Santa Cruz City High School District

133 Mission Street Ste. 100
Santa Cruz, CA 95060-3747
(District boundaries shown in map)
8/
10
Top 30%

Top Rankings

Santa Cruz City High School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:

Category
Attribute
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 20%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2026 school year, there are 7 public high schools serving 3,557 students in Santa Cruz City High School District. This district's average high testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public high schools in California.
Public High Schools in Santa Cruz City High School District have an average math proficiency score of 34% (versus the California public high school average of 28%), and reading proficiency score of 62% (versus the 51% statewide average).
Public High School in Santa Cruz City High School District have a Graduation Rate of 91%, which is more than the California average of 86%.
The school with highest graduation rate is Santa Cruz High School, with 96% graduation rate. Read more about public school graduation rate statistics in California or national school graduation rate statistics.
Minority enrollment is 53% 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
9 Schools
2,812 Schools
# Students
4,492 Students
2,139,958 Students
# Teachers
224 Teachers
100,748 Teachers
Student-Teacher Ratio
20:1
20:1

Student By Grade

District Rank

Santa Cruz City High School District, which is ranked #514 of all 1,907 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 92% has increased from 90% over five school years.
This School District
State Average (CA)
#488 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 30%)
36%
34%
58%
47%
33%
29%
92%
87%

Students by Ethnicity:

0.61
0.63
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
3%
11%
% Hispanic
41%
56%
% Black
1%
5%
% White
47%
22%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
5%
All Ethnic Groups

Best Santa Cruz City High School District Public High Schools (2026)

School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Quick Facts
Rank: #11.
Santa Cruz High School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 68%)
Rank:
9/
10
Top 20%
415 Walnut Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95060
(831) 429-3960
Gr: 9-12 | 1,104 students Student-teacher ratio: 22:1 Minority enrollment: 43%
Rank: #22.
Alternative Family Education
Alternative School
(Math: 40-59% | Reading: ≥50%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Gr: K-12 | 110 students Student-teacher ratio: 28:1 Minority enrollment: 46%
Rank: #33.
Ark Independent Studies
Alternative School
(Math: 21-39% | Reading: 60-79%)
Rank:
8/
10
Top 30%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Gr: 6-12 | 52 students Student-teacher ratio: 26:1 Minority enrollment: 54%
Rank: #44.
Soquel High School
(Math: 28% | Reading: 65-69%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
401 Old San Jose Rd.
Soquel, CA 95073
(831) 429-3909
Gr: 9-12 | 1,048 students Student-teacher ratio: 21:1 Minority enrollment: 52%
Rank: #55.
Harbor High School
(Math: 29% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
7/
10
Top 50%
300 La Fonda Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3810
Gr: 9-12 | 1,040 students Student-teacher ratio: 19:1 Minority enrollment: 64%
Rank: #66.
Costanoa Continuation High School
Alternative School
(Math: ≤20% | Reading: ≤20%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
840 North Branciforte Ave.
Santa Cruz, CA 95062
(831) 429-3898
Gr: 9-12 | 87 students Student-teacher ratio: 17:1 Minority enrollment: 87%
Rank: #77.
Delta Charter
Charter School
(Math: ≤10% | Reading: 21-39%)
Rank:
2/
10
Bottom 50%
6500 Soquel Dr. Bldg. 1190
Aptos, CA 95003
(831) 477-5212
Gr: 9-12 | 116 students Student-teacher ratio: 13:1 Minority enrollment: 38%

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Quick Facts (2026)

  • District size: 9 schools
  • Grades: K-12
  • Enrollment: 4,492 students
  • Student-Teacher Ratio: 20:1
  • Minority Enrollment: 53%
  • : 92% (Top 20% in CA)
  • : Top 30%
  • : 36% (Top 50%)
  • : 58% (Top 30%)
  • : 33% (Top 50%)
  • Source: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), CA Dept. of Education

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