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Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Q: Is Santa Ynez Valley Union High a good school?

Santa Ynez Valley Union High ranks 524 th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

Public Grades 9-12

524^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,162 California High Schools

Better than 76% of California high schools

Summary

Santa Ynez Valley Union High is a public high school serving about 800 students in grades 9-12 in the community of Solvang, California, and it consistently earns strong 4-star ratings within the Santa Ynez Valley Union High district.

The school's greatest strength is its exceptional track record of supporting students to graduation, with a rate of 97.7% and a very low dropout rate of 1.4%, outperforming both the state and district averages. Academically, test scores in English, Math, and Science are generally above state averages, though they have shown some year-to-year ups and downs. When compared to the higher-performing Dos Pueblos Senior High in a neighboring district, Santa Ynez Valley's test scores are somewhat lower, despite the school having a more favorable student-teacher ratio and higher per-student spending.

An important area for families to consider is the support for specific student groups; while the school serves a population with fewer economic disadvantages than some peers, the performance data indicates a significant and recent decline for students in Special Education, which the school will need to address. Overall, Santa Ynez Valley Union High provides a supportive environment with high graduation success, but there is a focus on creating more consistent academic achievement year over year for all students.

801

Students ?

19.3

Student/teacher ratio ?

$36,487

Per pupil spending ?

27.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

2975 Mission Dr.
Solvang, CA 93463-9417

(805) 688-6487

District: Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Feeder schools for Santa Ynez Valley Union High:

Elementary:	Ballard Elementary
	College Elementary
	Los Olivos Elementary
	Oak Valley Elementary
	More...
	Santa Ynez Elementary
	Solvang Elementary
	Vista de Las Cruces
Middle:	Jonata Middle

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

49.9%

White:

44.7%

Two or more races:

4.1%

See top rated California high schools

Compare Santa Ynez Valley Union High to nearby high schools!

At a glance

▼ Ranking trend: Declining — 86th percentile in 2013 → 76th in 2025

Strengths

✓Ranks in the top 24% of California high schools

✓98% graduate in 4 years — above the California average (88%)

Worth a look

!Ranking has slipped — down 10 percentile points since 2013

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

Students meeting standards (2024-2025) ?

This school46%

District avg45%

California avg41%

524^th of 2,162

California public high schools ?

Top 24%▼ down 15 pts since 2015

From top 10% (2015) to top 24% (2025)

See the entire ranking list of California High Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

288^th of 1,543Santa Ynez Valley Union High 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	73.6	524 of 2162	75.8%	★★★★☆
2024	61.0	745 of 2159	65.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	78.8	424 of 2170	80.5%	★★★★☆
2022	84.4	289 of 2123	86.4%	★★★★☆
2019	76.3	433 of 2133	79.7%	★★★★☆
2018	87.5	258 of 2017	87.2%	★★★★☆
2017	79.6	419 of 2021	79.3%	★★★★☆
2016	88.8	214 of 2039	89.5%	★★★★☆
2015	89.2	193 of 1994	90.3%	★★★★★
2013	67.7	347 of 2426	85.7%	★★★★☆
2012	72.5	252 of 2354	89.3%	★★★★☆
2011	67.6	339 of 2367	85.7%	★★★★☆
2010	71.2	261 of 2281	88.6%	★★★★☆
2009	72.0	227 of 2238	89.9%	★★★★☆
2008	68.3	299 of 2117	85.9%	★★★★☆
2007	78.4	144 of 2063	93.0%	★★★★★
2006	69.5	295 of 1968	85.0%	★★★★☆
2005	71.1	232 of 1901	87.8%	★★★★☆
2004	63.9	287 of 1653	82.6%	★★★★☆

Disabled

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2022	85.0	103 of 1161	91.1%	★★★★★
2019	52.6	377 of 1117	66.2%	★★★☆☆
2018	89.7	86 of 1052	91.8%	★★★★★

Female

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	77.3	400 of 1906	79.0%	★★★★☆
2024	68.9	517 of 1915	73.0%	★★★★☆
2023	82.2	316 of 1915	83.5%	★★★★☆
2022	80.7	309 of 1858	83.4%	★★★★☆
2019	72.8	420 of 1833	77.1%	★★★★☆
2018	86.5	227 of 1760	87.1%	★★★★☆

Hispanic

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	67.3	547 of 1900	71.2%	★★★★☆
2024	48.7	942 of 1902	50.5%	★★★☆☆
2023	74.4	401 of 1917	79.1%	★★★★☆
2022	73.6	363 of 1861	80.5%	★★★★☆
2019	59.0	663 of 1814	63.5%	★★★☆☆
2018	75.0	406 of 1742	76.7%	★★★★☆

Low Socio Economic Status

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	62.1	700 of 2013	65.2%	★★★☆☆
2024	47.6	1001 of 2026	50.6%	★★★☆☆
2023	69.0	500 of 2030	75.4%	★★★★☆
2022	69.5	452 of 1943	76.7%	★★★★☆
2019	61.6	642 of 1937	66.9%	★★★☆☆
2018	81.0	304 of 1862	83.7%	★★★★☆

Male

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	65.6	595 of 1942	69.4%	★★★☆☆
2024	51.1	863 of 1948	55.7%	★★★☆☆
2023	71.2	502 of 1963	74.4%	★★★★☆
2022	84.6	249 of 1916	87.0%	★★★★☆
2019	74.0	427 of 1880	77.3%	★★★★☆
2018	85.7	274 of 1834	85.1%	★★★★☆

Special Education

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	30.2	874 of 1252	30.2%	★★☆☆☆
2024	41.5	594 of 1216	51.2%	★★★☆☆
2023	53.0	394 of 1197	67.1%	★★★☆☆

White

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	California percentile	Rating
2025	75.5	267 of 1155	76.9%	★★★★☆
2024	56.8	505 of 1173	56.9%	★★★☆☆
2023	73.4	298 of 1193	75.0%	★★★★☆
2022	83.6	154 of 1204	87.2%	★★★★☆
2019	73.7	274 of 1222	77.6%	★★★★☆
2018	86.6	117 of 1173	90.0%	★★★★★

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)

Disabled (2022)91st percentile+5 vs school

Female (2025)79th percentile+3 vs school

White (2025)77th percentile~ school

Hispanic (2025)71st percentile-5 vs school

Male (2025)69th percentile-6 vs school

Low Socio Economic Status (2025)65th percentile-11 vs school

Special Education (2025)30th percentile-46 vs school

By subject vs California (2024-2025) ?

English Language Arts/Literacy61%+12 vs state

Science39%+7 vs state

Mathematics38%~ state avg

★

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Schools Near Santa Ynez Valley Union 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	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 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
Santa Ynez Valley Union High	Public	9-12	2975 Mission Dr.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Santa Ynez Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-6487	801	41	19.3	27.1%	358 (44.7%)	3 (0.4%)	400 (49.9%)	3 (0.4%)	3 (0.4%)	0 (0.0%)	33 (4.1%)	73.6	524^th of 2162 public high schools	75.8%		61	745^th of 2159 public high schools	65.5%	221	39.9	39.4	61.3	61.3	37.7	37.7	$36,487	$36,304	$183
Refugio High	Public	9-12	2975 Mission Dr.	Solvang	93463	Santa Barbara County	Santa Ynez Valley Union High	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 688-6487	11	1	11.0	36.4%	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	9 (81.8%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	2 (18.2%)								(n/a)							$60,200	$60,200	$00
Dos Pueblos Senior High	Public	9-12	7266 Alameda Ave.	Goleta	93117	Santa Barbara County	Santa Barbara Unified	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(805) 968-2541	2,149	95	22.6	43.9%	895 (41.6%)	24 (1.1%)	908 (42.3%)	132 (6.1%)	3 (0.1%)	1 (0.0%)	181 (8.4%)	83.6	344^th of 2162 public high schools	84.1%		86.8	283^rd of 2159 public high schools	86.9%	61	46.6	46.0	68.6	68.6	45.7	45.7	$20,647	$19,878	$769

Frequently Asked Questions about Santa Ynez Valley Union High

What is the racial makeup of Santa Ynez Valley Union High?

Students at Santa Ynez Valley Union High are 50% Hispanic, 45% White, 4% Two or more races.

Is Santa Ynez Valley Union High a good school?

Santa Ynez Valley Union High ranks 524^th of 2162 California high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 4 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Santa Ynez Valley Union High?

In the 2024-25 school year, 801 students attended Santa Ynez Valley Union High.

What schools feed into Santa Ynez Valley Union High?

Santa Ynez Valley Union High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Ballard Elementary
Elementary : College Elementary
Elementary : Los Olivos Elementary
Elementary : Oak Valley Elementary
Elementary : Santa Ynez Elementary
Elementary : Solvang Elementary
Elementary : Vista de Las Cruces
Middle : Jonata Middle

What district is Santa Ynez Valley Union High in?

Santa Ynez Valley Union 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.