Total enrollment
12,247
-936 (-7%) vs SY 2020-21
21 schools in Santa Barbara Unified
California · 12,247 students · 2 cities
Santa Barbara Unified has 21 public K-12 schools on the books today, teaching approximately 12,247 California students across 11 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high.
4-year change in Santa Barbara Unified
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25School count
20
+1 (+5%) vs SY 2020-21
Source: NCES Common Core of Data, enrollment-weighted demographic averages
How Santa Barbara Unified ranks
Among districts| Measure | This district | In California | In the US |
|---|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 44.8% | #210 of 534 | N/A |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 12,247 | #122 of 587 | #721 of 9,234 |
| Number of schools ranked most first | 20 | #106 of 587 | N/A |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 18.9:1 | #77 of 587 | #8,085 of 9,044 |
| Free or reduced-price lunch share ranked highest first | 58.5% | #334 of 587 | #3,023 of 8,164 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 54.8% | #267 of 530 | #2,355 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 Santa Barbara Unified
State test results across the district's 17 scored schools run from La Colina Junior High at 63.6% proficient to McKinley Elementary at 20.1%, a gap of 43.4 points. That is the 104th widest gap among 458 California districts with four or more scored schools.
Since 2017-18, the 20 district schools that reported both years went from 13,929 to 12,247 students (down 12%) and from 587 to 650 full-time teachers (up 11%), 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.
About Santa Barbara Unified
Santa Barbara Unified maintains 21 public schools across California, collectively serveing roughly 12,247 students.
Looking at the level breakdown, Santa Barbara Unified spans 11 elementary, 5 middle, and 5 high schools.
Trend over the past 4 years. Total public-school enrollment in Santa Barbara Unified has contracted 7% since SY 2020-21, moving from about 13,183 students to 12,247. Santa Barbara Unified now counts 20 public schools, up from 19 in SY 2020-21.
In the discussion threads here, the community for Santa Barbara Unified discusses school events, board meetings, and seasonal calendars. Discussions cut across districts, schools, and grade levels.