Top Rankings
Capistrano Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 10%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 10%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 10%)
Science Proficiency
Highest science proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 8 public high schools serving 14,003 students in Capistrano Unified School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 10/10, which is in the top 10% of public high schools in California.
Public High Schools in Capistrano Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 49% (versus the California public high school average of 28%), and reading proficiency score of 78% (versus the 51% statewide average).
Public High School in Capistrano Unified School District have a Graduation Rate of 97%, which is more than the California average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Aliso Niguel High School, with 98% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in California or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 48% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public high school average of 79% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
59 Schools
2,790 Schools
# Students
40,251 Students
2,122,151 Students
# Teachers
1,758 Teachers
101,015 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
23:1
23:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
Capistrano Unified School District, which is ranked #141 of all 1,903 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 97% has increased from 96% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#141 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 10%)
(Top 10%)
Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
60%
34%
Showing 2013–2023. Full 14-year historical data available below ↓
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
70%
47%
Showing 2012–2022. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
51%
29%
Graduation Rate
97%
86.2%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 13-year historical data available below ↓
Chronically Absent Students
(2022-23)19.5%
27.7%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.65
0.63
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
9%
12%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% Hispanic
27%
56%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% Black
1%
5%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% White
51%
21%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 36-year historical data available below ↓
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
12%
5%
Showing 2014–2023. Full 15-year historical data available below ↓
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $21,438 in this school district is less than the state median of $26,022. The school district revenue/student has grown by 28% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $17,082 is less than the state median of $22,604. The school district spending/student has grown by 13% over four school years.
Total Revenue
$863 MM
$150,628 MM
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Spending
$688 MM
$130,845 MM
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Revenue / Student
$21,438
$26,022
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Spending / Student
$17,082
$22,604
Showing 2014–2023. Full 34-year historical data available below ↓
Best Capistrano Unified School District Public High Schools (2026-27)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Tesoro High School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 83%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
1 Tesoro Creek Rd.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
(949) 234-5310
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
(949) 234-5310
Gr: 9-12 | 2,030 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 44%
Rank: #22.
Aliso Niguel High School
(Math: 58% | Reading: 82%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
28000 Wolverine Way
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 831-5590
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 831-5590
Gr: 9-12 | 2,563 students Student-teacher ratio: 24:1 Minority enrollment: 51%
Rank: #33.
San Juan Hills High School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 80%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
29211 Stallion Ridge
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 234-5900
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 234-5900
Gr: 9-12 | 2,641 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 50%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
Capistrano Valley High School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 78%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
26301 Via Escolar
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 364-6100
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 364-6100
Gr: 9-12 | 1,991 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 55%
Rank: #4 - 54. - 5.
San Clemente High School
(Math: 48% | Reading: 78%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
700 Avenido Pico
San Clemente, CA 92673
(949) 492-4165
San Clemente, CA 92673
(949) 492-4165
Gr: 9-12 | 2,740 students Student-teacher ratio: 24:1 Minority enrollment: 40%
Rank: #66.
Dana Hills High School
(Math: 38% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
33333 Golden Lantern
Dana Point, CA 92629
(949) 496-6666
Dana Point, CA 92629
(949) 496-6666
Gr: 9-12 | 1,725 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 48%
Rank: #77.
Capistrano Union High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤5% | Reading: 25-29%)
Rank:
Rank:
1/
Bottom 50%10
31422 Camino Capistrano
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 489-7216
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 489-7216
Gr: 9-12 | 103 students Student-teacher ratio: 9:1 Minority enrollment: 79%
Rank: n/an/a
Bridges Community Day
Alternative School
31576 El Camino Real
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 234-5302
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 234-5302
Gr: 6-12 | 12 students Student-teacher ratio: 4:1 Minority enrollment: 49%
Recent Articles
When a Public School Cancels a Course Your Child Needs
Learn what parents can do when public schools cancel essential courses, including protecting graduation credits, finding approved alternatives, requesting substitutions, and preventing disruptions to college or career plans before deadlines.
Verify School Assignment Before Buying a House
Before buying a house, learn how to verify your child's assigned public school, check conflicting property listings, confirm enrollment eligibility, and avoid costly school assignment surprises before closing on a property.
School Bus Commute Times: What Parents Should Know
Discover how long school bus commutes really take, why routes vary, and what parents should ask about pickup times, student fatigue, transportation reliability, and daily schedules before choosing schools.
