Columbus Tustin Middle

Columbus Tustin Middle is one of the average-sized middle-grades schools in Tustin, California, operated by Tustin Unified, with 583 students on its rolls from grades 6 through 8.

Across the 28 schools in Tustin Unified (21,220 students total), Columbus Tustin Middle accounts for its share of the district's footprint.

In terms of who attends, Columbus Tustin Middle shows that the student body is overwhelmingly Hispanic (81%); the rest reads as 8% Asian, 6% White, 3% multiracial, 2% Black. That is considerably more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 34%.

Looking at school resources, On paper, Columbus Tustin Middle has 25 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 23.6:1. The state averages around 20.7:1, so this campus is higher than the state norm typical. An estimated 86% of students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. That share is noticeably above Orange County's rate of about 55%.

Adjusting for the school's free-and-reduced-lunch share, Columbus Tustin Middle tracks the demographic baseline. The model predicts 28.5% given the school's FRL share; actual proficiency is 39.6%.

Around the school, Orange County reports that the typical household earns roughly $116,289 per year, about 44% of the adult population holds a bachelor's degree or above, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. Across Orange County's 649 public schools (combined enrollment of about 430,458 students), Columbus Tustin Middle is one campus in the mix.

Helen Estock Elementary is the nearest neighboring public school, about 0.4 miles from this campus. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts Columbus Tustin Middle at 5th of 7; the average score across the group is 39.4%.

The campus sits in a metropolitan setting.

Over the past 7-year window. Columbus Tustin Middle's enrollment has edged down 33% since 2018, when it stood at 876 (now 583). The White share of enrollment decreased from 10% to 6% over that span. Class-load math has fell: from 27.9:1 in 2018 to 23.6:1 in 2025.

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