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Santa Margarita Elementary

Q: Is Santa Margarita Elementary a good school?

Santa Margarita Elementary ranks 1951 st of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-8

1951^st

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,817 California Elementary Schools

Better than 66% of California elementary schools

Summary

Santa Margarita Elementary is a K–8 school in Oceanside, California, serving 544 students in Oceanside Unified. In 2025–2026, its all-grade proficiency was above state and district results in English language arts (ELA), math and science: it was 1 percentage point above the state in ELA, 7 points in math and 11 points in science. The schoolwide results are encouraging, but they conceal a sharp grade-level split, especially in ELA: grade 3 proficiency was 28%, compared with 44% statewide.

Science and math are the school’s clearest strengths compared with nearby schools, while ELA is closer to the state result. Among nine nearby district schools with scores, Santa Margarita had the highest math and science proficiency and the third-highest ELA result. Its science score was 19 points above the nearby-school average, and math was 11 points above; it also exceeded the state by 11 points in science and 7 in math. ELA was just 1 point above the state. Results vary by grade: ELA in grades 5, 6 and 7 was 15, 22 and 12 points above state results, respectively, while grade 8 was 6 points below. Math was especially strong in grades 5 and 6, but grades 3 and 8 were below state results. Among nearby K–8 schools, Santa Margarita also led in grade 5 and 6 math, but did not lead in every grade and subject.

Over time, math and science proficiency rose from 2022–2023 to 2025–2026 by 5 and 6 percentage points, respectively, while ELA fell by 6 points. Science fluctuated substantially in between, reaching 19% in 2023–2024 and 58% the following year before ending at 47%. SchoolDigger gives the school a 66th-percentile ranking and 3 stars, compared with the district’s 50th percentile and 2 stars. Its 2024–2025 student–teacher ratio was 22:1, tied for the lowest among nearby schools, and 66% of students were eligible for free or reduced-price lunch that year. SchoolDigger’s subgroup rankings also differ notably: its measure of how well the school serves Special Education Students ranks it at the 79th percentile, while its ranking for White Students is at the 25th percentile.

544

Students ?

22.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$18,726

Per pupil spending ?

66.2%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

94%

Kindergartners with all required immunizations (2024-25)

Exemptions: 0% (any vaccine)

1 Carnes Rd.
Oceanside, CA 92058-6699

(760) 901-7900

District: Oceanside Unified

Students who attend Santa Margarita Elementary usually attend:

High:

Oceanside High

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

43.2%

White:

34.2%

Two or more races:

10.7%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Santa Margarita Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 69th percentile in 2015 → 66th in 2026

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (48% vs 42% meeting standards)

✓Among the top-ranked schools in Oceanside Unified

✓Above the California median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

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

!Large classes — about 22 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school48%

District avg38%

California avg42%

Elementary school

1,951^st of 5,817

California public elementary schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 27% (2016) to top 34% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

Middle school

736^th of 2,740

California public middle schools ?

Top 27%▼ down 7 pts since 2016

From top 20% (2016) to top 27% (2026)

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 14Elementary Schools in the Oceanside Unified

788^th of 1,530Oceanside 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)

Elementary school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	62.6	1951 of 5817	66.5%	★★★☆☆
2025	55.7	2262 of 5857	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	53.1	2397 of 5869	59.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.9	1626 of 5859	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	56.9	2180 of 5883	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	80.2	1160 of 5789	80.0%	★★★★☆
2018	77.5	1240 of 5662	78.1%	★★★★☆
2017	76.7	1261 of 5692	77.8%	★★★★☆
2016	70.8	1492 of 5614	73.4%	★★★★☆
2015	63.8	1757 of 5611	68.7%	★★★☆☆
2013	49.0	2748 of 5530	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2012	42.5	3109 of 5390	42.3%	★★☆☆☆
2011	59.4	2069 of 5377	61.5%	★★★☆☆
2010	62.0	1885 of 5314	64.5%	★★★☆☆
2009	65.6	1655 of 5193	68.1%	★★★☆☆
2008	71.3	1345 of 5113	73.7%	★★★★☆
2007	60.5	1795 of 5113	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2006	60.5	1721 of 4818	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2005	72.5	1228 of 4822	74.5%	★★★★☆
2004	78.6	957 of 4809	80.1%	★★★★☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	61.4	1900 of 5581	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2025	60.1	1946 of 5597	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	45.8	2673 of 5612	52.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	61.4	1883 of 5609	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.5	2239 of 5635	60.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	82.6	946 of 5492	82.8%	★★★★☆
2018	75.7	1257 of 5413	76.8%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	69.4	1239 of 5094	75.7%	★★★★☆
2025	63.5	1533 of 5107	70.0%	★★★★☆
2024	69.9	1191 of 5107	76.7%	★★★★☆
2023	71.4	1107 of 5087	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	67.0	1300 of 5084	74.4%	★★★★☆
2019	92.9	196 of 4963	96.1%	★★★★★
2018	90.4	290 of 4830	94.0%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	65.1	1583 of 5423	70.8%	★★★★☆
2025	61.5	1774 of 5460	67.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.4	1944 of 5517	64.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	84.3	607 of 5363	88.7%	★★★★☆
2022	75.6	928 of 5264	82.4%	★★★★☆
2019	88.9	331 of 5173	93.6%	★★★★★
2018	85.8	460 of 5084	91.0%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	59.7	2000 of 5603	64.3%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.9	2448 of 5628	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	57.3	2096 of 5643	62.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.2	1401 of 5638	75.2%	★★★★☆
2022	58.0	2052 of 5663	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	75.8	1266 of 5510	77.0%	★★★★☆
2018	76.1	1223 of 5431	77.5%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	57.4	52 of 123	57.7%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.0	69 of 153	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	57 of 118	51.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.4	36 of 140	74.3%	★★★★☆
2022	52.0	58 of 130	55.4%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	67.4	603 of 2927	79.4%	★★★★☆
2024	57.7	773 of 2635	70.7%	★★★★☆
2023	40.8	1194 of 2420	50.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	29.0	1908 of 2536	24.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	36.4	1792 of 2598	31.0%	★★☆☆☆
2024	37.6	1766 of 2651	33.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.2	1427 of 2661	46.4%	★★☆☆☆
2022	28.1	2074 of 2726	23.9%	★☆☆☆☆
2019	58.0	1281 of 2834	54.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.6	1647 of 2737	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Middle school ranking

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.3	736 of 2740	73.1%	★★★★☆
2025	58.0	950 of 2761	65.6%	★★★☆☆
2024	48.0	1214 of 2783	56.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.8	1170 of 2781	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	64.2	788 of 2740	71.2%	★★★★☆
2019	84.3	383 of 2715	85.9%	★★★★☆
2018	74.6	555 of 2480	77.6%	★★★★☆
2017	71.3	640 of 2508	74.5%	★★★★☆
2016	77.4	498 of 2497	80.1%	★★★★☆
2015	64.8	766 of 2477	69.1%	★★★☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	79.0	455 of 2516	81.9%	★★★★☆
2025	55.5	937 of 2533	63.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	49.7	1071 of 2551	58.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	48.5	1086 of 2531	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.8	781 of 2509	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	85.8	304 of 2380	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	71.3	577 of 2262	74.5%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.9	557 of 2357	76.4%	★★★★☆
2025	76.8	380 of 2395	84.1%	★★★★☆
2024	58.4	766 of 2388	67.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.3	856 of 2374	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	65.3	599 of 2359	74.6%	★★★★☆
2019	92.8	95 of 2213	95.7%	★★★★★
2018	72.0	412 of 2072	80.1%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	65.0	662 of 2529	73.8%	★★★★☆
2025	66.7	611 of 2542	76.0%	★★★★☆
2024	55.3	876 of 2579	66.0%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.9	523 of 2531	79.3%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	360 of 2458	85.4%	★★★★☆
2019	93.5	91 of 2369	96.2%	★★★★★
2018	89.9	131 of 2230	94.1%	★★★★★

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	56.3	951 of 2514	62.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.3	1083 of 2534	57.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.5	1264 of 2552	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	49.6	1072 of 2538	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	61.5	781 of 2527	69.1%	★★★☆☆
2019	79.5	433 of 2407	82.0%	★★★★☆
2018	67.5	621 of 2273	72.7%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	66.0	59 of 181	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	49.2	99 of 194	49.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	44.2	101 of 192	47.4%	★★☆☆☆
2023	48.6	100 of 197	49.2%	★★★☆☆
2022	53.2	87 of 193	54.9%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	45.2	791 of 1490	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	28.8	1081 of 1537	29.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	17.6	1289 of 1543	16.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	45.4	825 of 1555	46.9%	★★☆☆☆
2019	71.0	433 of 1602	73.0%	★★★★☆
2018	56.0	657 of 1496	56.1%	★★★☆☆

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

Special Education (2026)79th percentile+13 vs school

Hispanic (2026)76th percentile+9 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)71st percentile+4 vs school

Female (2026)66th percentile~ school

Male (2026)64th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)58th percentile-9 vs school

White (2026)25th percentile-42 vs school

Middle school

Female (2026)82nd percentile+9 vs school

Hispanic (2026)76th percentile+3 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)74th percentile~ school

Military Connected (2026)67th percentile-6 vs school

Male (2026)62nd percentile-11 vs school

White (2026)47th percentile-26 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy50%~ state avg

Science47%+11 vs state

Mathematics46%+7 vs state

★

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Schools Near Santa Margarita 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 Vaccination 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)							Vaccination (2024-25)		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 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	Vaccination: Kindergartners with all required immunizations	Vaccination: Exemption rate	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Santa Margarita Elementary	Public	K-8	1 Carnes Rd.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-7900	544	25	22.0	66.2%	186 (34.2%)	44 (8.1%)	235 (43.2%)	14 (2.6%)	2 (0.4%)	5 (0.9%)	58 (10.7%)	62.6	1951^st of 5817 public elementary schools	66.5%		55.7	2262^nd of 5857 public elementary schools	61.4%	311	53.3	37.5	46.8	27.6	44.1	64.4	70.3	62.5	43.8	50.4	37.9	45.7	53.3	62.2	43.8	31.3	45.6	94%	0%	$18,726	$1,060	$17,666
North Terrace Elementary	Public	K-8	141 Santa Rosa Dr.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-7500	771	32	24.3	69.5%	266 (34.5%)	45 (5.8%)	333 (43.2%)	20 (2.6%)	9 (1.2%)	8 (1.0%)	90 (11.7%)	56.8	2218^th of 5817 public elementary schools	61.9%		71.6	1531^st of 5857 public elementary schools	73.9%	687	36.5	36.7	36.6	50.0	51.6	42.9	56.7	66.7	71.4	55.9	44.6	57.1	25.4	41.4	49.1	34.7	42.2	≥ 99%		$18,641	$1,293	$17,348
Laurel Elementary	Public	K-5	1410 Laurel St.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 966-4200	352	16	22.0	92.9%	18 (5.1%)	8 (2.3%)	306 (86.9%)	1 (0.3%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	15 (4.3%)	37.4	3408^th of 5817 public elementary schools	41.4%		24.4	4458^th of 5857 public elementary schools	23.9%	1050	25.0		25.0	39.1	42.2	42.9				41.6	45.7	31.3	20.0				31.5	≥ 98%		$21,107	$1,966	$19,141
Mission Elementary	Public	K-5	2100 Mission Ave.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 966-8700	419	17	24.6	90.9%	31 (7.4%)	6 (1.4%)	363 (86.6%)	6 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.5%)	11 (2.6%)	32.5	3781^st of 5817 public elementary schools	35.0%		33.2	3707^th of 5857 public elementary schools	36.7%	74	18.0		18.0	26.8	33.3	42.3				35.0	41.1	33.3	30.8				34.5	95%	0%	$20,281	$1,436	$18,845
Stuart Mesa Elementary	Public	K-8	100 Yamanaka Way	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-7700	549	24	22.5	65.0%	170 (31.0%)	45 (8.2%)	242 (44.1%)	18 (3.3%)	2 (0.4%)	6 (1.1%)	66 (12.0%)	36.8	3454^th of 5817 public elementary schools	40.6%		45.3	2864^th of 5857 public elementary schools	51.1%	590	27.0	29.0	27.9	29.7	56.9	44.7	32.4	60.4	61.3	46.7	25.0	40.7	18.4	27.0	37.5	22.6	29.6	≥ 99%		$17,878	$820	$17,058
Pablo Tac School of the Arts	Public	K-5	3535 Hacienda Dr.	Oceanside	92054	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 721-2300	425	19	22.3	80.0%	54 (12.7%)	15 (3.5%)	314 (73.9%)	9 (2.1%)	2 (0.5%)	3 (0.7%)	28 (6.6%)	32.8	3749^th of 5817 public elementary schools	35.6%		26.6	4266^th of 5857 public elementary schools	27.2%	517	29.3		29.3	35.8	35.1	40.4				36.9	34.3	32.4	19.6				29.4	≥ 98%		$19,792	$815	$18,977
Louise Foussat Elementary	Public	K-5	3800 Pala Rd.	Oceanside	92058	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 721-2200	755	31	24.3	76.4%	84 (11.1%)	29 (3.8%)	526 (69.7%)	36 (4.8%)	2 (0.3%)	13 (1.7%)	65 (8.6%)	24.4	4429^th of 5817 public elementary schools	23.9%		23	4595^th of 5857 public elementary schools	21.5%	166	23.3		23.3	23.3	32.4	35.9				30.3	22.4	33.3	20.4				25.4	≥ 99%		$18,130	$973	$17,157
Scholarship Prep - Oceanside	Public, Charter	K-8	4070 Mission Ave.	Oceanside	92057	San Diego County	Scholarship Prep - Oceanside District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(442) 262-3249	626	23	27.2	72.5%	111 (17.7%)	32 (5.1%)	438 (70.0%)	18 (2.9%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (1.8%)	15 (2.4%)	62.9	1938^th of 5817 public elementary schools	66.7%		67.3	1724^th of 5857 public elementary schools	70.6%	214	44.3	20.0	34.0	34.9	52.6	59.0	51.9	58.3	73.3	54.3	33.3	49.1	60.7	59.3	34.3	35.6	45.0	≥ 95%		$24,527	$1,623	$22,904
Palmquist Elementary	Public	K-5	1999 California St.	Oceanside	92054	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 901-8500	512	19	26.3	56.4%	230 (44.9%)	9 (1.8%)	220 (43.0%)	5 (1.0%)	2 (0.4%)	3 (0.6%)	43 (8.4%)	50.6	2575^th of 5817 public elementary schools	55.7%		47.9	2712^th of 5857 public elementary schools	53.7%	137	30.8		30.8	44.3	47.1	46.8				46.2	55.1	39.5	32.5				41.8	97%	0%	$20,008	$1,274	$18,734
Nichols Elementary	Public	K-5	4250 Old Grove Rd.	Oceanside	92057	San Diego County	Oceanside Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 435-7400	522	24	22.2	67.2%	86 (16.5%)	22 (4.2%)	297 (56.9%)	39 (7.5%)	0 (0.0%)	8 (1.5%)	70 (13.4%)	47.3	2762^nd of 5817 public elementary schools	52.5%		31.8	3815^th of 5857 public elementary schools	34.9%	1053	31.0		31.0	41.9	51.8	44.7				46.3	43.2	38.1	31.8				37.5	92%	0%	$19,868	$1,290	$18,578

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Margarita Elementary

What district is Santa Margarita Elementary in?

Oceanside Unified

What is the racial makeup of Santa Margarita Elementary?

Students at Santa Margarita Elementary are 43% Hispanic, 34% White, 11% Two or more races, 8% African American, 3% Asian.

How many students attend Santa Margarita Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 544 students attended Santa Margarita Elementary.

Is Santa Margarita Elementary a good school?

Santa Margarita Elementary ranks 1951^st of 5817 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

What schools do graduates of Santa Margarita Elementary attend?

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

High : Oceanside High

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Latest California data All new data »

2024–25 school spending data (updated)NewNov 2, 2026

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

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

2025–26 CAST, CSA Spanish & Smarter Balanced Assessments scoresOct 15, 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.