Public schools in San Marcos, CA
San Marcos has 22 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 5 high, 4 middle, 11 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 18,294 students. They are run by 7 districts and agencies; San Marcos Unified runs 16 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 7 districts and agencies that run San Marcos's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in San Marcos | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos Unified | 16 | 19,532 | $14,622 |
| High Tech Elementary North County District | 1 | 442 | $11,753 |
| High Tech High North County District | 1 | 418 | $12,849 |
| High Tech Middle North County District | 1 | 336 | $11,122 |
| Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego District | 1 | 199 | $15,231 |
| Pivot Charter School - San Diego II District | 1 | 83 | $16,916 |
| San Diego County Office of Education | 1 | 1,036 | not reported |
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 San Marcos, 6,520 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | 3,067 | 25.3 | 28.4% | San Marcos Unified |
| Mission Hills High | 2,751 | 24.8 | 37.8% | San Marcos Unified |
| High Tech High North County | 409 | 19.5 | 34.5% | High Tech High North County District |
| Twin Oaks High | 192 | 10.0 | 54.2% | San Marcos Unified |
| Foothills High | 101 | 20.2 | 47.5% | San Marcos 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.
4 middle schools in San Marcos, 3,888 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Elijo Middle | 1,395 | 23.2 | 16.2% | San Marcos Unified |
| Woodland Park Middle | 1,184 | 22.8 | 35.2% | San Marcos Unified |
| San Marcos Middle | 968 | 24.2 | 52.4% | San Marcos Unified |
| High Tech Middle North County | 341 | 16.3 | 41.1% | High Tech Middle North County 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.
11 elementary schools in San Marcos, 7,750 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Double Peak | 1,171 | 23.1 | 17.2% | San Marcos Unified |
| Richland Elementary | 883 | 23.8 | 24.6% | San Marcos Unified |
| La Mirada Academy | 868 | 23.3 | 66.4% | San Marcos Unified |
| San Elijo Elementary | 834 | 22.2 | 14.0% | San Marcos Unified |
| Paloma Elementary | 758 | 22.3 | 28.2% | San Marcos Unified |
| Knob Hill Elementary | 725 | 23.8 | 29.9% | San Marcos Unified |
| Discovery Elementary | 717 | 26.1 | 15.3% | San Marcos Unified |
| Twin Oaks Elementary | 648 | 20.9 | 40.6% | San Marcos Unified |
| San Marcos Elementary | 546 | 22.8 | 77.1% | San Marcos Unified |
| High Tech Elementary North County | 438 | 24.3 | 43.8% | High Tech Elementary North County District |
One more elementary school
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego | 162 | 17.9 | 50.0% | Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego 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.
2 other schools in San Marcos, 136 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pivot Charter School - San Diego II | 90 | 10.6 | 41.1% | Pivot Charter School - San Diego II District |
| North Coastal Consortium Schools | 46 | 7.7 | 37.0% | San Diego County Office 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 San Marcos's public schools compare with California's
The median San Marcos school has 22.8 students per full-time teacher, more than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 721 students (state 471).
| San Marcos | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 22.8 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 721 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 37% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 23% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 22 San Marcos 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 Marcos
- San Marcos UnifiedRuns 16 of San Marcos's 22 public schools and spent $14,622 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$14,622
- San Marcos High, the largest high school in San Marcos3,067 students in 2024-25, 25.3 per teacher.3,067
- Compare San Marcos Unified with High Tech Elementary North County DistrictSan Marcos'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 Marcos 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 Marcos
How many public schools are in San Marcos, CA?
22 public schools with an address in San Marcos were open in 2024-25: 5 high, 4 middle, 11 elementary, 2 other, enrolling 18,294 students. 5 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in San Marcos?
San Marcos High, with 3,067 students in 2024-25 (San Marcos Unified).Which districts run San Marcos's schools?
San Marcos Unified (16 schools), High Tech Elementary North County District (1 school), High Tech High North County District (1 school), High Tech Middle North County District (1 school), and 3 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