Total enrollment
8,991
-992 (-10%) vs SY 2017-18
28 schools in Santa Cruz
California · Public K-12
Santa Cruz's public-school footprint covers 28 campuses with combined enrollment of about 8,991 students, averaging 321 per campus.
7-year change in Santa Cruz
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
26
-1 (-4%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
47%
was 49%
% Hispanic
41%
was 39%
% Black
1%
was 2%
% Asian
3%
was 4%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
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 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 8,991 students, declined 10% from the 9,983 reported in SY 2017-18. Santa Cruz now counts 26 public schools, down from 27 in SY 2017-18.
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.