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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!

San Marcos High

Q: Is San Marcos High a good school?

San Marcos High ranks 745 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

745^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 66% of California high schools

Summary

San Marcos High is a large public high school serving approximately 3,067 students in grades 9-12 within the San Marcos Unified district, which serves a suburban community in northern San Diego County.

The school has a strong record of graduating students, with a rate of 95.3% that exceeds state and district averages, but its overall academic standing has declined over the past decade. Proficiency in English is on par with the state average, and science is a relative strength, but math scores are a significant concern, lagging behind both the district and state. Chronic absenteeism is also higher than at several nearby comprehensive high schools like Mission Hills High and La Costa Canyon High. Performance for specific student groups, such as those in special education or from low-income families, shows inconsistency from year to year compared to their peers across California.

Interesting comparisons can be made with other local schools. For instance, the charter school High Technical High North County, located less than half a mile away and serving a similar student population, achieves much higher English proficiency rates. Within its own district, San Marcos High's math performance is similar to that of Mission Hills High, suggesting a shared challenge. The school operates with a higher student-teacher ratio than some neighboring schools in districts like San Dieguito Union High and Carlsbad Unified, which generally see higher academic outcomes.

3,067

Students ?

25.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$20,753

Per pupil spending ?

32%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1615 San Marcos Blvd.
San Marcos, CA 92078-4020

(760) 290-2200

District: San Marcos Unified

Feeder schools for San Marcos High:

Elementary:	Carrillo Elementary
	Discovery Elementary
	Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary
	La Costa Meadows Elementary
	More...
	La Mirada Academy
	San Elijo Elementary
Middle:	San Elijo Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

42.0%

White:

41.8%

Asian:

7.5%

See top rated California high schools

Compare San Marcos High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 94th percentile in 2013 → 66th in 2025

Strengths

✓95% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

✓Above the California median (66th percentile)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 28 percentile points since 2013

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

!Large classes — about 25 students per teacher

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school40%

District avg50%

California avg41%

745^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 34%▼ down 24 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to top 34% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

2^nd of 4High Schools in the San Marcos Unified

488^th of 1,543San Marcos 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
2025	62.8	745 of 2162	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	70.3	564 of 2159	73.9%	★★★★☆
2023	75.3	490 of 2170	77.4%	★★★★☆
2022	78.7	398 of 2123	81.3%	★★★★☆
2019	85.2	272 of 2133	87.2%	★★★★☆
2018	82.1	370 of 2017	81.7%	★★★★☆
2017	86.0	291 of 2021	85.6%	★★★★☆
2016	88.0	232 of 2039	88.6%	★★★★☆
2015	88.7	200 of 1994	90.0%	★★★★★
2013	79.9	143 of 2426	94.1%	★★★★★
2012	79.8	145 of 2354	93.8%	★★★★★
2011	85.7	69 of 2367	97.1%	★★★★★
2010	81.5	120 of 2281	94.7%	★★★★★
2009	80.7	104 of 2238	95.4%	★★★★★
2008	72.1	234 of 2117	88.9%	★★★★☆
2007	65.7	336 of 2063	83.7%	★★★★☆
2006	53.8	586 of 1968	70.2%	★★★★☆
2005	55.8	488 of 1901	74.3%	★★★★☆
2004	43.9	609 of 1653	63.2%	★★★☆☆

African American

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	89.2	41 of 522	92.1%	★★★★★
2019	73.7	114 of 592	80.7%	★★★★☆
2018	81.2	101 of 582	82.6%	★★★★☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	52.5	320 of 585	45.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	75.6	147 of 573	74.3%	★★★★☆
2023	71.5	189 of 591	68.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	63.3	240 of 581	58.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	77.4	124 of 582	78.7%	★★★★☆
2018	58.4	286 of 581	50.8%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	56.4	313 of 1161	73.0%	★★★★☆
2019	70.8	204 of 1117	81.7%	★★★★☆
2018	90.0	84 of 1052	92.0%	★★★★★

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	52.3	311 of 1085	71.3%	★★★★☆
2023	37.0	631 of 1064	40.7%	★★☆☆☆
2022	59.5	209 of 1044	80.0%	★★★★☆
2019	54.3	233 of 941	75.2%	★★★★☆
2018	33.8	565 of 938	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.6	635 of 1906	66.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.2	470 of 1915	75.5%	★★★★☆
2023	74.1	441 of 1915	77.0%	★★★★☆
2022	79.4	332 of 1858	82.1%	★★★★☆
2019	79.9	326 of 1833	82.2%	★★★★☆
2018	78.5	376 of 1760	78.6%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.5	1014 of 1900	46.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	53.2	823 of 1902	56.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	51.9	865 of 1917	54.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	719 of 1861	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	68.0	473 of 1814	73.9%	★★★★☆
2018	64.0	601 of 1742	65.5%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	55.4	159 of 410	61.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	30.4	233 of 328	29.0%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	65.3	83 of 299	72.2%	★★★★☆
2022	37.5	182 of 290	37.2%	★★☆☆☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	40.9	1191 of 2013	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	45.9	1049 of 2026	48.2%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.9	954 of 2030	53.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	55.2	740 of 1943	61.9%	★★★☆☆
2019	69.2	483 of 1937	75.1%	★★★★☆
2018	61.4	691 of 1862	62.9%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.5	796 of 1942	59.0%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.8	615 of 1948	68.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.9	469 of 1963	76.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	437 of 1916	77.2%	★★★★☆
2019	86.3	224 of 1880	88.1%	★★★★☆
2018	81.7	327 of 1834	82.2%	★★★★☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	27.8	64 of 85	24.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	62.5	22 of 74	70.3%	★★★★☆

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	37.5	110 of 175	37.1%	★★☆☆☆
2024	60.0	68 of 183	62.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	85.0	21 of 168	87.5%	★★★★☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	56.7	258 of 577	55.3%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.7	313 of 574	45.5%	★★☆☆☆
2023	62.5	204 of 541	62.3%	★★★☆☆
2022	58.7	213 of 515	58.6%	★★★☆☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	39.7	660 of 1252	47.3%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.0	823 of 1216	32.3%	★★☆☆☆
2023	50.4	435 of 1197	63.7%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	46.0	660 of 1155	42.9%	★★☆☆☆
2024	59.8	467 of 1173	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	68.8	356 of 1193	70.2%	★★★★☆
2022	74.4	276 of 1204	77.1%	★★★★☆
2019	84.5	138 of 1222	88.7%	★★★★☆
2018	80.0	228 of 1173	80.6%	★★★★☆

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)

African American (2022)92nd percentile+11 vs school

Disabled (2022)73rd percentile-8 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)71st percentile-3 vs school

Female (2025)67th percentile~ school

Homeless (2025)61st percentile-4 vs school

Male (2025)59th percentile-7 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)55th percentile-10 vs school

Special Education (2025)47th percentile-18 vs school

Hispanic (2025)47th percentile-19 vs school

Asian (2025)45th percentile-20 vs school

White (2025)43rd percentile-23 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)41st percentile-25 vs school

Military Connected (2025)37th percentile-28 vs school

Migrant (2024)25th percentile-49 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy49%~ state avg

Science39%+6 vs state

Mathematics31%-7 vs state

2.0

1 rating · 1 written review

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What people are saying

by a parent
Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Student to teach ratio on this site isn't reflective of reality. Mostly there are 40+ kids in each class - sometimes not even enough desks for students. Have to share or just use extra chairs. School overgrew its new structure in last 3 years. Can't afford class space for all the classes that need to be offered for college bound students because of need for minimum graduation requirements for bottom half of student body. Teachers overworked with 5-6 classes of 40+ students, can't provide level of attention that students deserve. Issues with underperforming youth is prevalent. Lots of good kids too to be fair. Population is really 3,200+. Enough problems that there is an army of yellow jackets (campus security) to help out. Sports are decent, but underperform relative to population and of course political at times. This new 'Shiny' school has lost is luster... Close Quote

Schools Near San Marcos 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 (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
San Marcos High	Public	9-12	1615 San Marcos Blvd.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2200	3,067	121	25.3	32.0%	1,281 (41.8%)	40 (1.3%)	1,288 (42.0%)	231 (7.5%)	3 (0.1%)	10 (0.3%)	214 (7.0%)	62.8	745^th of 2162 public high schools	65.5%		70.3	564^th of 2159 public high schools	73.9%	181	39.2	26.3	38.9	49.0	49.0	30.7	30.7	$20,753	$20,122	$631
High Technical High North County	Public, Charter	9-12	1420 San Marcos Blvd.	San Marcos	92106	San Diego County	High Technical High North County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 759-2700	409	21	19.4	41.6%	126 (30.8%)	10 (2.4%)	210 (51.3%)	41 (10.0%)	6 (1.5%)	4 (1.0%)	10 (2.4%)	84	332^nd of 2162 public high schools	84.6%		85.2	324^th of 2159 public high schools	85.0%	8		37.5	37.5	81.3	81.3	36.5	36.5	$29,921	$28,830	$1,091
Rancho Buena Vista High	Public	9-12	1601 Longhorn Dr.	Vista	92084	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 727-7284	1,949	103	18.9	70.1%	414 (21.2%)	32 (1.6%)	1,300 (66.7%)	79 (4.1%)	8 (0.4%)	10 (0.5%)	101 (5.2%)	68.2	632^nd of 2162 public high schools	70.8%		73.6	513^th of 2159 public high schools	76.2%	119	31.5	3.5	29.6	62.3	62.3	39.1	39.1	$26,391	$24,728	$1,663
Mission Hills High	Public	9-12	1 Mission Hills Ct.	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2700	2,751	111	24.7	44.6%	776 (28.2%)	23 (0.8%)	1,533 (55.7%)	216 (7.9%)	5 (0.2%)	6 (0.2%)	191 (6.9%)	65.4	680^th of 2162 public high schools	68.5%		71	551^st of 2159 public high schools	74.5%	129	40.2	6.7	39.4	58.1	58.1	27.0	27.0	$21,085	$20,284	$801
La Costa Canyon High	Public	9-12	1 Maverick Way	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	San Dieguito Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 436-6136	1,774	80	22.1	18.3%	1,232 (69.4%)	19 (1.1%)	318 (17.9%)	72 (4.1%)	7 (0.4%)	2 (0.1%)	123 (6.9%)	88	247^th of 2162 public high schools	88.6%		82.3	369^th of 2159 public high schools	82.9%	122	51.1	7.7	49.8	73.7	73.7	50.6	50.6	$22,540	$22,034	$506
Foothills High	Public	6-12	158 Cassou Rd.	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2544	101	5	20.2	57.4%	32 (31.7%)	2 (2.0%)	61 (60.4%)	2 (2.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (4.0%)	28.3	1516^th of 2162 public high schools	29.9%		30.9	1468^th of 2159 public high schools	32.0%	48	6.3		9.8	44.1	42.6	11.8	8.7	$19,780	$19,204	$576
Twin Oaks High	Public	9-12	158 Cassou Rd.	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2555	192	19	10.0	56.3%	45 (23.4%)	6 (3.1%)	120 (62.5%)	11 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.5%)	9 (4.7%)	11.2	1956^th of 2162 public high schools	9.5%		11.2	1990^th of 2159 public high schools	7.8%	34	8.3	0.0	6.9	9.7	9.7	1.4	1.4	$46,876	$44,916	$1,960
Sage Creek High	Public	9-12	3900 Bobcat Blvd.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-6600	1,289	52	24.7	29.8%	622 (48.3%)	15 (1.2%)	330 (25.6%)	173 (13.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	143 (11.1%)	94.7	101^st of 2162 public high schools	95.3%		97	69^th of 2159 public high schools	96.8%	32		59.8	59.8	76.9	76.9	59.5	59.5	$20,985	$20,546	$439
Major General Raymond Murray High	Public	10-12	215 North Melrose Dr.	Vista	92084	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 631-2502	146	14	10.3	89.7%	9 (6.2%)	2 (1.4%)	132 (90.4%)	2 (1.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.7%)	9.5	2042^nd of 2162 public high schools	5.6%		12.6	1908^th of 2159 public high schools	11.6%	134	2.4	6.3	3.5	4.3	4.3	0.0	0.0	$48,252	$45,848	$2,404
Del Lago Academy - Campus of Applied Science	Public	9-12	1740 Scenic Trail Way	Escondido	92029	San Diego County	Escondido Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 291-2500	765	29	26.7	72.8%	144 (18.8%)	19 (2.5%)	513 (67.1%)	76 (9.9%)	4 (0.5%)	2 (0.3%)	6 (0.8%)	84.5	320^th of 2162 public high schools	85.2%		81.5	387^th of 2159 public high schools	82.1%	67		53.7	53.7	73.2	73.2	34.1	34.1	$27,098	$26,250	$848

Frequently Asked Questions about San Marcos High

What schools feed into San Marcos High?

San Marcos High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Carrillo Elementary
Elementary : Discovery Elementary
Elementary : Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary
Elementary : La Costa Meadows Elementary
Elementary : La Mirada Academy
Elementary : San Elijo Elementary
Middle : San Elijo Middle

Is San Marcos High a good school?

San Marcos High ranks 745^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 3 stars out of 5.

How many students attend San Marcos High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 3,067 students attended San Marcos High.

What district is San Marcos High in?

San Marcos Unified

What is the racial makeup of San Marcos High?

Students at San Marcos High are 42% Hispanic, 42% White, 8% Asian, 7% Two or more races, 1% African American.

Rate San Marcos High!

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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.