Total enrollment
8,991
+662 (+8%) vs SY 2020-21
28 schools in Santa Cruz
California · Public K-12
Santa Cruz's public-school footprint covers 28 schools with combined enrollment of about 8,991 students, averaging 321 per school.
4-year change in Santa Cruz
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
26
+3 (+13%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Residents
61,607
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Students
8,991
public K-12 · NCES
Schools
28
public K-12
About Santa Cruz
Public education in Santa Cruz, California runs across 28 schools that serves roughly 8,991 students. By footprint, Santa Cruz sits in the population-heavy bracket.
On the school-mix side, the city is made up of 15 elementary, 3 middle, 8 high, and 2 other.
Schools in Santa Cruz average about 321 students each, 44% lower than the California norm.
Looking at the last 4 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 8,991 students, climbed 8% from the 8,329 reported in SY 2020-21. Santa Cruz now counts 26 public schools, up from 23 in SY 2020-21.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Santa Cruz discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.