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 Jose, California - 42 schools
An equity score of 42/100 ranks San Jose Unified #959 of 1517 districts in California (state average 50). Derived live from how evenly resources are distributed across the district's schools.
At $16,122 per pupil, San Jose Unified ranks #707 of 1862 California districts by per-pupil spending (California districts). NCES F-33 finance data.
San Jose Unified operates 42 public schools serving 25,451 students, placing it in the mid-size range in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 27 elementary, 8 high, 6 middle, 1 combined schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage 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 Santa Clara County.
Per-pupil expenditure runs $16,122 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 67.7% local, 23.6% state, and 8.7% 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 42/100, ranked #959 of 1517 in California against a state average of 50, notably less even than the typical district in the state for how evenly funding reaches its schools.
Academic infrastructure includes 6 of 42 schools offering Advanced Placement (100 AP courses district-wide), a 306.6:1 student-counselor ratio, somewhat above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 32.9% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 58.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% White, 14.5% Asian across the district's schools. Its most demographically mixed campus is Hammer Montessori at Galarza Elementary, with a diversity index of 76.2/100.
Its largest campus is Abraham Lincoln High, enrolling 1,590 students (7% of the district's total enrollment). Its smallest is Middle College High, at 15 students, a 106x enrollment spread across the district's campuses.
San Jose Unified school enrollment ranges from 15 students (lowest) to 1,590 students (highest), a spread of 1,575 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 Jose Unified is typically wider than the San Jose 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 42 schools in San Jose Unified.
Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.
Average Simpson diversity index across San Jose 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chino Valley Unified | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| West Contra Costa Unified | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Orange Unified | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
| Manteca Unified | Similar size | Lower spending | Less locally funded |
| Desert Sands Unified | Similar size | Similar spending | Less locally funded |
Comparisons are relative to San Jose 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 Jose Unified has 42 schools, including 8 high, 6 middle, 27 elementary, 1 combined. Total enrollment is 25,451 students.
San Jose Unified spends $16,122 per student. The district has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #959 in California.
San Jose Unified students are 58.8% Hispanic or Latino, 17.1% White, 14.5% Asian, 2.3% African American, averaged across 42 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.
San Jose Unified has an equity score of 42/100, ranking #959 out of 1517 districts in California.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.