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San Marcos Middle

Q: Is San Marcos Middle a good school?

San Marcos Middle ranks 1411 th of 2740 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 6-8

1411^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,740 California Middle Schools

Better than 49% of California middle schools

Summary

San Marcos Middle serves 968 students in grades 6–8 in San Marcos, California, as part of San Marcos Unified. In 2025–26, students scored below both the state and district in English language arts (ELA), math, and science. The school’s largest shortfall was in science.

ELA is the school’s strongest subject relative to nearby schools and the state, while science is its weakest. ELA proficiency was 45%, compared with 58% in the district and 49% statewide; math was 32%, versus 48% and 38%; and science was 22%, versus 43% and 36%. Among 10 nearby schools, San Marcos Middle was also below the average in every subject: 49% in ELA, 36% in math, and 36% in science, with its science result the fourth-lowest among the 11 schools including San Marcos Middle. The science gap was the most pronounced: 15 points below the nearby-school average.

Science proficiency fell from 31% in 2022–23 to 22% in 2025–26, while the state’s result rose from 30% to 36%; over that period, the school shifted from slightly above the state to 14 points below. SchoolDigger’s statewide ranking also declined from the 63rd percentile and 3 stars to the 49th percentile and 2 stars. Context for families: the student–teacher ratio was 24.1 in 2024–25, the highest among nearby schools with reported ratios, and 59% of students were free/reduced lunch eligible that school year. SchoolDigger’s group rankings show a sharp change for English Language Learner Students, from the 71st percentile in 2021–22 to the 19th in 2023–24; Special Education Students ranked at the 28th percentile in 2025–26, compared with the school’s overall 49th. Chronic absenteeism improved from 28% in 2021–22 to 18% in 2025–26, though the latest rate was above the district’s 14%.

968

Students ?

24.1

Student/teacher ratio ?

$17,177

Per pupil spending ?

58.7%

Free/reduced lunch eligible (2024-25) ?

All students in California receive free school meals.

650 West Mission Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069-1555

(760) 290-2500

District: San Marcos Unified

Feeder schools for San Marcos Middle:

Elementary:	Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary
	Paloma Elementary
	San Marcos Elementary

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

72.2%

White:

14.9%

Asian:

6.8%

See top rated California middle schools

Compare San Marcos Middle to nearby middle schools!

At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 50th percentile in 2015 → 49th in 2026

Worth a look

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

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

!Science scores 14 pts below the California average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school36%

District avg51%

California avg42%

1,411^th of 2,740

California public middle schools ?

Bottom 49%▲ up 1 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of California Middle Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

3^rd of 3Middle Schools in the San Marcos Unified

455^th of 1,530San 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
2026	42.7	1411 of 2740	48.5%	★★☆☆☆
2025	46.1	1292 of 2761	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	43.2	1366 of 2783	50.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.5	1038 of 2781	62.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	47.5	1241 of 2740	54.7%	★★★☆☆
2019	49.4	1167 of 2715	57.0%	★★★☆☆
2018	51.2	1063 of 2480	57.1%	★★★☆☆
2017	50.4	1092 of 2508	56.5%	★★★☆☆
2016	42.8	1299 of 2497	48.0%	★★☆☆☆
2015	43.7	1245 of 2477	49.7%	★★☆☆☆
2013	53.6	1060 of 2379	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2012	60.2	815 of 2259	63.9%	★★★☆☆
2011	57.7	890 of 2236	60.2%	★★★☆☆
2010	48.6	1073 of 2179	50.8%	★★★☆☆
2009	54.3	875 of 2063	57.6%	★★★☆☆
2008	48.4	967 of 2005	51.8%	★★★☆☆
2007	34.3	1273 of 1999	36.3%	★★☆☆☆
2006	36.0	1119 of 1804	38.0%	★★☆☆☆
2005	32.8	1155 of 1777	35.0%	★★☆☆☆
2004	49.5	794 of 1769	55.1%	★★★☆☆

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	68.1	273 of 777	64.9%	★★★☆☆
2025	65.4	293 of 739	60.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	59.5	355 of 743	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	72.5	196 of 715	72.6%	★★★★☆
2022	78.6	136 of 733	81.4%	★★★★☆
2019	63.1	317 of 745	57.4%	★★★☆☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	44.8	656 of 1531	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	34.6	871 of 1491	41.6%	★★☆☆☆
2018	37.5	751 of 1369	45.1%	★★☆☆☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2024	30.7	1191 of 1478	19.4%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	48.7	472 of 1521	69.0%	★★★☆☆
2022	51.0	449 of 1540	70.8%	★★★★☆
2019	48.8	448 of 1442	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	37.0	702 of 1364	48.5%	★★☆☆☆

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	40.6	1381 of 2516	45.1%	★★☆☆☆
2025	44.6	1250 of 2533	50.7%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.4	1280 of 2551	49.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	52.7	989 of 2531	60.9%	★★★☆☆
2022	50.0	1069 of 2509	57.4%	★★★☆☆
2019	52.2	1002 of 2380	57.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	53.8	935 of 2262	58.7%	★★★☆☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	32.0	1572 of 2357	33.3%	★★☆☆☆
2025	37.0	1419 of 2395	40.8%	★★☆☆☆
2024	31.8	1580 of 2388	33.8%	★★☆☆☆
2023	49.3	1002 of 2374	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2022	43.0	1191 of 2359	49.5%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.5	934 of 2213	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.1	789 of 2072	61.9%	★★★☆☆

Homeless

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	45.0	214 of 442	51.6%	★★★☆☆
2025	52.2	184 of 477	61.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	58.5	108 of 394	72.6%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	30.2	1750 of 2529	30.8%	★★☆☆☆
2025	33.1	1641 of 2542	35.4%	★★☆☆☆
2024	30.0	1778 of 2579	31.1%	★★☆☆☆
2023	46.9	1120 of 2531	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2022	39.5	1353 of 2458	45.0%	★★☆☆☆
2019	50.0	1013 of 2369	57.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	55.0	833 of 2230	62.6%	★★★☆☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	43.6	1252 of 2514	50.2%	★★★☆☆
2025	46.1	1186 of 2534	53.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	42.7	1260 of 2552	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	54.9	936 of 2538	63.1%	★★★☆☆
2022	44.3	1207 of 2527	52.2%	★★★☆☆
2019	43.6	1197 of 2407	50.3%	★★★☆☆
2018	45.7	1103 of 2273	51.5%	★★★☆☆

Migrant

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2023	88.5	3 of 86	96.5%	★★★★★

Military Connected

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	35.9	126 of 193	34.7%	★★☆☆☆

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	57.5	328 of 735	55.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	50.3	373 of 726	48.6%	★★☆☆☆
2024	54.0	330 of 701	52.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	64.5	247 of 677	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2022	70.0	188 of 665	71.7%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	29.2	1163 of 1605	27.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2025	29.3	1132 of 1566	27.7%	★☆☆☆☆
2024	23.7	1331 of 1552	14.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	34.6	921 of 1531	39.8%	★★☆☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2026	65.2	500 of 1490	66.4%	★★★☆☆
2025	67.7	472 of 1520	68.9%	★★★☆☆
2024	72.2	384 of 1537	75.0%	★★★★☆
2023	74.5	337 of 1543	78.2%	★★★★☆
2022	61.3	563 of 1555	63.8%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	331 of 1602	79.3%	★★★★☆
2018	75.1	354 of 1496	76.3%	★★★★☆

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)

Migrant (2023)97th percentile+34 vs school

White (2026)66th percentile+18 vs school

Asian (2026)65th percentile+16 vs school

Disabled (2022)57th percentile~ school

Multi-racial (2026)55th percentile+7 vs school

Homeless (2026)52nd percentile+3 vs school

Male (2026)50th percentile~ school

Female (2026)45th percentile-3 vs school

Military Connected (2022)35th percentile-20 vs school

Hispanic (2026)33rd percentile-15 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2026)31st percentile-18 vs school

Special Education (2026)28th percentile-21 vs school

English Language Learner (2024)19th percentile-31 vs school

By subject vs California (2025-2026) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy45%-4 vs state

Mathematics32%-6 vs state

Science22%-14 vs state

★

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Schools Near San Marcos Middle

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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)				CSA Spanish Overall (2026)			CSA Spanish Listening (2026)			CSA Spanish Writing (2026)			CSA Spanish Reading (2026)			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	CSA Spanish Overall 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Overall All Grades	CSA Spanish Listening 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Listening All Grades	CSA Spanish Writing 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Writing All Grades	CSA Spanish Reading 6th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading 7th Grade	CSA Spanish Reading All Grades	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science All Grades	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 6th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics All Grades	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
San Marcos Middle	Public	6-8	650 West Mission Rd.	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2500	968	40	24.1	58.7%	144 (14.9%)	13 (1.3%)	699 (72.2%)	66 (6.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	46 (4.8%)	42.7	1411^th of 2740 public middle schools	48.5%		46.1	1292^nd of 2761 public middle schools	53.2%	119													21.6	21.6	42.7	47.3	44.7	44.9	34.3	32.9	28.9	32.0	$17,177	$922	$16,255
High Technical Middle North County	Public, Charter	6-8	1460 West San Marcos Blvd.	San Marcos	92106	San Diego County	High Technical Middle North County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 759-2750	341	21	16.2	51.9%	115 (33.7%)	8 (2.3%)	169 (49.6%)	31 (9.1%)	3 (0.9%)	6 (1.8%)	8 (2.3%)	78.8	497^th of 2740 public middle schools	81.9%		75.7	568^th of 2761 public middle schools	79.4%	71													53.2	53.2	53.6	70.2	80.7	68.1	39.3	52.6	50.5	47.5	$13,258	$896	$12,362
Woodland Park Middle	Public	6-8	1270 Rock Springs Rd.	San Marcos	92069	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2455	1,184	52	22.8	42.3%	358 (30.2%)	12 (1.0%)	618 (52.2%)	79 (6.7%)	2 (0.2%)	5 (0.4%)	110 (9.3%)	65.5	804^th of 2740 public middle schools	70.7%		60.6	889^th of 2761 public middle schools	67.8%	85													38.9	38.9	54.5	58.2	59.5	57.4	40.8	40.2	41.3	40.8	$16,561	$917	$15,644
San Elijo Middle	Public	6-8	1600 Schoolhouse Way	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2800	1,395	60	23.2	19.1%	791 (56.7%)	16 (1.1%)	334 (23.9%)	112 (8.0%)	4 (0.3%)	2 (0.1%)	136 (9.7%)	74.6	582^nd of 2740 public middle schools	78.8%		80.9	461^st of 2761 public middle schools	83.3%	121													42.6	42.6	61.5	62.4	62.5	62.2	49.9	46.4	44.6	47.0	$15,689	$588	$15,101
Del Dios Academy of Arts and Sciences	Public	6-8	1400 West Ninth Ave.	Escondido	92025	San Diego County	Escondido Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 432-2439	788	45	17.6	91.1%	49 (6.2%)	6 (0.8%)	685 (86.9%)	19 (2.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	29 (3.7%)	19.1	2254^th of 2740 public middle schools	17.7%		25.3	1987^th of 2761 public middle schools	28.0%	267													15.4	15.4	21.7	27.9	33.8	28.2	17.7	20.0	17.3	18.3	$19,008	$1,518	$17,490
Madison Middle	Public	6-8	4930 Lake Blvd.	Oceanside	92084	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 940-0176	1,158	61	19.1	68.7%	268 (23.1%)	20 (1.7%)	756 (65.3%)	27 (2.3%)	5 (0.4%)	9 (0.8%)	72 (6.2%)	26.9	1955^th of 2740 public middle schools	28.6%		32	1754^th of 2761 public middle schools	36.5%	201	7.9	5.0	6.4	5.3	25.0	15.4	2.6	15.0	9.0	5.3	5.0	5.1	20.4	20.4	30.9	38.7	32.5	34.0	15.9	26.8	25.4	22.7	$18,437	$1,193	$17,244
Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology Science and Math	Public	6-8	151 Civic Center Dr.	Vista	92084	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 726-5766	836	42	19.8	70.8%	148 (17.7%)	10 (1.2%)	600 (71.8%)	39 (4.7%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.2%)	36 (4.3%)	57.1	996^th of 2740 public middle schools	63.6%		64.6	795^th of 2761 public middle schools	71.2%	201													34.4	34.4	40.7	50.0	51.7	47.5	40.4	48.3	38.8	42.5	$17,523	$1,049	$16,474
Rincon Middle	Public	6-8	925 Lehner Ave.	Escondido	92026	San Diego County	Escondido Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 432-2491	772	41	18.8	83.0%	85 (11.0%)	7 (0.9%)	605 (78.4%)	26 (3.4%)	1 (0.1%)	2 (0.3%)	46 (6.0%)	34.6	1668^th of 2740 public middle schools	39.1%		38.2	1540^th of 2761 public middle schools	44.2%	128													30.3	30.3	42.5	35.5	37.8	38.5	29.9	23.3	23.4	25.5	$19,301	$1,485	$17,816
Mission Middle	Public	6-8	939 East Mission Ave.	Escondido	92026	San Diego County	Escondido Union	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 432-2452	855	43	19.9	95.9%	14 (1.6%)	5 (0.6%)	808 (94.5%)	11 (1.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	16 (1.9%)	20.6	2192^nd of 2740 public middle schools	20.0%		22.9	2106^th of 2761 public middle schools	23.7%	86													19.8	19.8	23.6	28.5	39.6	30.6	15.5	17.6	16.2	16.4	$18,389	$1,627	$16,762
Vista Innovation and Design Academy	Public	6-8	2245 Foothill Dr.	Vista	92084	San Diego County	Vista Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 724-7115	834	44	19.0	58.2%	262 (31.4%)	15 (1.8%)	469 (56.2%)	18 (2.2%)	2 (0.2%)	3 (0.4%)	65 (7.8%)	58.6	965^th of 2740 public middle schools	64.8%		47.9	1240^th of 2761 public middle schools	55.1%	275													40.0	40.0	56.6	42.9	51.3	50.4	48.4	34.0	34.9	39.5	$17,501	$1,194	$16,307

Frequently Asked Questions about San Marcos Middle

What is the racial makeup of San Marcos Middle?

Students at San Marcos Middle are 72% Hispanic, 15% White, 7% Asian, 5% Two or more races, 1% African American.

What district is San Marcos Middle in?

San Marcos Unified

How many students attend San Marcos Middle?

In the 2024-25 school year, 968 students attended San Marcos Middle.

Is San Marcos Middle a good school?

San Marcos Middle ranks 1411^th of 2740 California middle schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Rate San Marcos Middle!

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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.