Public schools in Vista, CA
Vista has 26 public schools with a 2024-25 address in the city: 6 high, 2 middle, 14 elementary, 4 other, enrolling 15,137 students. They are run by 9 districts and agencies; Vista Unified runs 18 of them.
NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25: schools open that year with enrollment · method
The 9 districts and agencies that run Vista's public schools
Each district decides who can enroll where; its page holds its schools, spending and teachers.
| District | Schools in Vista | District students, fall 2022 | Spending per student, FY23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Unified | 18 | 18,818 | $17,624 |
| Guajome Park Academy | 1 | 1,346 | $16,027 |
| Classical Academy Vista District | 1 | 573 | $13,038 |
| San Marcos Unified | 1 | 19,532 | $14,622 |
| Bella Mente Montessori Academy | 1 | 398 | $16,116 |
| National University Academy Dual Language Institute District | 1 | 240 | $15,163 |
| Vista Springs Charter District | 1 | 246 | $14,341 |
| North County Trade Tech High District | 1 | 173 | $21,127 |
| Guajome Learning Center District | 1 | 55 | $16,182 |
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 Vista, 4,183 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rancho Buena Vista High | 1,949 | 19.0 | 54.6% | Vista Unified |
| Vista High | 1,746 | 16.6 | 72.7% | Vista Unified |
| Major General Raymond Murray High | 146 | 10.4 | 82.2% | Vista Unified |
| North County Trade Tech High | 145 | 11.4 | 68.3% | North County Trade Tech High District |
| Vista Adult Transition Center | 107 | 12.6 | 53.3% | Vista Unified |
| Alta Vista High (Continuation) | 90 | 9.7 | 90.0% | Vista 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.
2 middle schools in Vista, 1,670 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vista Magnet Middle School of Technology Science and Math | 836 | 19.8 | 56.8% | Vista Unified |
| Vista Innovation and Design Academy | 834 | 19.1 | 41.7% | Vista 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.
14 elementary schools in Vista, 7,549 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casita Center for Science/Math/Technology | 744 | 26.6 | 28.0% | Vista Unified |
| Breeze Hill Elementary | 742 | 25.2 | 55.8% | Vista Unified |
| Vista Academy of Visual and Performing Arts | 740 | 24.7 | 68.6% | Vista Unified |
| Grapevine Elementary | 730 | 23.8 | 67.3% | Vista Unified |
| Classical Academy Vista | 651 | 23.2 | 26.1% | Classical Academy Vista District |
| Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary | 579 | 22.3 | 64.4% | San Marcos Unified |
| Bobier Elementary | 563 | 23.0 | 81.5% | Vista Unified |
| Monte Vista Elementary | 556 | 24.2 | 45.0% | Vista Unified |
| Foothill Oak Elementary | 556 | 25.3 | 80.6% | Vista Unified |
| Hannalei Elementary | 480 | 21.8 | 63.5% | Vista Unified |
The other 4 elementary schools
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland Elementary | 466 | 23.3 | 86.3% | Vista Unified |
| Bella Mente Montessori Academy | 424 | 19.3 | 54.2% | Bella Mente Montessori Academy |
| Dual Language Immersion North County | 276 | 17.4 | 40.6% | National University Academy Dual Language Institute District |
| California Avenue Elementary | 42 | 11.7 | 64.3% | Vista 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 other schools in Vista, 1,735 students
| School | Students 2024‑25 | Per teacher | Free lunch | District |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guajome Park Academy Charter | 1,355 | 18.7 | 61.8% | Guajome Park Academy |
| Vista Springs Charter | 251 | 23.7 | 61.8% | Vista Springs Charter District |
| Vista Visions Academy | 68 | 15.6 | 60.3% | Vista Unified |
| Guajome Learning Center | 61 | 16.3 | 50.8% | Guajome Learning Center 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 Vista's public schools compare with California's
The median Vista school has 19.6 students per full-time teacher, fewer than the California median of 21.6. Its median school enrolls 556 students (state 471).
| Vista | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Median students per teacher | 19.6 | 21.6 |
| Median school size (students) | 556 | 471 |
| Schools with a schoolwide Title I program (2021-22) | not reported | not reported |
| Schools where every student eats free (CEP) | 100% | 74% |
| Charter schools | 27% | 13% |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data 2024-25 (membership, staff, lunch program, charter status; the 26 Vista 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 Vista
- Vista UnifiedRuns 18 of Vista's 26 public schools and spent $17,624 per student in fiscal year 2022-23.$17,624
- Rancho Buena Vista High, the largest high school in Vista1,949 students in 2024-25, 19.0 per teacher.1,949
- Compare Vista Unified with Guajome Park AcademyVista'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 Vista 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 Vista
How many public schools are in Vista, CA?
26 public schools with an address in Vista were open in 2024-25: 6 high, 2 middle, 14 elementary, 4 other, enrolling 15,137 students. 7 are charter schools.What is the largest high school in Vista?
Rancho Buena Vista High, with 1,949 students in 2024-25 (Vista Unified).Which districts run Vista's schools?
Vista Unified (18 schools), Guajome Park Academy (1 school), Classical Academy Vista District (1 school), San Marcos Unified (1 school), and 5 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