Total enrollment
466,146
-37,341 (-7%) vs SY 2017-18
San Diego County
California · Public K-12
San Diego County reports 766 public K-12 schools to NCES, against a population of 3,288,774, with an average school size of 610 students. The level mix is 469 elementary, 105 middle, and 142 high schools.
7-year change in San Diego County
SY 2017-18 vs SY 2024-25School count
744
-10 (-1%) vs SY 2017-18
% White
28%
was 30%
% Hispanic
49%
was 48%
% Black
4%
was 5%
% Asian
11%
was 10%
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
Schools
766
162 districts
Enrollment
467,437
NCES CCD
Median income
$106,268
Above California avg
Free/reduced lunch
53.8%
Below California avg
Elementary
469
216,922 students
Middle
105
73,784 students
High
142
140,617 students
Combined / other
50
36,114 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
San Diego Unified
94,828 students · 162 districts in San Diego County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of San Diego 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
School enrollment
Bachelor's+
43.2%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.9%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.1%
civilian labor
Median age
37
20.9% under 18
Test scores in San Diego County
Latest 2023-24 ELA proficiency, 559 schools ranked. California state average: 47.6%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Westview High· 92.0%
- Canyon Crest Academy· 91.9%
- Poinsettia Elementary· 89.7%
- Ocean Air· 89.1%
- Sage Canyon· 88.5%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Magnolia Elementary· 9.0%
- Potrero Elementary· 11.6%
- Chase Avenue Elementary· 11.7%
- Rancho Minerva Middle· 12.1%
- Naranca Elementary· 14.3%
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foothills High | San Marcos | High | 09-12 | 101 | · |
| Warner Junior/Senior High | Warner Springs | High | 07-12 | 98 | · |
| Montecito High (Continuation) | Ramona | High | 09-12 | 92 | · |
| Alta Vista High (Continuation) | Vista | High | 09-12 | 90 | · |
| Pivot Charter School - San Diego II | San Marcos | Combined | KG-12 | 90 | · |
| Poway to Palomar Middle College High | San Diego | High | 11-12 | 88 | · |
| Sunset High (Continuation) | Encinitas | High | 09-12 | 87 | · |
| Barona Indian Charter | Lakeside | Elementary | KG-08 | 86 | · |
| All Tribes Elementary Charter | Valley Center | Elementary | KG-05 | 84 | · |
| Borrego Springs Middle | Borrego Springs | Middle | 06-08 | 83 | · |
| All Tribes Charter | Valley Center | High | 06-12 | 82 | · |
| Oak Glen High | Valley Center | High | 09-12 | 78 | · |
| Whittier K-12 | San Diego | Combined | KG-12 | 77 | · |
| Oasis High (Alternative) | Fallbrook | High | 09-12 | 74 | · |
| East Hills Academy | Chula Vista | High | 07-12 | 71 | · |
| Vivian Banks Charter | Pala | Elementary | KG-05 | 71 | · |
| Ivy High (Continuation) | Fallbrook | High | 09-12 | 69 | · |
| Options Secondary | San Diego | High | 07-12 | 69 | · |
| MERIT Academy | El Cajon | High | 09-12 | 68 | · |
| Vista Visions Academy | Vista | Combined | KG-12 | 68 | · |
| Home & Hosp/Transition Support | San Diego | Combined | KG-12 | 66 | · |
| SBUSD Virtual Academy | Imperial Beach | Elementary | KG-06 | 65 | · |
| Mountain View Learning Academy | Alpine | Elementary | KG-08 | 64 | · |
| Guajome Learning Centers | Vista | Combined | KG-12 | 61 | · |
| Valley Center Prep | Valley Center | Combined | KG-12 | 56 | · |
| Oceanside Unified School District Adult Transition Program | Oceanside | High | 12-12 | 55 | · |
| Trust Blended Learning | Spring Valley | Elementary | KG-08 | 52 | · |
| North Coastal Consortium Schools | San Marcos | Combined | KG-12 | 46 | · |
| Chaparral High | El Cajon | High | 09-12 | 45 | · |
| California Avenue Elementary | Vista | Elementary | KG-05 | 42 | · |
| Spencer Valley Elementary | Santa Ysabel | Elementary | KG-08 | 41 | · |
| Carlsbad Seaside Academy | Carlsbad | Combined | KG-12 | 38 | · |
| Carlsbad Village Academy | Carlsbad | High | 10-12 | 38 | · |
| Grossmont Middle College High | El Cajon | High | 11-12 | 37 | · |
| Elite Academy | El Cajon | High | 09-12 | 34 | · |
| San Pasqual Academy | Escondido | High | 09-12 | 33 | · |
| Hillside Junior/Senior High | Pine Valley | High | 07-12 | 31 | · |
| Davila Day | Chula Vista | Elementary | KG-08 | 28 | · |
| San Diego County Special Education | Imperial Beach | Combined | KG-12 | 28 | · |
| Alta Vista Academy | Chula Vista | High | 07-12 | 27 | · |
| Future Bound Independent Study Secondary | Ramona | High | 07-12 | 23 | · |
| Empower | El Cajon | Elementary | KG-08 | 21 | · |
| REACH Academy | El Cajon | High | 09-12 | 21 | · |
| ALBA | San Diego | Combined | 01-12 | 20 | · |
| Sunrise High (Continuation) | Pine Valley | High | 09-12 | 13 | · |
| Fallbrook Virtual Academy | Fallbrook | Elementary | KG-08 | 12 | · |
| Santee Alternative | Santee | Elementary | KG-08 | 11 | · |
| Santee Success Program | Santee | Elementary | KG-08 | 5 | · |
| Santa Margarita Academy | Fallbrook | Middle | 04-08 | 3 | · |
| Cottonwood Community Day | Pine Valley | High | 07-12 | 0 | · |
| San Diego County ROP | San Diego | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| San Jose Valley Continuation High | Warner Springs | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Sweetwater Community Day | Chula Vista | Middle | 07-09 | 0 | · |
| Fletcher Elementary | San Diego | Elementary | KG-05 | · | · |
| HOPE Infant-Toddler Special Education | San Diego | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Lakeside Early Advantage Preschool | Lakeside | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Method Sports Academy | El Cajon | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Mike Choate Early Childhood Education Center | Fallbrook | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Mountain Empire Special Education Preschool | Pine Valley | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| National School District Preschool | National City | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Pine Valley Middle | Pine Valley | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Reynolds Elementary | Oceanside | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Sevick Special Education | El Cajon | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Special Education Preschool | Chula Vista | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| VIP Village Preschool | Imperial Beach | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Village Preschool | Coronado | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
Cities in San Diego County
San Diego286 schoolsChula Vista70 schoolsEl Cajon45 schoolsEscondido39 schoolsOceanside39 schoolsVista28 schoolsCarlsbad23 schoolsSan Marcos22 schoolsLa Mesa16 schoolsNational City16 schoolsSpring Valley16 schoolsLakeside13 schoolsPoway13 schoolsFallbrook12 schoolsSantee12 schoolsEncinitas11 schoolsRamona11 schoolsValley Center9 schoolsImperial Beach8 schoolsPine Valley8 schoolsLemon Grove7 schoolsAlpine6 schoolsLa Jolla6 schoolsSan Ysidro6 schoolsCoronado5 schoolsJulian5 schoolsBonita3 schoolsBonsall3 schoolsBorrego Springs3 schoolsJamul3 schoolsRancho Santa Fe3 schoolsSolana Beach3 schoolsWarner Springs3 schoolsCardiff-By-The-Sea2 schoolsDel Mar2 schoolsBoulevard1 schoolCampo1 schoolDescanso1 schoolPala1 schoolPauma Valley1 schoolPotrero1 schoolRainbow1 schoolSan Clemente1 schoolSanta Ysabel1 school
About San Diego County
Across the population-heavy California county of San Diego County of about 3,288,774 residents, the public-school footprint covers 766 schools and about 467,437 students.
In context, census numbers show median household income runs near $106,268, about 43% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the federal-poverty share is near 7%. That income level is 19% noticeably above the California median.
For a sense of the school types, San Diego County consists of 469 elementary schools (216,922 students), 105 middle schools (73,784), 142 high schools (140,617), and 50 combined or other schools.
San Diego Unified dominates the local landscape, accounting for roughly 94,828 students on its own.
Five-year track record. Combined enrollment now sits at 466,146 students, shrank 7% from the 503,487 reported in SY 2017-18. The school count fell from 754 to 744 across the same 7-year window.
In the discussion threads here, the community for San Diego County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
San Diego County school rankings
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data