Total enrollment
10,678
-148 (-1%) vs SY 2020-21
16 schools in Carlsbad Unified
California · 10,678 students · 1 city
Carlsbad Unified's public schools total 16 across the district, with enrollment of about 10,678 and an average school size near 667.
4-year change in Carlsbad Unified
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
16
0 (0%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Carlsbad Unified ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In California | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 67.1% | #59 of 534 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 10,678 | #137 of 587 | #851 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 16 | #130 of 587 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 22.7:1 | #422 of 587 | #8,798 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 30.2% | #492 of 587 | #6,601 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 60.6% | #190 of 530 | #1,571 of 6,853 |
Districts need at least 2 schools and 500 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.
Inside Carlsbad Unified
State test results across the district's 14 scored schools run from Pacific Rim Elementary at 86.4% proficient to Jefferson Elementary at 50.2%, a gap of 36.2 points. That is the 166th widest gap among 458 California districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 16 district schools that reported both years went from 11,296 to 10,678 students (down 5%) and from 440 to 471 full-time teachers (up 7%), as of 2024-25.
Proficient is the average share of students meeting the state standard across each school's state tests in 2023-24 and 2024-25; schools with fewer than 100 students and schools serving specialized populations are left out. Staffing figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data and count only schools that reported students and teachers in both years.
| Name | City | Level | Grades | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad High | Carlsbad | High | 09-12 | 2,336 |
| Sage Creek High | Carlsbad | High | 09-12 | 1,289 |
| Aviara Oaks Middle | Carlsbad | Middle | 06-08 | 991 |
| Valley Middle | Carlsbad | Middle | 06-08 | 807 |
| Hope Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 659 |
| Calavera Hills Middle | Carlsbad | Middle | 06-08 | 655 |
| Pacific Rim Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 642 |
| Aviara Oaks Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 612 |
| Magnolia Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 488 |
| Poinsettia Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 481 |
| Jefferson Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 471 |
| Kelly Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 449 |
| Calavera Hills Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 441 |
| Buena Vista Elementary | Carlsbad | Elementary | KG-05 | 281 |
| Carlsbad Seaside Academy | Carlsbad | Combined | KG-12 | 38 |
| Carlsbad Village Academy | Carlsbad | High | 10-12 | 38 |
About Carlsbad Unified
Carlsbad Unified is a sparse public-school district in California. The district oversees 16 schools and hosts approximately 10,678 students.
For a sense of the school types, Carlsbad Unified covers 9 elementary, 3 middle, 3 high schools, and 1 combined or other.
On a per-school basis, Carlsbad Unified runs about 667 students per school, 15% higher than the state mean of roughly 578.
Five-year track record. Across the same 4-year window, public-school enrollment remained close to its prior level: 10,826 students in SY 2020-21 versus 10,678 in SY 2024-25.
Within the allk12 community for this area, the community for Carlsbad Unified discusses enrollment trends, district policy changes, and bus-route updates. Posts come from current and former families, staff, and alumni.