Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. District totals are aggregated directly from the schools reporting under this district in the source records. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.
San Diego, California - 175 schools
An equity score of 53/100 ranks San Diego Unified #681 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $18,665 per pupil, San Diego Unified ranks #324 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
San Diego Unified operates 175 public schools serving 93,893 students, placing it among the largest districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 119 elementary, 23 high, 23 middle, 10 combined schools, giving families in a major system a clear picture of grade-band coverage across a large portfolio before they move, rent, or enrol. These enrollment and school figures come from the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2024-25 release, and the district is based in San Diego County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $18,665 according to the NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey, in the upper half of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending. See how California compares in our national per-pupil spending analysis. The funding mix is 60.5% local, 25.1% state, and 14.4% federal, a local-revenue-heavy mix that leaves the district more exposed to property-tax swings and local ballot measures than state-funded peers. The district's equity score is 53/100, ranked #681 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, in line with the typical spread seen across the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 18 of 175 schools offering Advanced Placement (218 AP courses district-wide), a 323.9:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 39.6% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 47.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% White, 12.1% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Cubberley Elementary, with a diversity index of 76.8/100.
Its largest campus is Henry High, enrolling 2,485 students (3% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Alba, at 20 students, a 124x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
San Diego Unified school enrollment ranges from 20 students (lowest) to 2,485 students (highest), a spread of 2,465 students. That ratio is an extreme outlier spread — among the widest gaps observed anywhere in this dataset. Per-school staffing ratios, programme availability, and capital-renovation cycles often diverge inside the same district based on enrollment shape.
Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data
student-counselor ratio is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: the ratio counts FTE counselors against total enrollment, districts that contract intervention or social-emotional staff outside the counselor classification may be under-counted Variation between sub-units within San Diego Unified is typically wider than the San Diego Unified-aggregate figure suggests.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection
chronic absenteeism rate is the simplest comparative metric but it does not capture the full picture: a student is chronically absent if they miss ≥10% of enrolled days for any reason, illness, family obligations, or disengagement Higher values may reflect larger urban scale or recent resource constraints that have widened the gap.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22 NCES Civil Rights Data Collection 2021-22
This district has moderate funding equity. There may be room to improve funding diversity or resource allocation.
Average demographic composition across 175 schools in San Diego Unified.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across San Diego Unified's schools, above the California average of 46.0.
Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.
The California districts closest to this one in total enrollment.
| District | Enrollment | Spending | Funding Mix |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresno Unified | Smaller | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Long Beach Unified | Smaller | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Elk Grove Unified | Smaller | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| Corona-Norco Unified | Smaller | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| San Francisco Unified | Smaller | Higher spending | Similar funding mix |
Comparisons are relative to San Diego Unified's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data and the F-33 Finance Survey.
Top districts in the same state, compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.
See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.
Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →San Diego Unified has 175 schools, including 23 high, 10 combined, 23 middle, 119 elementary. Total enrollment is 93,893 students.
San Diego Unified spends $18,665 per student. The district has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #681 in California.
San Diego Unified students are 47.7% Hispanic or Latino, 22.5% White, 12.1% Asian, 7.5% African American, averaged across 175 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
San Diego Unified has an equity score of 53/100, ranking #681 out of 1517 districts in California.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.