Orange County

California · Public K-12

Across all districts in Orange County, public schools number 649 and enroll approximately 430,458 K-12 students (422 elementary, 88 middle, and 111 high).

7-year change in Orange County

SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25

Total enrollment

429,950

-56,900 (-12%) vs SY 2017-18

School count

628

+17 (+3%) vs SY 2017-18

% White

22%

was 26%

% Hispanic

49%

was 49%

% Black

was 1%

% Asian

21%

was 18%

Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages

Residents

3,165,820

all ages · ACS 5-yr

Schools

649

80 districts

Enrollment

430,458

students · NCES CCD

Median income

$116,289

Above California avg

Free/reduced lunch

55.2%

Below California avg

Elementary

422

206,904 students

Middle

64,781 students

High

111

143,989 students

Combined / other

14,784 students

LARGEST DISTRICT

Capistrano Unified

40,251 students · 80 districts in Orange County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Orange County residents (Census ACS 5-year). Right bar is the enrollment-weighted makeup of public schools in the county (NCES CCD). NCES systematically under-reports Hispanic, Pacific Islander, and Native American enrollment for many schools; where the resident share is meaningful but the reported school share is zero, we mark the school bar "not reported".

County residents

White

43%

Hispanic

34%

Black

Asian

22%

Two or more

18%

Native American

Pacific Islander

School enrollment

White

22%

Hispanic

49%

Black

Asian

21%

Two or more

Native American

Pacific Islander

Bachelor's+

44.1%

adults 25+

Poverty rate

6.7%

ACS 5-year

Unemployment

5.4%

civilian labor

Median age

21.0% under 18

Test scores in Orange County

Latest 2023-24 ELA proficiency, 539 schools ranked. California state average: 47.6%.

Top 5 schools (ELA)

Lowest 5 schools (ELA)

See all 539 schools in Orange County ranked by score →

All schools (649)

Largest A-Z Top rated

Name	City	Level	Grades	Enrollment	Rating
Back Bay High	Costa Mesa	High	09-12	143	·
Anaheim Elementary Online Academy	Anaheim	Elementary	KG-06	142	·
El Camino Real Continuation High	Placentia	High	09-12	142	·
Hillview High (Continuation)	Tustin	High	09-12	142	·
Explore Academy	Orange	Combined	KG-12	126	·
George Key	Placentia	Combined	KG-12	124	·
Irvine Adult Transition Programs	Irvine	High	12-12	117	·
Canyon Hills	Anaheim	Combined	KG-12	109	·
California Online Public Schools Central Coast	San Juan Capistrano	Combined	KG-12	105	·
Capistrano Union High	San Juan Capistrano	High	09-12	103	·
Mark Twain Special Center	Garden Grove	Combined	KG-12	101	·
Buena Vista Virtual Academy	Placentia	Combined	KG-12	97	·
International School for Science and Culture	Costa Mesa	Elementary	KG-08	97	·
Jordan Secondary Learning Center	Garden Grove	High	12-12	97	·
Trabuco Elementary	Trabuco Canyon	Elementary	KG-06	90	·
Alternative Education-San Joaquin High	Irvine	Combined	KG-12	88	·
OCASA College Prep	San Juan Capistrano	High	06-12	83	·
Capistrano Home/Virtual	San Juan Capistrano	Elementary	KG-08	82	·
Esperanza Education Center	Mission Viejo	High	07-12	80	·
Creekside High	Irvine	High	09-12	78	·
California Republic Leadership Academy Yorba Linda	Yorba Linda	Elementary	KG-08	60	·
Irvine Unified School District Virtual Academy	Irvine	Elementary	KG-06	58	·
Unity Middle College High	Orange	High	09-12	57	·
Monte Vista Independent Study	Costa Mesa	High	07-12	48	·
Brea Canyon High (Continuation)	Brea	High	09-12	41	·
REACH Academy	Santa Ana	High	06-12	36	·
OUSD Home Sch	Orange	Combined	KG-12	27	·
Brea Online Academy	Brea	Elementary	KG-06	13	·
Bridges Community Day	San Juan Capistrano	High	06-12	12	·
OUSD Community Day	Orange	High	07-12	4	·
Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp)	Costa Mesa	High	10-12	0	·
Coastline ROP	Costa Mesa	High	09-12	0	·
College and Career Advantage	San Juan Capistrano	High	08-12	0	·
North Orange County ROP	Anaheim	High	07-12	0	·
Orange Unified Pre-K SDC	Anaheim	Elementary	KG-KG	0	·
Early Childhood Center	Dana Point	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Early Childhood Education Center - Carver Campus	Stanton	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Early Childhood Learning Center	Irvine	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Harper	Costa Mesa	Elementary	M-M	·	·
John F. Land	Westminster	Elementary	M-M	·	·
La Tierra Early Childhood Center	Mission Viejo	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Magnolia Science Academy - Orange County	Anaheim	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Mitchell Child Development	Santa Ana	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Orange County Academy of Sciences and Arts III	Aliso Viejo	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Orange Springs Charter	Santa Ana	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Richard Henry Dana Exceptional Needs	Dana Point	Combined	M-M	·	·
Santa Ana Virtual Academy	Santa Ana	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Skylark Preschool	Garden Grove	Elementary	M-M	·	·
Sycamore Creek Community Charter II	Cypress	Elementary	M-M	·	·

Cities in Orange County

Santa Ana82 schools Anaheim72 schools Irvine53 schools Garden Grove52 schools Huntington Beach32 schools Costa Mesa29 schools Orange29 schools Fullerton26 schools Mission Viejo23 schools Westminster19 schools Placentia18 schools Tustin18 schools San Juan Capistrano16 schools Fountain Valley15 schools Buena Park14 schools La Habra14 schools Yorba Linda12 schools Brea10 schools Lake Forest10 schools Newport Beach10 schools San Clemente10 schools Aliso Viejo9 schools Cypress9 schools Laguna Niguel9 schools Los Alamitos8 schools Rancho Santa Margarita8 schools La Palma5 schools Dana Point4 schools Ladera Ranch4 schools Laguna Beach4 schools Laguna Hills4 schools Villa Park4 schools Trabuco Canyon3 schools Corona Del Mar2 schools Las Flores2 schools Midway City2 schools Rancho Mission Viejo2 schools Stanton2 schools Capistrano Beach1 school Coto De Caza1 school Foothill Ranch1 school Seal Beach1 school

About Orange County

Orange County is a wide-reaching county of about 3,165,820 residents in California. Its public-school system serves approximately 430,458 students across 649 schools.

Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $116,289, roughly 44% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and roughly 7% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That income level is 30% meaningfully above the California median.

In terms of grade levels, Orange County is built around 422 elementary schools (206,904 students), 88 middle schools (64,781), 111 high schools (143,989), and 28 combined or other schools.

Capistrano Unified dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 40,251 students on its own.

Looking at the last 7 years. Combined enrollment now sits at 429,950 students, contracted 12% from the 486,850 reported in SY 2017-18. Over that span, Orange County opened 17 schools, going from 611 to 628. The White share of public-school enrollment declined from 26% to 22%.

Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Orange County discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.

Frequently asked questions

How many K-12 schools serve Orange County?

There are 649 public K-12 schools in Orange County, California, with a combined enrollment of about 430,458.

How many high schools are in Orange County?

Orange County, California has 111 public high schools, serving approximately 143,989 students.

How many middle schools are in Orange County?

Orange County, California has 88 public middle schools, serving approximately 64,781 students.

How many elementary schools are in Orange County?

Orange County, California has 422 public elementary schools, serving approximately 206,904 students.

What is the largest school district in Orange County?

Capistrano Unified is the largest school district in Orange County, serving approximately 40,251 students. The county contains 80 school districts overall.

How many people live in Orange County?

Orange County has roughly 3,165,820 residents according to the latest Census ACS 5-year estimate.

What is the median household income in Orange County?

Median household income in Orange County is $116,289, above the California average of $89,387. About 6.7% of residents live below the federal poverty line.

How educated are residents of Orange County?

Approximately 44.1% of adults 25 and older in Orange County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.

What share of students in Orange County qualify for free or reduced lunch?

Roughly 55.2% of students in Orange County public schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a common proxy for low-income enrollment. This is lower than the California county average of 60.6%.

What is the student-teacher ratio in Orange County schools?

Across Orange County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 23.3 to 1.

Orange County school rankings

Largest schools All rankings →

DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data