9 public K-12 schools in Pacifica from NCES Common Core of Data: enrollment, grade span, demographics, and Civil Rights Data Collection statistics for every active campus.
9 public schools ranked by quality score. NCES CCD 2024-25 data.
The highest-ranked of Pacifica's 9 public schools is Terra Nova High, scoring 40/100, against a city average of 35.2/100. Computed live across every Pacifica campus reporting to NCES.
How the Pacifica Public-School Landscape Breaks Down
Pacifica, CA enrolls 3,851 students across 9 public schools reporting to the National Center for Education Statistics. The average student-teacher ratio across the city is 18.5:1, and the composite quality score, derived from student-teacher ratio, counselor access, gifted-program availability, and CRDC attendance data, averages 35.2/100. Schools must report at least five campuses in a city to appear in this listing, which is why very small towns may redirect to the broader county or state view.
The most-resourced campus in Pacifica on this index is Terra Nova High, at 40/100 on the Resource Investment Index with 740 enrolled students. What the index does and doesn't measure; click any school below for its full component breakdown.
Pacifica spans 2 districts, each filing its own NCES F-33 return, per-pupil spending can vary between neighbouring campuses. Sort the table below by enrollment, level, or district; click any school for its full profile.
Terra Nova High accounts for 19.2% of all Pacifica public-school enrollment
That concentration means Pacifica-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade level: High. A dominant campus often anchors a city's program landscape and absorbs a disproportionate share of district capital and staffing decisions. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.
Pacifica school enrollment varies 62× across entities
Pacifica school enrollment ranges from 12 students (lowest) to 740 students (highest), a spread of 728 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing, programme depth, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same city based on enrollment shape, a 200-student magnet runs a different operational model than a 2,000-student comprehensive high school.
Pacifica student-teacher ratio is 18.5:1 — high (typically associated with larger urban scale or staffing constraints that have widened the headcount gap)
student-teacher ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE classroom teachers against total enrollment, push-in specialists, English-language aides, special-education co-teachers, and counselors are not included in most reporting Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Most racially and ethnically mixed schools in Pacifica
Ranked by the Simpson student-body diversity index (0-100) from NCES race and ethnicity data, where higher means a more evenly mixed student body. It measures mix, not quality.
The highest-ranked school in Pacifica is Terra Nova High with a quality score of 40/100. There are 9 public schools in Pacifica with 3,851 total students.
How many schools are in Pacifica, CA? ▼
Pacifica has 9 public schools with a total enrollment of 3,851 students. Average student-teacher ratio: 18.5:1.
Data from NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 and Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22. Quality scores based on student-teacher ratio,
counselor access, gifted programs, and attendance. Schools must have 5+ in the city to be listed.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD). Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology, which explains how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
