Beta You're viewing our redesigned school page. Prefer the classic layout?

Carrillo Elementary

Q: Is Carrillo Elementary a good school?

Carrillo Elementary ranks 639 th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades K-5

639^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 5,857 California Elementary Schools

Better than 89% of California elementary schools

Summary

Carrillo Elementary is a well-regarded K-5 public school serving 725 students in Carlsbad, California, within the San Marcos Unified School District, known for its consistent academic performance and strong community.

Academically, the school performs very well, with over 70% of students proficient in English and Math, placing it in the 89th percentile of California elementary schools. It stands out for its remarkably low chronic absenteeism rate of 9.2%, which is significantly better than both the district and state averages and outperforms nearby schools like Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary (15.4%). The school also shows balanced, effective support for all student subgroups and operates very efficiently, spending less per student than comparable schools such as Discovery Elementary while achieving competitive results.

While Carrillo is a top performer in its district alongside Discovery Elementary and San Elijo Elementary, its statewide ranking has slightly declined from its previous elite status. It remains competitive with schools in higher-ranked districts like Carlsbad Unified, though it trails the absolute top-tier schools in the area such as Aviara Oaks Elementary. An area for potential focus is maintaining math proficiency into the upper grades, a common challenge where Carrillo's performance shows a slight decline from 3rd to 5th grade.

725

Students ?

25.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$24,692

Per pupil spending ?

22.6%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2875 Poinsettia Ln.
Carlsbad, CA 92009-3041

(760) 290-2900

District: San Marcos Unified

Students who attend Carrillo Elementary usually attend:

Middle:	San Elijo Middle
High:	San Marcos High

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.0%

Hispanic:

24.0%

Two or more races:

11.2%

See top rated California elementary schools

Compare Carrillo Elementary to nearby elementary schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 95th percentile in 2013 → 89th in 2025

Strengths

✓Test scores above the California average (69% vs 41% meeting standards)

✓Ranks in the top 11% of California elementary schools

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 6 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 school69%

District avg50%

California avg41%

639^th of 5,857

California public elementary schools ?

Top 11%▼ down 4 pts since 2015

From top 7% (2015) to top 11% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

6^th of 12Elementary 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	90.3	639 of 5857	89.1%	★★★★☆
2024	84.5	972 of 5869	83.4%	★★★★☆
2023	92.8	520 of 5859	91.1%	★★★★★
2022	92.5	555 of 5883	90.6%	★★★★★
2019	93.2	422 of 5789	92.7%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	375 of 5662	93.4%	★★★★★
2017	94.9	336 of 5692	94.1%	★★★★★
2016	95.3	288 of 5614	94.9%	★★★★★
2015	94.4	365 of 5611	93.5%	★★★★★
2013	92.3	301 of 5530	94.6%	★★★★★
2012	92.8	227 of 5390	95.8%	★★★★★
2011	92.6	279 of 5377	94.8%	★★★★★
2010	93.0	267 of 5314	95.0%	★★★★★
2009	92.0	351 of 5193	93.2%	★★★★★
2008	92.4	348 of 5113	93.2%	★★★★★
2007	93.1	342 of 5113	93.3%	★★★★★
2006	92.4	364 of 4818	92.4%	★★★★★
2005	93.8	284 of 4822	94.1%	★★★★★
2004	93.7	295 of 4809	93.9%	★★★★★

Asian

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	63.4	552 of 1203	54.1%	★★★☆☆
2024	63.3	552 of 1205	54.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.1	324 of 1190	72.8%	★★★★☆
2022	64.5	504 of 1154	56.3%	★★★☆☆
2019	76.7	214 of 1149	81.4%	★★★★☆
2018	81.5	94 of 1071	91.2%	★★★★★

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	63.5	526 of 2227	76.4%	★★★★☆
2019	77.8	371 of 2585	85.6%	★★★★☆
2018	66.5	459 of 2128	78.4%	★★★★☆

English Language Learner

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2019	90.7	157 of 3275	95.2%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	89.6	616 of 5597	89.0%	★★★★☆
2024	88.0	723 of 5612	87.1%	★★★★☆
2023	92.3	480 of 5609	91.4%	★★★★★
2022	91.6	548 of 5635	90.3%	★★★★★
2019	93.0	362 of 5492	93.4%	★★★★★
2018	94.0	280 of 5413	94.8%	★★★★★

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.3	1482 of 5107	71.0%	★★★★☆
2024	65.4	1396 of 5107	72.7%	★★★★☆
2023	86.3	497 of 5087	90.2%	★★★★★
2022	88.7	405 of 5084	92.0%	★★★★★
2019	87.1	424 of 4963	91.5%	★★★★★
2018	85.5	473 of 4830	90.2%	★★★★★

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	71.1	1228 of 5460	77.5%	★★★★☆
2024	76.6	985 of 5517	82.1%	★★★★☆
2023	79.2	802 of 5363	85.0%	★★★★☆
2022	76.9	869 of 5264	83.5%	★★★★☆
2019	89.5	308 of 5173	94.0%	★★★★★
2018	81.0	643 of 5084	87.4%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	88.8	641 of 5628	88.6%	★★★★☆
2024	79.2	1105 of 5643	80.4%	★★★★☆
2023	91.2	540 of 5638	90.4%	★★★★★
2022	91.0	573 of 5663	89.9%	★★★★☆
2019	91.3	489 of 5510	91.1%	★★★★★
2018	92.0	447 of 5431	91.8%	★★★★★

Multi-racial

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	69.7	219 of 718	69.5%	★★★☆☆
2024	64.1	283 of 670	57.8%	★★★☆☆
2023	77.3	137 of 669	79.5%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	64.1	694 of 2847	75.6%	★★★★☆
2024	66.3	581 of 2635	78.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.4	278 of 2420	88.5%	★★★★☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	82.4	327 of 2598	87.4%	★★★★☆
2024	68.3	864 of 2651	67.4%	★★★☆☆
2023	81.1	386 of 2661	85.5%	★★★★☆
2022	82.6	356 of 2726	86.9%	★★★★☆
2019	83.4	322 of 2834	88.6%	★★★★☆
2018	86.8	187 of 2737	93.2%	★★★★★

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)

English Language Learner (2019)95th percentile~ school

Female (2025)89th percentile~ school

Male (2025)89th percentile~ school

White (2025)87th percentile~ school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)78th percentile-12 vs school

Disabled (2022)76th percentile-14 vs school

Special Education (2025)76th percentile-13 vs school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-18 vs school

Multi-racial (2025)69th percentile-20 vs school

Asian (2025)54th percentile-35 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

Mathematics71%+34 vs state

English Language Arts/Literacy71%+22 vs state

Science55%+22 vs state

5.0

1 rating · 1 written review

5★1

4★0

3★0

2★0

1★0

Rate Carrillo Elementary

Have first-hand experience? A quick rating - and a sentence or two about what stands out (teachers, academics, safety, communication) - helps other families know what to expect.

Takes about a minute. We email you a link to verify your review - your address is never shown publicly.

Tap a star to rate

What people are saying

by a parent
Friday, September 25, 2015

This school is solid! The administration is very proactive. The is a school of kindness. The children are very friendly. Feels like a family atmosphere. Teachers are fantastic. This school raises the bar for SoCal public schools. The running club is very nice for kids to keep active and healthy. We are very pleased! Close Quote

Schools Near Carrillo Elementary

Load more schools when map is moved

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)	% Polio (2022)	% Hepatitis B (2022)	% Varicella (2022)	% DTP (2022)	% MMR (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	% Polio KG	% Hepatitis B KG	% Varicella KG	% DTP KG	% MMR KG	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Carrillo Elementary	Public	K-5	2875 Poinsettia Ln.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2900	725	29	25.0	22.6%	384 (53.0%)	6 (0.8%)	174 (24.0%)	77 (10.6%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	81 (11.2%)	90.3	639^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.1%		84.5	972^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	83.4%	333	54.9		54.9	70.6	71.8	69.7				70.7	78.0	70.2	65.6				71.0	93.8	96.1	96.9	95.3	94.5	96.1	$24,692	$24,116	$576
Poinsettia Elementary	Public	K-5	2445 Mica Rd.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-6500	481	22	22.3	28.9%	237 (49.3%)	4 (0.8%)	136 (28.3%)	41 (8.5%)	2 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (12.7%)	95.9	243^rd of 5857 public elementary schools	95.9%		97.3	135^th of 5869 public elementary schools	97.7%	108	62.5		62.5	82.4	89.4	75.0				82.4	88.0	83.3	70.3				81.0							$25,822	$25,384	$438
La Costa Meadows Elementary	Public	K-5	6889 El Fuerte St.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2121	725	31	23.6	17.1%	470 (64.8%)	2 (0.3%)	131 (18.1%)	41 (5.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	80 (11.0%)	91.4	586^th of 5857 public elementary schools	90.0%		91.3	622^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	89.4%	36	61.3		61.3	71.0	68.6	74.5				71.4	78.0	66.7	69.5				71.4	95.6				97.1		$24,852	$24,276	$576
High Technical Elementary North County	Public, Charter	K-5	1480 West San Marcos Blvd.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	High Technical Elementary North County District	Yes	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 759-2785	438	18	24.3	50.2%	112 (25.6%)	10 (2.3%)	230 (52.5%)	65 (14.8%)	5 (1.1%)	7 (1.6%)	9 (2.1%)	28.3	4114^th of 5857 public elementary schools	29.8%		40.7	3145^th of 5869 public elementary schools	46.4%	969	19.4		19.4	36.5	37.0	34.7				36.1	41.9	16.4	13.9				24.2	97.1		97.1				$30,292	$29,234	$1,058
La Mirada Academy	Public	K-8	3697 La Mirada Dr.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2000	868	37	23.3	77.4%	37 (4.3%)	3 (0.3%)	785 (90.4%)	26 (3.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.3%)	14 (1.6%)	26.7	4250^th of 5857 public elementary schools	27.4%		32.1	3777^th of 5869 public elementary schools	35.6%	473	26.1	8.7	15.9	27.2	23.4	52.3	26.8	24.0	23.0	28.7	25.9	30.5	27.3	11.8	14.9	4.8	17.8							$26,078	$24,938	$1,140
Aviara Oaks Elementary	Public	K-5	6900 Ambrosia Ln.	Carlsbad	92011	San Diego County	Carlsbad Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 331-6000	612	25	24.4	22.1%	343 (56.0%)	9 (1.5%)	123 (20.1%)	64 (10.5%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (0.3%)	71 (11.6%)	96	241^st of 5857 public elementary schools	95.9%		97.5	123^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	97.9%	118	65.5		65.5	76.3	80.4	85.1				81.2	79.2	76.6	80.1				78.8							$23,250	$22,812	$438
Discovery Elementary	Public	K-5	730 Applewilde Dr.	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2077	717	28	26.0	17.4%	321 (44.8%)	7 (1.0%)	175 (24.4%)	141 (19.7%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	73 (10.2%)	95.8	251^st of 5857 public elementary schools	95.7%		93.8	443^rd of 5869 public elementary schools	92.5%	192	69.1		69.1	72.4	82.0	85.5				80.1	77.1	81.1	76.4				78.2							$22,240	$21,664	$576
San Elijo Elementary	Public	K-5	1615 Schoolhouse Way	San Marcos	92078	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2600	834	38	22.1	15.9%	510 (61.2%)	7 (0.8%)	163 (19.5%)	64 (7.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	89 (10.7%)	91.2	596^th of 5857 public elementary schools	89.8%		92	572^nd of 5869 public elementary schools	90.3%	24	55.6		55.6	71.1	75.2	74.5				73.6	74.1	69.6	67.3				70.2	95.4	98.5	97.7	97.7	97.7	97.7	$28,284	$27,708	$576
La Costa Heights Elementary	Public	K-6	3035 Levante St.	Carlsbad	92009	San Diego County	Encinitas Union Elementary	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 944-4375	552	23	24.0	14.5%	369 (66.8%)	2 (0.4%)	82 (14.9%)	21 (3.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	78 (14.1%)	94.7	360^th of 5857 public elementary schools	93.9%		95.4	311^th of 5869 public elementary schools	94.7%	49	66.7		66.7	75.0	79.6	77.7	85.2			79.6	69.2	71.3	73.8	82.5			74.3							$24,419	$23,620	$799
Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary	Public	K-5	653 Poinsettia Ave.	Vista	92081	San Diego County	San Marcos Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(760) 290-2888	579	26	22.2	69.1%	100 (17.3%)	6 (1.0%)	424 (73.2%)	28 (4.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.5%)	18 (3.1%)	52.8	2444^th of 5857 public elementary schools	58.3%		59.3	2099^th of 5869 public elementary schools	64.2%	345	22.8		22.8	48.4	46.5	35.6				43.3	59.1	49.0	40.6				49.3							$28,212	$27,150	$1,062

Frequently Asked Questions about Carrillo Elementary

What district is Carrillo Elementary in?

San Marcos Unified

Is Carrillo Elementary a good school?

Carrillo Elementary ranks 639^th of 5857 California elementary schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Carrillo Elementary?

In the 2024-25 school year, 725 students attended Carrillo Elementary.

What schools do graduates of Carrillo Elementary attend?

Students who attend Carrillo Elementary usually go on to attend:

Middle : San Elijo Middle
High : San Marcos High

What is the racial makeup of Carrillo Elementary?

Students at Carrillo Elementary are 53% White, 24% Hispanic, 11% Two or more races, 11% Asian.

Rate Carrillo Elementary!

Other helpful SchoolDigger resources...

Compare to nearby schools

CACalifornia Elementary School Rankings

CACalifornia District Rankings

Schools in Carlsbad, CA

Sign up for updates!

Be the first to know when there is an update for Carrillo Elementary!

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.