Total enrollment
66,191
-307 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Santa Barbara County
California · Public K-12
Santa Barbara County reports 129 public K-12 schools and roughly 66,191 students enrolled, per NCES, with a mix of 80 elementary, 16 middle, and 22 high.
4-year change in Santa Barbara County
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
120
+5 (+4%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Santa Barbara County ranks
Among counties| Measure | This county | In California | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 35.3% | #33 of 55 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 66,191 | #19 of 55 | #160 of 2,745 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 120 | #20 of 55 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 20.4:1 | #22 of 55 | #2,590 of 2,655 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 68.4% | #19 of 55 | #794 of 2,526 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 42.3% | #47 of 55 | #1,396 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.
Santa Barbara County school rankings
Residents
443,701
all ages · ACS 5-yr
Schools
129
34 districts
Enrollment
66,191
students · NCES CCD
Median income
$98,161
Above California avg
Free/reduced lunch
68.3%
Above California avg
Elementary
80
35,494 students
Middle
16
9,313 students
High
22
19,464 students
Combined / other
11
1,920 students
LARGEST DISTRICT
Santa Maria-Bonita
17,408 students · 34 districts in Santa Barbara County
County vs. school enrollment demographics
Left bar is the racial makeup of Santa Barbara 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+
36.8%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
8.7%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.4%
civilian labor
Median age
35
22.4% under 18
Test scores in Santa Barbara County
Latest 2024-25 ELA proficiency, 93 schools ranked. California state average: 49.4%.
Top 5 schools (ELA)
- Cold Spring Elementary· 96.2%
- Montecito Union· 90.8%
- Mountain View Elementary· 83.4%
- Ballard Elementary· 77.5%
- Foothill Elementary· 74.7%
Lowest 5 schools (ELA)
- Bruce (Robert) Elementary· 16.5%
- Bonita Elementary· 16.7%
- Alvin Elementary· 18.1%
- Rice (William) Elementary· 18.1%
- Adam (William Laird) Elementary· 18.7%
See all 93 schools in Santa Barbara County ranked by score →
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alta Vista Alternative High | Santa Barbara | High | 09-12 | 119 | · |
| Ballard Elementary | Solvang | Elementary | KG-06 | 113 | · |
| Cuyama Elementary | New Cuyama | Elementary | KG-08 | 107 | · |
| La Cuesta Continuation High | Santa Barbara | High | 09-12 | 77 | · |
| Olive Grove Charter - Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara | Combined | KG-12 | 74 | · |
| Vista de Las Cruces | Gaviota | Elementary | KG-08 | 65 | · |
| Mission Valley | Lompoc | Elementary | KG-08 | 61 | · |
| Cuyama Valley High | New Cuyama | High | 09-12 | 55 | · |
| Summerland Elementary | Summerland | Elementary | KG-05 | 51 | · |
| Santa Barbara County Special Education | Santa Barbara | Combined | KG-12 | 49 | · |
| Carpinteria Family | Carpinteria | Elementary | KG-05 | 45 | · |
| Orcutt School for Independent Study | Santa Maria | Elementary | KG-08 | 44 | · |
| Olive Grove Charter - Buellton | Buellton | Combined | KG-12 | 34 | · |
| Dr Bob Forinash Community Day | Lompoc | High | 07-12 | 31 | · |
| Santa Barbara County Juvenile Court | Santa Barbara | High | 05-12 | 31 | · |
| College Elementary | Santa Ynez | Elementary | KG-KG | 28 | · |
| Santa Barbara County Community | Santa Barbara | High | 05-12 | 27 | · |
| Refugio High | Solvang | High | 09-12 | 11 | · |
| Alta Vista | Santa Barbara | Middle | 07-08 | 2 | · |
| Sierra Madre High (Continuation) | New Cuyama | High | 09-12 | 2 | · |
| Santa Barbara County ROP-South | Santa Barbara | High | 09-12 | 0 | · |
| Cuyama Valley Junior High | New Cuyama | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Fairview Preschool | Goleta | Combined | M-M | · | · |
| Guadalupe Junior High | Guadalupe | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Guadalupe Preschool | Guadalupe | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Santa Barbara County ROP-North | Santa Maria | High | AE-AE | · | · |
| Santa Barbara Unified Early Childhood | Santa Barbara | Elementary | M-M | · | · |
| Trivium Charter | Santa Maria | Combined | KG-12 | · | · |
| Trivium Charter School Voyage | Santa Barbara | Combined | KG-12 | · | · |
Cities in Santa Barbara County
Santa Maria37 schoolsSanta Barbara35 schoolsLompoc16 schoolsGoleta9 schoolsCarpinteria5 schoolsGuadalupe4 schoolsNew Cuyama4 schoolsSolvang4 schoolsBuellton3 schoolsSanta Ynez3 schoolsVandenberg Air Force Base3 schoolsOrcutt2 schoolsGaviota1 schoolLos Alamos1 schoolLos Olivos1 schoolSummerland1 school
About Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County is a wide-reaching county of about 443,701 residents in California. Its public-school system enrolls approximately 66,191 students across 129 schools.
In context, census numbers show the median household earns about $98,161 a year, about 37% of adults have a bachelor's degree or above, and the poverty rate is around 9%. That income level is 10% above the California median.
Looking at the level breakdown, Santa Barbara County spans 80 elementary schools (35,494 students), 16 middle schools (9,313), 22 high schools (19,464), and 11 combined or other schools.
The largest single district in Santa Barbara County is Santa Maria-Bonita, which alone enrolls about 17,408 students.
Looking at the last 4 years. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment remained close to its prior level: 66,498 students in SY 2020-21 versus 66,191 in SY 2024-25. The school count climbed from 115 to 120 across the same 4-year window.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Santa Barbara County discusses open enrollment windows, redistricting talk, and busing logistics. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.
Frequently asked questions
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data