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San Luis Obispo County

California · Public K-12

Parents in San Luis Obispo County researching K-12 options have 83 public schools to consider, with combined enrollment near 33,339 (46 elementary, 12 middle, and 22 high).

4-year change in San Luis Obispo County

SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25
Total enrollment
32,720
+12 (+0%) vs SY 2020-21
School count
81
+3 (+4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages

How San Luis Obispo County ranks

Among counties
MeasureThis countyIn CaliforniaIn the US
State test proficiency
ranked highest first
47.5%#11 of 55N/A
Enrollment
ranked largest first
33,339#27 of 55#314 of 2,745
Number of schools
ranked most first
82#27 of 55N/A
Students per teacher
ranked fewest first
20.7:1#24 of 55#2,595 of 2,655
Free or reduced-price lunch share
ranked highest first
53.5%#42 of 55#1,444 of 2,526
Diversity index
ranked most diverse first
59.2%#24 of 55#607 of 2,707
Counties need at least 3 schools and 1,000 students to be ranked. Test proficiency is ranked within the state only, since each state gives a different test. Each rank links to the full list.

San Luis Obispo County school rankings

Largest schoolsAll rankings →
Residents
281,555
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
83
13 districts
Enrollment
33,339
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$97,446
Above California avg
Free/reduced lunch
53.5%
Below California avg
Elementary
46
16,281 students
Middle
12
6,092 students
High
22
10,810 students
Combined / other
3
156 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Lucia Mar Unified
9,590 students · 13 districts in San Luis Obispo County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of San Luis Obispo 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
69%
Hispanic
25%
Black
1%
Asian
4%
Two or more
17%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
45%
Hispanic
44%
Black
1%
Asian
2%
Two or more
7%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
Bachelor's+
39.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.4%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
5.5%
civilian labor
Median age
40
17.5% under 18

Test scores in San Luis Obispo County

Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 59 schools ranked. California state average: 49.4%.

See all 59 schools in San Luis Obispo County ranked by score →

All schools (83)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
Arroyo Grande HighArroyo GrandeHigh09-122,012·
Paso Robles HighPaso RoblesHigh09-121,986·
San Luis Obispo HighSan Luis ObispoHigh09-121,678·
Atascadero HighAtascaderoHigh09-121,157·
Lewis Flamson Junior HighPaso RoblesMiddle07-08884·
Atascadero MiddleAtascaderoMiddle06-08845·
Nipomo HighNipomoHigh09-12819·
Laguna MiddleSan Luis ObispoMiddle07-08780·
Morro Bay HighMorro BayHigh09-12751·
Templeton HighTempletonHigh09-12725·
Georgia Brown Dual Immersion Magnet ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06682·
Daniel Lewis MiddlePaso RoblesMiddle06-08619·
Harloe ElementaryArroyo GrandeElementaryKG-06619·
Dana ElementaryNipomoElementaryKG-06612·
Lange (Dorothea) ElementaryNipomoElementaryKG-06577·
Ocean View ElementaryArroyo GrandeElementaryKG-06547·
Paulding MiddleArroyo GrandeMiddle07-08544·
C L Smith ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06528·
Los Ranchos ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06521·
Kermit King ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06507·
Los Osos MiddleLos OsosMiddle06-08494·
Winifred Pifer ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06492·
Pacheco ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06488·
Almond Acres Charter AcademyPaso RoblesElementaryKG-08478·
Templeton MiddleTempletonMiddle06-08478·
Mesa MiddleArroyo GrandeMiddle07-08474·
Pat Butler ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06472·
Virginia Peterson ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06461·
Glen Speck ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-06454·
Lillian Larsen ElementarySan MiguelElementaryKG-08448·
Hawthorne ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06437·
Nipomo ElementaryNipomoElementaryKG-06436·
Judkins MiddlePismo BeachMiddle07-08431·
Vineyard ElementaryTempletonElementary03-05426·
Templeton ElementaryTempletonElementaryKG-02422·
San Benito ElementaryAtascaderoElementaryKG-05403·
Sinsheimer ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06401·
Monterey Road ElementaryAtascaderoElementaryKG-05382·
Oceano ElementaryOceanoElementaryKG-06377·
Santa Rosa Road Academic AcademyAtascaderoElementaryKG-05377·
Grover Beach ElementaryGrover BeachElementaryKG-06368·
Fairgrove ElementaryGrover BeachElementaryKG-06365·
San Gabriel ElementaryAtascaderoElementaryKG-05360·
Bishop's Peak ElementarySan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06358·
Baywood ElementaryLos OsosElementaryKG-05342·
Shell Beach ElementaryPismo BeachElementaryKG-06330·
Monarch Grove ElementaryLos OsosElementaryKG-05324·
Central Coast New Tech HighNipomoHigh09-12318·
Santa Margarita ElementarySanta MargaritaElementaryKG-05297·
Grover Heights ElementaryGrover BeachElementaryKG-06290·
Del Mar ElementaryMorro BayElementaryKG-05271·
Branch ElementaryArroyo GrandeElementaryKG-06261·
Grizzly ChalleNGe CharterSan Luis ObispoHigh10-12241·
Fine Arts AcademyAtascaderoMiddle04-08238·
Cappy Culver ElementaryPaso RoblesElementaryKG-08220·
Cambria GrammarCambriaElementaryKG-05202·
Teach ElementarySan Luis ObispoMiddle04-06193·
Cayucos ElementaryCayucosElementaryKG-08185·
Liberty High (Continuation)Paso RoblesHigh10-12171·
Shandon ElementaryShandonElementaryKG-08167·
Bellevue-Santa Fe CharterSan Luis ObispoElementaryKG-06163·
Atascadero Choices in Education Academy (ACE)AtascaderoHigh09-12159·
Coast Union HighCambriaHigh09-12159·
Independence HighPaso RoblesHigh09-12137·
Pacific View AcademyArroyo GrandeCombinedKG-12114·
Santa Lucia MiddleCambriaMiddle06-08112·
Lopez Continuation HighArroyo GrandeHigh10-1296·
Templeton Independent Study HighTempletonHigh09-1296·
Shandon HighShandonHigh09-1283·
San Luis Obispo County CommunitySan Luis ObispoHigh06-1276·
Pacific Beach HighSan Luis ObispoHigh10-1262·
Creston ElementaryCrestonElementaryKG-0561·
Pleasant Valley ElementarySan MiguelElementaryKG-0658·
Paloma Creek HighAtascaderoHigh09-1255·
Templeton HomeTempletonElementaryKG-0854·
Paso Robles Independent Study CenterPaso RoblesElementaryKG-0837·
PEEP - PREPARESan Luis ObispoCombinedKG-1225·
Carrisa Plains ElementarySanta MargaritaElementaryKG-0521·
San Luis County Special EducationSan Luis ObispoCombinedKG-1217·
Eagle Canyon HighTempletonHigh09-1213·
San Luis Obispo County Juvenile CourtSan Luis ObispoHigh06-1211·
Leffingwell High (Continuation)CambriaHigh09-125·
Marie Bauer Early Education CenterPaso RoblesElementaryM-M··

Cities in San Luis Obispo County

San Luis Obispo16 schoolsPaso Robles15 schoolsAtascadero9 schoolsArroyo Grande8 schoolsTempleton7 schoolsNipomo5 schoolsCambria4 schoolsGrover Beach3 schoolsLos Osos3 schoolsMorro Bay2 schoolsPismo Beach2 schoolsSan Miguel2 schoolsSanta Margarita2 schoolsShandon2 schoolsCayucos1 schoolCreston1 schoolOceano1 school

About San Luis Obispo County

Across the broad California county of San Luis Obispo County of about 281,555 residents, the public-school footprint covers 83 schools and about 33,339 students.

Stepping back, census numbers show median household income runs near $97,446, 40% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and the poverty rate is around 6%. That income level is 9% meaningfully above the California median.

For a sense of the school types, San Luis Obispo County is made up of 46 elementary schools (16,281 students), 12 middle schools (6,092), 22 high schools (10,810), and 3 combined or other schools.

Lucia Mar Unified is the biggest district by enrollment, covering about 9,590 students across San Luis Obispo County.

Trend over the past 4 years. Total public-school enrollment in San Luis Obispo County has held roughly steady since SY 2020-21, moving from about 32,708 students to 32,720. San Luis Obispo County now counts 81 public schools, up from 78 in SY 2020-21.

On allk12, the community for San Luis Obispo County discusses comparison threads between local schools and program reviews. Anyone with firsthand knowledge of these schools is welcome to weigh in.

Frequently asked questions

How many public schools are in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County, California has 83 public K-12 schools serving approximately 33,339 students.
How many high schools are in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County, California has 22 public high schools, serving approximately 10,810 students.
How many middle schools are in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County, California has 12 public middle schools, serving approximately 6,092 students.
How many elementary schools are in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County, California has 46 public elementary schools, serving approximately 16,281 students.
What is the largest school district in San Luis Obispo County?
Lucia Mar Unified is the largest school district in San Luis Obispo County, serving approximately 9,590 students. The county contains 13 school districts overall.
What is the population of San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County, California has a population of approximately 281,555, with a median age of 40. About 17.5% of residents are under 18.
What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo County?
Median household income in San Luis Obispo County is $97,446, above the California average of $89,387. About 6.4% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of San Luis Obispo County?
Approximately 39.8% of adults 25 and older in San Luis Obispo County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in San Luis Obispo County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 53.5% of students in San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo County schools?
Across San Luis Obispo County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 21.3 to 1.
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data