Public schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA
San Juan Capistrano has 13 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 6 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 9,765 students. They are run by 4 districts and agencies; Capistrano Unified runs 10 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 4 districts and agencies that run San Juan Capistrano's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in San Juan Capistrano | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capistrano Unified | 10 | 41,855 | $15,820 |
| California Connections Academy Southern California District | 1 | 5,141 | $11,334 |
| Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District | 1 | 115 | $23,270 |
| OCASA College Prep District | 1 | 99 | $13,495 |
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.
6 high schools in San Juan Capistrano, 3,222 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Hills High | 2,641 | 23.2 | 29.6% | Capistrano Unified |
| California Preparatory Academy | 198 | 22.9 | 17.2% | Capistrano Unified |
| Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano | 185 | 20.5 | 43.2% | Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District |
| Capistrano Union High | 103 | 8.6 | 76.7% | Capistrano Unified |
| OCASA College Prep | 83 | 11.9 | 33.7% | OCASA College Prep District |
| Bridges Community Day | 12 | 3.8 | 25.0% | Capistrano 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 San Juan Capistrano, 930 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Forster Middle | 930 | 20.4 | 66.2% | Capistrano 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 elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano, 1,680 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Elementary | 662 | 26.5 | 65.1% | Capistrano Unified |
| Harold Ambuehl Elementary | 324 | 23.2 | 32.1% | Capistrano Unified |
| Del Obispo Elementary | 310 | 20.7 | 57.7% | Capistrano Unified |
| Kinoshita Elementary | 302 | 22.4 | 88.4% | Capistrano Unified |
| Capistrano Home/Virtual | 82 | 17.4 | 24.4% | Capistrano 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 other school in San Juan Capistrano, 3,933 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Connections Academy Southern California | 3,933 | 22.7 | 50.5% | California Connections Academy Southern California District |
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 San Juan Capistrano's public schools compare with California's
The median San Juan Capistrano school has 20.7 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 302 students (state 471).
| San Juan Capistrano | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 20.7 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 302 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 63% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 23% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 13 San Juan Capistrano 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 San Juan Capistrano
- Capistrano UnifiedRuns 10 of San Juan Capistrano's 13 public schools and spent $15,820 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$15,820
- San Juan Hills High, the largest high school in San Juan Capistrano2,641 students in 2024-25, 23.2 per teacher.2,641
- Compare Capistrano Unified with California Connections Academy Southern California DistrictSan Juan Capistrano'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 San Juan Capistrano 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 San Juan Capistrano
How many public schools are in San Juan Capistrano, CA?
13 public schools with an address in San Juan Capistrano were open in 2024-25: 6 high, 1 middle, 5 elementary, 1 other, enrolling 9,765 students. 3 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in San Juan Capistrano?
San Juan Hills High, with 2,641 students in 2024-25 (Capistrano Unified).Which districts run San Juan Capistrano's schools?
Capistrano Unified (10 schools), California Connections Academy Southern California District (1 school), Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District (1 school), OCASA College Prep District (1 school). 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