Santa Ana Unified School District

1601 East Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701-6322
(District boundaries shown in map)
: 
3/
10
Bottom 50%

Top Rankings

Santa Ana Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026-27 school year, there are 16 public middle schools serving 12,484 students in Santa Ana Unified School District. This district's average middle testing ranking is 3/10, which is in the bottom 50% of public middle schools in California.
Public Middle Schools in Santa Ana Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 17% (versus the California public middle school average of 32%), and reading proficiency score of 28% (versus the 46% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 99% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is more than the California public middle school average of 78% (majority Hispanic).

Overview

This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
53 Schools
3,459 Schools
# Students
35,993 Students
1,857,843 Students
# Teachers
1,798 Teachers
88,071 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
20:1
20:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Santa Ana Unified School District, which is ranked #1477 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 88% has stayed relatively flat over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#1465 out of 1932 school districts
(Bottom 50%)
20%
34%
30%
47%
15%
29%
88%
86.2%
(2022-23)
24.4%
27.7%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.08
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
2%
11%
% Hispanic
96%
55%
% Black
n/a
5%
% White
1%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
1%
6%
All Ethnic Groups

District Revenue and Spending

The revenue/student of $33,560 is higher than the state median of $26,022. The school district revenue/student has grown by 42% over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $28,052 is higher than the state median of $22,604. The school district spending/student has grown by 33% over four school years.
This School District
This State (CA)
Total Revenue
$1,208 MM
$150,628 MM
Spending
$1,010 MM
$130,845 MM
Revenue / Student
$33,560
$26,022
Spending / Student
$28,052
$22,604

Best Santa Ana Unified School District Public Middle Schools (2026-27)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Gonzalo Felicitas Mendez Fundamental Intermediate
(Math: 33% | Reading: 37%)
Rank:
6/
10
Top 50%
2000 North Bristol
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 972-7800
Gr: 6-8 | 1,234 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1
Rank: #22.
Santiago Elementary School
(Math: 25% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
2212 North Baker St.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 564-8400
Gr: K-8 | 906 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1 Minority enrollment: 97%
Rank: #33.
Douglas Macarthur Fundamental Intermediate
(Math: 24% | Reading: 41%)
Rank:
5/
10
Bottom 50%
600 West Alton Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 513-9800
Gr: 6-8 | 1,005 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 98%
Rank: #44.
Saddleback High School
(Math: 15% | Reading: 42%)
Rank:
4/
10
Bottom 50%
2801 South Flower
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 513-2900
Gr: 7-12 | 1,451 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 99%
Rank: #55.
Advanced Learning Academy
Charter School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 34%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
408 East Santa Clara Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 564-2100
Gr: K-12 | 363 students Student-teacher ratio: 12:1 Minority enrollment: 98%
Rank: #66.
Martin R. Heninger Elementary School
(Math: 18% | Reading: 29%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
417 West Walnut St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 953-3800
Gr: K-8 | 783 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1
Rank: #77.
Gerald P. Carr Intermediate
(Math: 18% | Reading: 27%)
Rank:
3/
10
Bottom 50%
2120 West Edinger St.
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 480-4100
Gr: 6-8 | 886 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1
Rank: #88.
Manuel Esqueda Elementary School
(Math: 17% | Reading: 22%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2240 South Main St.
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 431-1500
Gr: K-8 | 811 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1
Rank: #99.
Raymond A. Villa Fundamental Intermediate
(Math: 9% | Reading: 28%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
1441 East Chestnut Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 558-5100
Gr: 6-8 | 936 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1
Rank: #10 - 1110. - 11.
Mcfadden Institute Of Technology
(Math: 14% | Reading: 21%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
2701 South Raitt
Santa Ana, CA 92704
(714) 435-3700
Gr: K-8 | 1,074 students Student-teacher ratio: 20:1 Minority enrollment: 99%
Rank: #10 - 1110. - 11.
Pio Pico Elementary School
(Math: 14% | Reading: 21%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
931 West Highland
Santa Ana, CA 92703
(714) 972-7500
Gr: K-7 | 501 students Student-teacher ratio: 23:1
Rank: #1212.
Julia C. Lathrop Intermediate
(Math: 10% | Reading: 23%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1111 South Broadway
Santa Ana, CA 92707
(714) 567-3300
Gr: 6-8 | 584 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 99%
Rank: #1313.
Sierra Preparatory Academy
(Math: 9% | Reading: 18%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2021 North Grand Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
(714) 567-3500
Gr: K-8 | 697 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1
Rank: #1414.
Reach Academy
Alternative School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: ≤10%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1325 East 4th St.
Santa Ana, CA 92701
(714) 431-1800
Gr: 6-12 | 36 students Student-teacher ratio: 5:1
Rank: #1515.
Romero-cruz Academy
(Math: 7% | Reading: 13%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
2701 West Fifth St.
Santa Ana, CA 92703
(714) 480-2200
Gr: K-8 | 827 students Student-teacher ratio: 18:1 Minority enrollment: 99%
Rank: #1616.
Willard Intermediate
(Math: 6% | Reading: 13%)
Rank:
1/
10
Bottom 50%
1342 North Ross
Santa Ana, CA 92706
(714) 480-4800
Gr: 6-8 | 390 students Student-teacher ratio: 14:1 Minority enrollment: 99%

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Quick Facts (26-27)

  • District size: 53 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 35,993 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 99%
  • : 88% (Top 30% in CA)
  • : Bottom 50%
  • : 20% (Btm 50%)
  • : 30% (Btm 50%)
  • : 15% (Btm 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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