Enrollment
1,153
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
Federal NCES profile for Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 34/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063386002404
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 0
📋 Attendance 68
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools.
- #6 of 8
- public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita · Resource Index
- 34
- Resource Index · Typical
- 25.6:1
- large classes for California
- 23.5%
- free-lunch eligible
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
School address
District: Saddleback Valley Unified · California
NCES ID 063386002404 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
25.6:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+19% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
23.5%
vs 55.5% California avg
-58% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is a large middle school in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, enrolling 1,153 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 25.6:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Comparatively few students face economic hardship here, 23.5% free-meal eligibility runs 58% below the California average.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 91% of state schools at 1,153 students.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 627 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #322.
Its student body is led by White (46%) and Hispanic or Latino (26%), more mixed than most schools in the state (diversity index 69/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 577 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
12.9% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Rancho Santa Margarita's middle schools, it stands alongside Arroyo Vista Middle (329 students): Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (25.6:1 vs 25.3:1).
Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students) and El Toro High (1,902 students) alongside Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate compares
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 25.6:1 | ▲ 19% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 23.5% | ▼ 58% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 1,153 | top 9% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
25.6:1
Leaner classes than 4% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
1,153
Bigger than 93% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
23.5%
free-lunch eligible
- 58% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold, among the lower-need profiles in the state; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
25.6:1
students per teacher
- 19% above state mean
Top 83% in California - lower ratio than 17% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
12.9%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 10-15% range, above the pre-pandemic national baseline but within the broader post-pandemic picture.
Funding equity
$13,733
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 577 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
38
in-school suspensions + 19 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 3.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 4.9 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
White 45.9%
Hispanic or Latino 26.2%
Asian 15.6%
Two or More 10.7%
African American 1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.4%
Largest group: White at 45.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 68.5/100
Simpson diversity index - at 68.5, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Saddleback Valley Unified, which includes Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate.
$13,733
Per student
-17%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-17%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 62.6%
State 29.5%
Federal 7.9%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trabuco Hills High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| El Toro High | Larger | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Mission Viejo High | Larger | Similar economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Laguna Hills High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Foothill Ranch Elementary | Similar size | Similar economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,475
- Students per teacher
- 22.3:1
- Resource Index
- 38/100
- Enrollment
- 1,902
- Students per teacher
- 21.6:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,566
- Students per teacher
- 20.9:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,317
- Students per teacher
- 20.3:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
- Enrollment
- 990
- Students per teacher
- 24.8:1
- Resource Index
- 43/100
Similar middle schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
1 comparable middle schools (grades 6-8) serving the same city.
Similar middle schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~1,153 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~25.6:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate's federal record.
- Compare Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate against another school. Compare schools
- Saddleback Valley Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate
How many students attend Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has 1,153 students enrolled. It is a middle school in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?
The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is 25.6:1, which is 19% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 63% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?
23.5% of students at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?
The largest demographic group at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is White at 45.9% of enrollment, in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 68.5/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has a Resource Investment Index of 34/100 (typical reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate rank among public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
By Resource Investment Index, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate ranks #6 of 8 public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita on the city page.
Is Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate a good school?
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate earns 34/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 83% of California schools. It is also more racially and ethnically mixed than most California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Saddleback Valley Unified?
Besides Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate, Saddleback Valley Unified also operates Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), El Toro High (1,902 students), and Mission Viejo High (1,566 students). See the Saddleback Valley Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Compare schools
Side-by-side comparison tool
Schools in California
All public schools in California
Saddleback Valley Unified
All schools in this district
Schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
All schools in this city
School districts
Ranked by enrollment & spending
Rankings
Best schools by state & type
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. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.