025

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.