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Santa Cruz County

California · Public K-12

83 public schools serving approximately 37,059 students, in a county of 264,926 residents.

Schools
83
19 districts
Enrollment
37,059
NCES CCD
Median income
$111,093
Above California avg
Free/reduced lunch
51.9%
Below California avg
Elementary
41
schools
Middle
12
schools
High
20
schools
Combined / other
10
schools
LARGEST DISTRICT
Pajaro Valley Unified
16,075 students · 19 districts in Santa Cruz County

County vs. school enrollment demographics

Left bar is the racial makeup of Santa Cruz 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
60%
Hispanic
35%
Black
1%
Asian
5%
Two or more
16%
Native American
1%
Pacific Islander
0%
School enrollment
White
34%
Hispanic
n/r
Black
1%
Asian
3%
Two or more
6%
Native American
0%
Pacific Islander
0%
Bachelor's+
43.9%
adults 25+
Poverty rate
6.0%
ACS 5-year
Unemployment
6.1%
civilian labor
Median age
40
18.4% under 18

All schools (83)

LargestA-ZTop rated
NameCityLevelGradesEnrollmentRating
Ocean Grove CharterBoulder CreekOtherKG-123,023·
Watsonville HighWatsonvilleHigh09-122,244·
Pajaro Valley HighWatsonvilleHigh09-121,489·
Aptos HighAptosHigh09-121,360·
Santa Cruz HighSanta CruzHigh09-121,092·
Harbor HighSanta CruzHigh09-121,023·
Soquel HighSoquelHigh09-12974·
Santa Cruz County CommunitySanta CruzHigh07-12741·
Scotts Valley HighScotts ValleyHigh09-12690·
New Brighton MiddleCapitolaMiddle06-08648·
San Lorenzo Valley HighFeltonHigh09-12643·
Alianza CharterWatsonvilleElementaryKG-08640·
Rolling Hills MiddleWatsonvilleMiddle06-08619·
E. A. Hall MiddleWatsonvilleMiddle06-08608·
San Lorenzo Valley ElementaryFeltonElementaryKG-05598·
Aptos Junior HighAptosMiddle07-08594·
Cesar E. Chavez MiddleWatsonvilleMiddle06-08552·
Mission Hill MiddleSanta CruzMiddle06-08544·
Pacific Collegiate CharterSanta CruzHigh07-12533·
Vine Hill ElementaryScotts ValleyElementaryKG-05531·
Freedom ElementaryFreedomElementaryKG-05527·
Mintie White ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05521·
Calabasas ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-06515·
Ceiba College Preparatory AcademyWatsonvilleHigh06-12511·
Bradley ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-06507·
De Laveaga ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05488·
Valencia ElementaryAptosElementaryKG-06488·
Scotts Valley MiddleScotts ValleyMiddle06-08481·
California Connections Academy Monterey BayScotts ValleyOtherKG-12476·
Westlake ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05472·
Brook Knoll ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05464·
Boulder Creek ElementaryBoulder CreekElementaryKG-05460·
Amesti ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05456·
H. A. Hyde ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05455·
Starlight ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05447·
Radcliff ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05441·
Shoreline MiddleSanta CruzMiddle06-08441·
Lakeview MiddleWatsonvilleMiddle06-08438·
T. S. MacQuiddy ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05421·
Main Street ElementarySoquelElementaryKG-05413·
Landmark ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05412·
Rio del Mar ElementaryAptosElementaryKG-06404·
Watsonville PrepWatsonvilleElementaryKG-08396·
Branciforte MiddleSanta CruzMiddle06-08389·
Watsonville Charter School of the ArtsWatsonvilleElementaryKG-08385·
San Lorenzo Valley MiddleFeltonMiddle06-08381·
Ann Soldo ElementaryWatsonvilleElementaryKG-05369·
Soquel ElementarySoquelElementaryKG-05358·
Live Oak ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05352·
Mar Vista ElementaryAptosElementaryKG-06344·
Del Mar ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05342·
Bay View ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05336·
Green Acres ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05315·
Gault ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05310·
SLVUSD CharterBen LomondOtherKG-12297·
Loma Prieta ElementaryLos GatosElementaryKG-05266·
Linscott CharterWatsonvilleElementaryKG-08259·
Santa Cruz Gardens ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-05232·
C. T. English MiddleLos GatosMiddle06-08167·
Pacific Coast CharterWatsonvilleOtherKG-12165·
Santa Cruz County Career Advancement CharterFreedomHigh12-12163·
Mountain ElementarySoquelElementaryKG-06160·
Tierra Pacifica CharterSanta CruzElementaryKG-08155·
Pacific ElementaryDavenportElementaryKG-06154·
PVUSD Virtual AcademyWatsonvilleOtherKG-12152·
Renaissance High ContinuationLa Selva BeachHigh09-12143·
Happy Valley ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-06120·
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-MonarchSanta CruzElementaryKG-05117·
Delta CharterAptosHigh09-12116·
Bonny Doon ElementarySanta CruzElementaryKG-06115·
Alternative Family EducationSanta CruzOtherKG-12108·
Santa Cruz County Special EducationSanta CruzOtherKG-12100·
Costanoa Continuation HighSanta CruzHigh09-1290·
Ocean Alternative Education CenterSanta CruzElementaryKG-0884·
Diamond Technology InstituteWatsonvilleHigh09-1283·
Santa Cruz County CourtSanta CruzHigh07-1265·
Ark Independent StudiesSanta CruzHigh06-1247·
New School Community DayWatsonvilleHigh09-1237·
Opal CliffsCapitolaElementaryKG-083·
Santa Cruz County ROPSanta CruzHigh10-120·
Duncan HolbertWatsonvilleNot reportedM -M ··
Ludlow PreschoolFeltonNot reportedM -M ··
Special Education PreschoolSanta CruzNot reportedM -M ··

Frequently asked

How many K-12 schools serve Santa Cruz County?
There are 83 public K-12 schools in Santa Cruz County, California, with a combined enrollment of about 37,059.
What is the mix of elementary, middle, and high schools in Santa Cruz County?
The county's public school system includes 41 elementary, 12 middle, 20 high, 7 combined-grade schools.
What is the largest school district in Santa Cruz County?
Pajaro Valley Unified is the largest school district in Santa Cruz County, serving approximately 16,075 students. The county contains 19 school districts overall.
What is the population of Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County, California has a population of approximately 264,926, with a median age of 40. About 18.4% of residents are under 18.
What is the median household income in Santa Cruz County?
Median household income in Santa Cruz County is $111,093, above the California average of $89,387. About 6.0% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
How educated are residents of Santa Cruz County?
Approximately 43.9% of adults 25 and older in Santa Cruz County hold a bachelor's degree or higher, according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of students in Santa Cruz County qualify for free or reduced lunch?
Roughly 51.9% of students in Santa Cruz 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 57.3%.
What is the student-teacher ratio in Santa Cruz County schools?
Across Santa Cruz County public schools, the enrollment-weighted student-teacher ratio is approximately 21.7 to 1.
What is the racial makeup of Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County residents are approximately 60% White, 35% Hispanic, 1% Black, 5% Asian, 16% two or more races according to the Census ACS 5-year estimate.
What share of housing in Santa Cruz County is owner-occupied?
Santa Cruz County has about 106,977 housing units, of which roughly 59.9% are owner-occupied.
DATA · Census ACS 5-year · NCES Common Core of Data