Santa Cruz City High

Santa Cruz, California — 9 schools

4,394
Total Enrollment
9
Schools
Per-Pupil Spending
High, Middle
School Types

District-Level NCES Analysis

Santa Cruz City High operates 9 public schools serving 4,394 students, placing it among the smaller districts in California. The school portfolio breaks down into 5 high, 2 middle, 2 other schools, giving families a clear picture of grade-band coverage before they move, rent, or enrol. Aggregated across those campuses, enrollment totals 4,455 pupils using the NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022-23 release, and the district is geographically located in Santa Cruz County County.

Academic infrastructure includes 4 of 9 schools offering Advanced Placement (35 AP courses district-wide), a 255.1:1 student-counselor ratio, above the 250:1 ASCA recommendation, and 41.7% chronic absenteeism from the 2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection. Demographically, the student body averages 45.2% White, 43.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian across the district's schools.

Santa Cruz High accounts for 24.5% of all Santa Cruz City High student enrollment

That concentration — well above the 8.4% national median for largest-entity share — means Santa Cruz City High-wide averages can mask substantial variation outside the dominant entity. Grade band: high. A single dominant campus often anchors a district's program offerings and staffing patterns; the share helps explain why district-wide averages may not reflect the typical neighbourhood-school experience. When one entity dominates a region's footprint, its programmatic and budget decisions effectively set policy for a majority of the affected population.

Source: NCES Common Core of Data NCES Common Core of Data

Santa Cruz City High school enrollment varies 20× across entities

Santa Cruz City High school enrollment ranges from 56 students (lowest) to 1,093 students (highest), a spread of 1,037 students. That spread reflects typical mixed-portfolio variation between specialty programs and large neighbourhood schools. 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

Santa Cruz City High student-counselor ratio is 255:1 — near the typical range (US average ~408) — within the typical range for U.S. public districts

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 Santa Cruz City High is typically wider than the Santa Cruz City High-aggregate figure suggests.

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection NCES Civil Rights Data Collection

Santa Cruz City High chronic absenteeism rate is 41.7% — high (typically associated with higher-than-average disruption; recent CRDC data showed elevated rates persisting after pandemic-era schooling changes)

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

Local Rent Costs

Fair Market Rents in Santa Cruz County county, where this district is located.

$3,179
Studio/mo
$3,298
1 BR/mo
$4,214
2 BR/mo
$5,377
3 BR/mo
$5,659
4 BR/mo

Student Demographics

Average demographic composition across 9 schools in Santa Cruz City High.

White 45.2%
Hispanic or Latino 43.2%
African American 1.1%
Asian 1.8%
Multiracial 8.2%

Source: NCES CCD School Membership 2024-25.

Programs & Resources

4 / 9
Schools with AP
35 AP courses total
255.1:1
Student-Counselor Ratio
41.7%
Chronically Absent

Source: NCES Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) 2021-22.

Schools in Santa Cruz City High

School Enrollment
Santa Cruz High
1,093
Soquel High
1,074
Harbor High
1,013
Mission Hill Middle
510
Branciforte Middle
409
Delta Charter
Charter
113
Alternative Family Education
110
Costanoa Continuation High
77
Ark Independent Studies
56

Nearby Districts in California

Top districts in the same state — compare side-by-side for enrollment, spending, and demographics.

Los Angeles Unified
427,795 students · 785 schools · $25,877/pupil
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San Diego Unified
93,893 students · 175 schools · $26,901/pupil
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Fresno Unified
69,668 students · 101 schools · $20,737/pupil
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Long Beach Unified
65,554 students · 84 schools · $19,558/pupil
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Elk Grove Unified
62,061 students · 67 schools · $16,975/pupil
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Compare Santa Cruz City High

See how this district compares to others in enrollment, spending, demographics, and academic resources.

Compare vs Los Angeles Unified →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many schools are in Santa Cruz City High?

Santa Cruz City High has 9 schools, including 5 high, 2 middle, 2 other. Total enrollment is 4,394 students.

What is the average rent near Santa Cruz City High?

The HUD Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in Santa Cruz County County is $N/A/month (2026). This affects housing affordability for families in the district.

What is the demographic composition of Santa Cruz City High?

Santa Cruz City High students are 45.2% White, 43.2% Hispanic or Latino, 1.8% Asian, 1.1% African American, averaged across 9 schools. Source: NCES CCD Membership 2024-25.

Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data

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