Enrollment
3,067
California · 2024-25 NCES data
High school (grades 9-12) · San Marcos, CA
San Marcos High
Federal NCES profile for San Marcos High, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 49/100.
2024-25 NCES dataHigh school (grades 9-12)NCES 063488005893
👥 S:T ratio 2
📚 AP courses 100
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 32
📋 Attendance 41
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Marcos High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California.
- #4 of 5
- high schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 49
- Resource Index · Higher
- 24.5:1
- large classes for California
- 32.7%
- free-lunch eligible
San Marcos High has class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Marcos High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488005893 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
125.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
24.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+14% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
32.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-41% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Marcos High compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Marcos High
San Marcos High is a large high school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 3,067 students.
Class loads run somewhat heavier than typical: 24.5:1 puts it in the larger third of California schools by student-teacher ratio.
Economic need runs somewhat below the state's typical profile, with 32.7% of students eligible for free meals.
By headcount it is one of the larger campuses in California, bigger than 99% of state schools at 3,067 students.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the upper third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 152 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #49.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (42%) and White (42%) (diversity index 64/100).
On the academic-pipeline side it reports 24 Advanced Placement courses.
Counselor availability sits well past the ASCA benchmark, roughly 341 students sharing each counselor, though short of the most stretched campuses.
Attendance runs somewhat below the norm, with 23.6% of students chronically absent per the 2021-22 civil-rights collection.
Among San Marcos's high schools, it stands alongside Mission Hills High (2,751 students): San Marcos High is larger than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (24.5:1 vs 25.7:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates Mission Hills High (2,751 students) and San Elijo Middle (1,395 students) alongside San Marcos High.
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 San Marcos High compares
San Marcos High on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 24.5:1 | ▲ 14% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 32.7% | ▼ 41% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 3,067 | top 1% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
24.5:1
Leaner classes than 6% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
3,067
Bigger than 99% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
32.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 41% below the California average of 55.5%
Below the 40% Title I threshold; federal aid targets individual qualifying students rather than schoolwide programs.
Staffing depth
24.5:1
students per teacher
- 14% above state mean
Top 76% in California - lower ratio than 24% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
23.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
At or above 20%, the commonly used threshold for "high" chronic absenteeism, signaling significant barriers to regular attendance.
Funding equity
$13,965
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
Counselors9.0 FTE
Per 341 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
0
in-school suspensions + 192 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.0 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 6.3 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
Hispanic or Latino 42.0%
White 41.8%
Asian 7.5%
Two or More 7.0%
African American 1.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 42.0% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 63.8/100
Simpson diversity index - at 63.8, San Marcos High is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
AP courses offered 24
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes San Marcos High.
$13,965
Per student
-15%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-16%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 36.7%
State 52.8%
Federal 10.5%
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 San Marcos High Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission Hills High | Similar size | Higher economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Smaller | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Smaller | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Marcos Middle | Smaller | Higher economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Marcos High's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,751
- Students per teacher
- 25.7:1
- Resource Index
- 44/100
- Enrollment
- 1,395
- Students per teacher
- 23.6:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
- Enrollment
- 1,184
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 32/100
- Enrollment
- 1,171
- Students per teacher
- 21.7:1
- Resource Index
- 29/100
- Enrollment
- 968
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
Similar high schools in San Marcos
4 comparable high schools (grades 9-12) serving the same city.
Mission Hills High
Standard public school
2,751 students 25.7:1 students per teacher
High Tech High North County
Standard public school
409 students 20.4:1 students per teacher
Twin Oaks High
Alternative education program
192 students 9.6:1 students per teacher
Foothills High
Alternative education program
101 students 20.2:1 students per teacher
Similar high 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 (~3,067 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~24.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Marcos High's federal record.
- Compare San Marcos High against another school. Compare schools
- San Marcos 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 San Marcos High
How many students attend San Marcos High?
San Marcos High has 3,067 students enrolled. It is a high school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Marcos High?
The student-teacher ratio at San Marcos High is 24.5:1, which is 14% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 56% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Marcos High?
32.7% of students at San Marcos High are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Marcos High?
The largest demographic group at San Marcos High is Hispanic or Latino at 42.0% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 63.8/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Marcos High?
San Marcos High has a Resource Investment Index of 49/100 (higher reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 5 factors: student-teacher ratio, AP course offerings, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does San Marcos High rank among high schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, San Marcos High ranks #4 of 5 high schools in San Marcos, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all high schools in San Marcos on the city page.
Is San Marcos High a good school?
San Marcos High earns 49/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 76% of California schools. It is also one of the largest schools in California. 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 San Marcos Unified?
Besides San Marcos High, San Marcos Unified also operates Mission Hills High (2,751 students), San Elijo Middle (1,395 students), and Woodland Park Middle (1,184 students). See the San Marcos Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
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.