San Marcos Senior High

San Marcos Senior High is one of the substantial 9-12 campuss in Santa Barbara, California, part of Santa Barbara Unified, with 1,926 students on its rolls from grades 9 through 12. That puts it 130% larger than the typical public school in California, which averages around 838 students.

Santa Barbara Unified comprises 20 schools with combined enrollment of 12,247 students; San Marcos Senior High is among them.

In terms of who attends, San Marcos Senior High lists that the largest single group is Hispanic, at 60% of enrollment; the rest breaks down as 32% White, 4% multiracial, 2% Asian. That is meaningfully more Hispanic than the county at large, where the share is closer to 48%.

In terms of school funding signals, On paper, San Marcos Senior High has 91 full-time-equivalent teachers, translating to a class-load average of around 21.2:1. Statewide, the average ratio sits near 18.2:1, putting San Marcos Senior High higher than the state norm the norm. About 58% of enrolled students meet the income threshold for free or reduced-price lunch, a commonly cited indicator of low-income enrollment. By comparison, Santa Barbara County runs at roughly 68%, so the school's eligibility rate is meaningfully below the surrounding baseline.

On a demographically-adjusted basis, San Marcos Senior High sits in the middle band of the BeatsExpectations distribution. Schools with this campus's student mix typically land near 44.9%; this one delivers 41.3%.

In the area at large, Santa Barbara County reports that median household income runs about $98,161, roughly 37% of adults have completed at least a four-year degree, and the poverty rate sits near 9%. Across Santa Barbara County's 129 public schools (combined enrollment of about 66,191 students), San Marcos Senior High is one campus in the mix.

Nearest neighbor: Hollister Elementary, around 0.6 miles off. Within five miles, there are 8 other public schools. Ranking that nearby cluster on reported proficiency puts San Marcos Senior High at 5th of 6; the average score across the group is 60.2%.

The campus sits in a commuter-belt setting.

Five-year trend. Over the past 7-year window, the student count declined 8%: 2,100 students in 2018 compared to 1,926 in 2025. The White share of enrollment declined from 39% to 32% over that span. The student-to-teacher ratio fell from 22.7:1 in 2018 to 21.2:1 today.

Within the allk12 community for this school, the page collects discussion, questions, and updates around school events, parent volunteer needs, and clubs. The community welcomes input from current and former families.