Public schools in Costa Mesa, CA
Costa Mesa has 27 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 5 high, 1 middle, 16 elementary, 5 other, enrolling 11,898 students. They are run by 5 districts and agencies; Newport-Mesa Unified runs 21 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 5 districts and agencies that run Costa Mesa's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Costa Mesa | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newport-Mesa Unified | 21 | 17,816 | $22,948 |
| Orange County Department of Education | 3 | 2,323 | not reported |
| California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles District | 1 | 351 | $16,179 |
| California Pacific Charter - San Diego District | 1 | 245 | $17,576 |
| International School for Science and Culture District | 1 | 130 | $13,746 |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: school location city and operating agency; NCES F-33 fiscal year 2022-23: district fall membership and current spending per student. Schools on a city's edge can serve students from outside it.
5 high schools in Costa Mesa, 3,074 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costa Mesa High | 1,730 | 19.5 | 59.1% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Estancia High | 976 | 18.5 | 72.4% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Early College High | 177 | 14.9 | 50.8% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Back Bay High | 143 | 8.2 | 72.0% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Monte Vista High/Cloud Campus | 48 | 5.5 | 56.3% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
One middle school in Costa Mesa, 501 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles W. Tewinkle Middle | 501 | 15.3 | 68.3% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
16 elementary schools in Costa Mesa, 5,758 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maude B. Davis Elementary | 570 | 23.3 | 23.5% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Heinz Kaiser Elementary | 539 | 21.3 | 24.3% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Woodland Elementary | 487 | 21.7 | 16.2% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| College Park Elementary | 473 | 18.6 | 65.3% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Killybrooke Elementary | 473 | 18.2 | 57.5% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Whittier Elementary | 454 | 17.2 | 80.6% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| California Elementary | 373 | 17.4 | 31.4% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Paularino Elementary | 371 | 15.8 | 59.3% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Sonora Elementary | 367 | 18.9 | 63.2% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Everett A. Rea Elementary | 344 | 16.3 | 80.5% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
The other 6 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Elementary | 323 | 18.5 | 85.1% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Adams Elementary | 321 | 13.7 | 62.6% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Victoria Elementary | 301 | 14.5 | 46.8% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| Pomona Elementary | 264 | 16.8 | 84.1% | Newport-Mesa Unified |
| International School for Science and Culture | 97 | 19.4 | 34.0% | International School for Science and Culture District |
| Harper | 1 | not reported | not reported | Newport-Mesa Unified |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
5 other schools in Costa Mesa, 2,565 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCESS County Community | 1,315 | 19.7 | 79.2% | Orange County Department of Education |
| California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles | 423 | 10.6 | 60.8% | California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles District |
| Orange County Special Education | 331 | 7.0 | 45.0% | Orange County Department of Education |
| California Pacific Charter - San Diego | 310 | 7.7 | 62.9% | California Pacific Charter - San Diego District |
| ACCESS Juvenile Hall | 186 | 6.9 | 98.4% | Orange County Department of Education |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch); level from the directory. All free (CEP): every student eats free under the Community Eligibility Provision, so the school reports no free-lunch count.
How Costa Mesa's public schools compare with California's
The median Costa Mesa school has 17.0 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 367 students (state 471).
| Costa Mesa | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 17.0 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 367 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 76% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 11% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 27 Costa Mesa schools and the 9,918 California schools open that year with students); Title I status CCD 2021-22. Students per teacher counts 2024-25 teachers and ratios from 3 to 99.
What to look at next in Costa Mesa
- Newport-Mesa UnifiedRuns 21 of Costa Mesa's 27 public schools and spent $22,948 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$22,948
- Costa Mesa High, the largest high school in Costa Mesa1,730 students in 2024-25, 19.5 per teacher.1,730
- Compare Newport-Mesa Unified with Orange County Department of EducationCosta Mesa's two largest operators side by side: enrollment, spending and schools.
- The largest public schools in CaliforniaCalifornia's 50 largest schools open in 2024-25, by enrollment.
- Find the school district for a Costa Mesa addressA home's district, not its city, decides which public schools it can enroll in.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (schools and their operating agencies); NCES F-33 finance survey, fiscal year 2022-23 (spending per student).
Choosing among them: how to choose a school district with the federal data, and what a Title I school is.
Other cities in California
- Los Angeles564 schools
- San Diego283 schools
- San Jose232 schools
- Sacramento197 schools
- Fresno179 schools
- Bakersfield146 schools
- San Francisco123 schools
- Stockton122 schools
Questions about schools in Costa Mesa
How many public schools are in Costa Mesa, CA?
27 public schools with an address in Costa Mesa were open in 2024-25: 5 high, 1 middle, 16 elementary, 5 other, enrolling 11,898 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa High, with 1,730 students in 2024-25 (Newport-Mesa Unified).Which districts run Costa Mesa's schools?
Newport-Mesa Unified (21 schools), Orange County Department of Education (3 schools), California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles District (1 school), California Pacific Charter - San Diego District (1 school), and 1 more. A school's district, not its city, decides who can enroll.
These figures are for information and are not a substitute for the district's enrollment office, which confirms the school a home is assigned to.
Sources
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School directory, membership, staff and lunch files · 2024-25
Source: NCES Common Core of Data Public school search (the official record of each school) · 2024-25