Santa Cruz High

Q: Is Santa Cruz High a good school?

Santa Cruz High ranks 307 th of 2335 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public 9-12

415 Walnut Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3633

(831) 429-3960

SchoolDigger Rank:
307^th of 2,335 California High Schools

Feeder schools for Santa Cruz High:

Elementary:	Bonny Doon Elementary
	Pacific Elementary
Middle:	Mission Hill Middle

Student/teacher ratio: 21.1

Number of students: 1,131

Racial breakdown:

White:

56.3%

Hispanic:

29.3%

Two or more races:

7.0%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 25.2%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Santa Cruz High to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Santa Cruz High ranks better than 86.9% of high schools in California. It also ranks first among 6 ranked high schools in the Santa Cruz City High School District! (See more...)

Compare Details In 2023 the calculated Average Standard Score was 81.07. (See more...)

Student Body

Compare Details Santa Cruz High has the largest high school student body size in the Santa Cruz City High School District. Racial makeup is: White (56.3%), Hispanic (29.3%), two or more races (7%). (See more...)

Compare Details 25.2% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Santa Cruz High is 21.1. 4 high schools in the Santa Cruz City High School District have better student/teacher ratios. (See more...)

Compare Santa Cruz High employs 53.5 full-time teachers.

Schooldigger 2023 Rankings:

Santa Cruz High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Cruz High 307^th of 2335 California public high schools. (See Santa Cruz High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:

Multi-racial students:

Special Education students:

Low Socio Economic Status students:

Female students:

Male students:

Hispanic students:

White students:

Santa Cruz City High:

SchoolDigger ranks Santa Cruz City High 443^rd of 2062 California school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Santa Cruz High

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Rank History for all students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2004	64.79	270^th	1653	83.7%
2005	61.25	389^th	1901	79.5%
2006	62.55	415^th	1968	78.9%
2007	59.70	465^th	2063	77.5%
2008	59.99	473^rd	2117	77.7%
2009	68.61	276^th	2238	87.7%
2010	66.36	365^th	2281	84.0%
2011	60.41	500^th	2367	78.9%
2012	62.21	482^nd	2354	79.5%
2013	64.46	436^th	2426	82.0%
2015	89.92	181^st	1994	90.9%
2016	82.03	347^th	2039	83.0%
2017	71.37	573^rd	2021	71.6%
2018	83.71	334^th	2017	83.4%
2019	89.85	176^th	2133	91.7%
2021	91.51	109^th	1290	91.6%
2022	77.75	419^th	2123	80.3%
2023	81.07	307^th	2335	86.9%

See the entire list of California High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	30.03	274^th	366	25.1%
2019	57.31	192^nd	422	54.5%
2022	70.89	139^th	515	73.0%
2023	51.51	320^th	780	59.0%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for Special Education students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile	SchoolDigger Rating
2023	28.34	1050^th	1539	31.8%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Special Education Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	60.84	699^th	1862	62.5%
2019	74.12	398^th	1937	79.5%
2021	66.24	316^th	1126	71.9%
2022	54.40	758^th	1943	61.0%
2023	83.60	240^th	2237	89.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	79.94	355^th	1760	79.8%
2019	84.88	246^th	1833	86.6%
2021	89.59	105^th	1054	90.0%
2022	82.08	290^th	1858	84.4%
2023	83.51	244^th	2106	88.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	82.36	124^th	1052	88.2%
2019	66.50	227^th	1117	79.7%
2022	45.91	472^nd	1161	59.3%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	83.53	300^th	1834	83.6%
2019	89.84	159^th	1880	91.5%
2021	91.39	97^th	1122	91.4%
2022	70.25	489^th	1916	74.5%
2023	74.23	397^th	2195	81.9%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	59.30	704^th	1742	59.6%
2019	70.00	436^th	1814	76.0%
2022	62.17	573^rd	1861	69.2%
2023	78.39	273^rd	2132	87.2%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Santa Cruz High

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	CA State Percentile
2018	80.77	211^th	1173	82.0%
2019	85.72	117^th	1222	90.4%
2022	66.97	362^nd	1204	69.9%
2023	69.68	307^th	1424	78.4%

See the entire list of Best California High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: California Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Data source: California Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Santa Cruz High

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Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	1016	52	34	219	0	n/a	n/a	0	1321
1989	937	50	31	235	0	n/a	n/a	0	1253
1990	865	61	24	289	2	n/a	n/a	0	1241
1991	922	54	28	279	2	n/a	n/a	0	1285
1992	934	44	38	310	7	n/a	n/a	0	1333
1993	892	55	43	345	3	n/a	n/a	0	1338
1994	783	58	51	332	3	n/a	n/a	0	1227
1995	727	57	42	276	1	n/a	n/a	0	1103
1996	727	57	42	276	1	n/a	n/a	0	1103
1997	753	60	46	260	4	n/a	n/a	0	1123
1998	823	65	58	273	6	n/a	n/a	0	1225
1999	885	67	57	287	5	n/a	n/a	0	1301
2000	889	66	62	265	6	n/a	n/a	0	1288
2001	829	55	67	278	9	n/a	n/a	28	1266
2002	806	46	66	257	9	n/a	n/a	42	1226
2003	806	46	66	257	9	n/a	n/a	42	1226
2004	772	47	57	238	9	n/a	n/a	56	1179
2005	782	47	81	261	10	n/a	n/a	26	1207
2006	712	37	80	269	5	n/a	n/a	45	1148
2007	634	31	66	277	2	n/a	n/a	54	1064
2008	644	31	62	258	6	n/a	n/a	0	1001
2009	647	34	52	243	5	6	76	0	1063
2010	757	45	50	252	4	6	16	0	1130
2011	775	33	48	249	2	7	19	0	1133
2012	755	30	41	277	7	6	31	0	1147
2013	682	26	38	281	11	4	43	0	1085
2014	611	21	34	276	10	3	52	0	1007
2015	618	19	30	306	9	3	46	0	1031
2016	605	21	23	299	11	2	49	0	1010
2017	626	18	32	290	7	4	50	0	1027
2018	642	26	33	287	7	2	65	0	1062
2019	646	26	49	326	5	3	87	0	1142
2020	618	27	59	327	3	4	68	0	1106
2021	604	33	56	340	3	4	47	1	1088
2022	637	28	50	331	3	3	79	0	1131

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Santa Cruz High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1321	57.9	22.8	n/a
1989	1253	53.9	23.2	n/a
1990	1241	54.4	22.8	n/a
1991	1285	54.0	23.7	n/a
1992	1333	54.9	24.2	14.7
1993	1338	57.0	23.5	15.8
1994	1227	52.9	23.2	19.5
1995	1103	48.6	22.7	13.2
1996	1103	48.6	22.7	13.2
1997	1123	44.1	25.5	13.9
1998	1225	50.5	24.3	14
1999	1301	51.5	25.3	10.8
2000	1288	56.5	22.8	13.2
2001	1266	51.6	24.5	12.2
2002	1226	48.9	25.1	14.4
2003	1226	48.9	25.1	14.4
2004	1179	45.1	26.1	14.7
2005	1207	45.2	26.7	18
2006	1148	46.1	24.9	22.8
2007	1064	45.2	23.5	25.9
2008	1001	56.8	17.6	24.6
2009	1063	45.3	19.1	8.8
2010	1130	44.8	25.2	20.4
2011	1133	n/a	n/a	24.3
2012	1147	46.0	24.9	n/a
2013	1085	45.5	23.8	22.7
2014	1007	43.1	23.3	22.4
2015	1031	42.0	24.5	29.8
2016	1010	39.0	25.8	28.5
2017	1027	40.0	25.6	29.8
2018	1062	41.7	25.4	31
2019	1142	46.2	24.6	31.7
2020	1106	n/a	n/a	26.3
2021	1088	47.0	23.1	32.3
2022	1131	53.5	21.1	25.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Santa Cruz High

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Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1321	57.9	22.8	n/a
1989	1253	53.9	23.2	n/a
1990	1241	54.4	22.8	n/a
1991	1285	54.0	23.7	n/a
1992	1333	54.9	24.2	14.7
1993	1338	57.0	23.5	15.8
1994	1227	52.9	23.2	19.5
1995	1103	48.6	22.7	13.2
1996	1103	48.6	22.7	13.2
1997	1123	44.1	25.5	13.9
1998	1225	50.5	24.3	14
1999	1301	51.5	25.3	10.8
2000	1288	56.5	22.8	13.2
2001	1266	51.6	24.5	12.2
2002	1226	48.9	25.1	14.4
2003	1226	48.9	25.1	14.4
2004	1179	45.1	26.1	14.7
2005	1207	45.2	26.7	18
2006	1148	46.1	24.9	22.8
2007	1064	45.2	23.5	25.9
2008	1001	56.8	17.6	24.6
2009	1063	45.3	19.1	8.8
2010	1130	44.8	25.2	20.4
2011	1133	n/a	n/a	24.3
2012	1147	46.0	24.9	n/a
2013	1085	45.5	23.8	22.7
2014	1007	43.1	23.3	22.4
2015	1031	42.0	24.5	29.8
2016	1010	39.0	25.8	28.5
2017	1027	40.0	25.6	29.8
2018	1062	41.7	25.4	31
2019	1142	46.2	24.6	31.7
2020	1106	n/a	n/a	26.3
2021	1088	47.0	23.1	32.3
2022	1131	53.5	21.1	25.2

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Santa Cruz High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 176^th of 2133 High schools	Ranks 307^th of 2335 High schools	4.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Cruz High)	71.3	61.5	9.8%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (Santa Cruz City High)	65.6	62.6	3%
11th Grade English Language Arts/Literacy (California)	57.3	55.4	1.9%
11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Cruz High)	63.5	46	17.5%
11th Grade Mathematics (Santa Cruz City High)	46.4	32.8	13.6%
11th Grade Mathematics (California)	32.2	27.4	4.9%
12th Grade Science (Santa Cruz High)	39.2	43.6	4.4%
12th Grade Science (Santa Cruz City High)	34.2	33.8	0.4%
12th Grade Science (California)	25.6	26.9	1.3%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Pandemic (2020-2021)	Change (%)
Total Students	1142	1088	4.7%
African American	26	33	26.9%
American Indian	5	3	40%
Asian	49	56	14.3%
Hispanic	326	340	4.3%
Pacific Islander	3	4	33.3%
White	646	604	6.5%
Two or More Races	87	47	46%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	31.7%	32.3%	0.6%

Schools Near Santa Cruz High

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2023)				Ranking (2022)				CAST Science (2023)			Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy (2023)				Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics (2023)				Per Pupil Expenditures (2018)
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 (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	SchoolDigger Rating (2023)	Average Standard Score (2022)	Statewide Rank (2022)	State Percentile (2022)	Rank Change from Previous Year	CAST Science 8th Grade	CAST Science 12th Grade	CAST Science End of Course	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 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments English Language Arts/Literacy End of Course	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 7th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 8th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics 11th Grade	Smarter Balanced Assessments Mathematics End of Course	Total
Santa Cruz High	Public	9-12	415 Walnut Ave.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 429-3960	1,131	54	21.1	25.2%	637 (56.3%)	28 (2.5%)	331 (29.3%)	50 (4.4%)	3 (0.3%)	3 (0.3%)	79 (7.0%)	81.1	307^th of 2335 public high schools	86.9%		77.7	419^th of 2123 public high schools	80.3%	112		43.6	43.6			61.5	61.5			46.0	46.0
Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational Program	Public	10-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Regional Occupational Program	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 466-5762	0				0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()								(n/a)
Santa Cruz County Court	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	59	4	14.7	94.9%	9 (15.3%)	1 (1.7%)	47 (79.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (1.7%)	9.9	2056^th of 2335 public high schools	11.9%					(n/a)			0.0			16.7	16.7			0.0	0.0	$23,217
Santa Cruz County Community	Public	7-12	400 Encinal St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz County Office of Education	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 466-5728	657	33	19.8	44.7%	254 (38.7%)	5 (0.8%)	320 (48.7%)	9 (1.4%)	5 (0.8%)	2 (0.3%)	59 (9.0%)	26.9	1500^th of 2335 public high schools	35.8%		46.8	1000^th of 2123 public high schools	52.9%	500		21.5	20.3			23.0	21.3			8.5	7.5	$17,330
Ark Independent Studies	Public	6-12	840 N. Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	86	3	34.4	39.5%	35 (40.7%)	4 (4.7%)	38 (44.2%)	1 (1.2%)	2 (2.3%)	0 (0.0%)	6 (7.0%)	73.1	432^nd of 2335 public high schools	81.5%		62	670^th of 2123 public high schools	68.4%	238			28.6			70.0	70.0			35.3	35.3
Costanoa Continuation High	Public	9-12	840 N. Branciforte Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 429-3898	82	5	16.4	47.6%	16 (19.5%)	4 (4.9%)	59 (72.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (3.7%)	15.8	1796^th of 2335 public high schools	23.1%		13.1	1872^nd of 2123 public high schools	11.8%	76		7.1	7.1			20.8	20.8			4.4	4.4
Pacific Collegiate Charter	Public, Charter	7-12	3004 Mission St.	Santa Cruz	95060	Santa Cruz County	Pacific Collegiate Charter District	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 479-7785	556	32	17.5	11.7%	357 (64.2%)	3 (0.5%)	99 (17.8%)	35 (6.3%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	61 (11.0%)	97.3	49^th of 2335 public high schools	97.9%		98	44^th of 2123 public high schools	97.9%	5	53.5	70.8	61.4	87.2	81.3	100.0	89.1	68.1	50.6	88.6	68.5
Harbor High	Public	9-12	300 La Fonda Ave.	Santa Cruz	95062	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 429-3810	1,043	54	19.1	34.6%	380 (36.4%)	10 (1.0%)	556 (53.3%)	41 (3.9%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	53 (5.1%)	69.4	491^st of 2335 public high schools	79.0%		70.4	526^th of 2123 public high schools	75.2%	35		35.3	35.3			64.2	64.2			29.0	29.0
Soquel High	Public	9-12	401 Old San Jose Rd.	Soquel	95073	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	No	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 429-3909	1,022	49	20.7	21.2%	542 (53.0%)	7 (0.7%)	374 (36.6%)	26 (2.5%)	4 (0.4%)	2 (0.2%)	67 (6.6%)	68.5	501^st of 2335 public high schools	78.5%		69.4	544^th of 2123 public high schools	74.4%	43		29.2	29.2			71.6	71.6			28.3	28.3
Delta Charter	Public, Charter	9-12	6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190	Aptos	95003	Santa Cruz County	Santa Cruz City High	Yes	(n/a)	(n/a)	(n/a)	(831) 477-5212	104	9	11.6	30.8%	55 (52.9%)	3 (2.9%)	42 (40.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (3.8%)	22.9	1612^th of 2335 public high schools	31.0%		36.3	1278^th of 2123 public high schools	39.8%	334		15.2	15.2			28.2	28.2			5.0	5.0

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Cruz High

What district is Santa Cruz High in?

Santa Cruz City High

Is Santa Cruz High a good school?

Santa Cruz High ranks 307^th of 2335 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

What schools feed into Santa Cruz High?

Santa Cruz High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Bonny Doon Elementary
Elementary : Pacific Elementary
Middle : Mission Hill Middle

How many students attend Santa Cruz High?

In the 2021-22 school year, 1,131 students attended Santa Cruz High.

What is the racial makeup of Santa Cruz High?

Students at Santa Cruz High are 56% White, 29% Hispanic, 7% Two or more races, 4% Asian, 2% African American.

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the California Department of Education. School Attendance Areas provided by ATTOM.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that school and district boundary data 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.

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