Enrollment
968
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Middle school (grades 6-8) · San Marcos, CA
San Marcos Middle
Federal NCES profile for San Marcos Middle, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 28/100.
2024-25 NCES dataMiddle school (grades 6-8)NCES 063488005894
👥 S:T ratio 14
🌟 Gifted program 70
🎓 Counselors 3
📋 Attendance 26
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
San Marcos Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median.
- #4 of 4
- middle schools in San Marcos · Resource Index
- 28
- Resource Index · Lower
- 21.5:1
- students per teacher
- 60.8%
- free-lunch eligible
San Marcos Middle has class sizes near the California median. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, San Marcos Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle schools in San Marcos, CA.
School address
District: San Marcos Unified · California
NCES ID 063488005894 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
45.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
21.5:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+0% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
60.8%
vs 55.5% California avg
+10% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How San Marcos Middle compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at San Marcos Middle
San Marcos Middle is a higher-need, large middle school in San Marcos, California, enrolling 968 students.
At 21.5:1, its student-teacher ratio sits close to the California median, within a few percentage points of the 21.5:1 state norm, neither notably crowded nor notably small.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 60.8% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
Enrollment of 968 puts it in the larger third of California schools by headcount.
Its Resource Investment Index sits near the middle of the pack among 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 972 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks in the upper tier at #348.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (72%) and White (15%) (diversity index 45/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 484 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
Chronic absenteeism is elevated: 29.8% of students missed 10% or more of school days (2021-22 Civil Rights Data Collection).
Among San Marcos's middle schools, it stands alongside San Elijo Middle (1,395 students): San Marcos Middle is smaller than that campus by headcount and runs leaner classes (21.5:1 vs 23.6:1).
San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students) and Mission Hills High (2,751 students) alongside San Marcos Middle.
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 Middle compares
San Marcos Middle on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 21.5:1 | ▼ 0% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 60.8% | ▲ 10% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 968 | top 12% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
21.5:1
Leaner classes than 12% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
968
Bigger than 91% of US schools by enrollment, a large campus nationally.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
60.8%
free-lunch eligible
- 10% above the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
21.5:1
students per teacher
- 0% above state mean
Top 48% in California - lower ratio than 52% of state schools
Above 20:1, running heavier than the typical U.S. public school; staffing is comparatively stretched.
Engagement
29.8%
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
Counselors2.0 FTE
Per 484 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
51
in-school suspensions + 40 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 5.3 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 9.4 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 72.2%
White 14.9%
Asian 6.8%
Two or More 4.8%
African American 1.3%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 72.2% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 44.9/100
Simpson diversity index - at 44.9, San Marcos Middle is about as mixed as the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Gifted & talented Yes
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for San Marcos Unified, which includes San Marcos Middle.
$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 Middle Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Mission Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| San Elijo Middle | Larger | Lower economic need | Higher S:T ratio |
| Woodland Park Middle | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
| Double Peak | Similar size | Lower economic need | Similar S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to San Marcos Middle's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 3,067
- Students per teacher
- 24.5:1
- Resource Index
- 36/100
- 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
Similar middle schools in San Marcos
3 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 (~968 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~21.5:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on San Marcos Middle's federal record.
- Compare San Marcos Middle 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 Middle
How many students attend San Marcos Middle?
San Marcos Middle has 968 students enrolled. It is a middle school in San Marcos, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at San Marcos Middle?
The student-teacher ratio at San Marcos Middle is 21.5:1, which is 0% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 37% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at San Marcos Middle?
60.8% of students at San Marcos Middle are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of San Marcos Middle?
The largest demographic group at San Marcos Middle is Hispanic or Latino at 72.2% of enrollment, in San Marcos, CA.
What is the Resource Investment Index for San Marcos Middle?
San Marcos Middle has a Resource Investment Index of 28/100 (lower 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 San Marcos Middle rank among middle schools in San Marcos?
By Resource Investment Index, San Marcos Middle ranks #4 of 4 middle 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 middle schools in San Marcos on the city page.
Is San Marcos Middle a good school?
San Marcos Middle earns 28/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes near the California median. 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 Middle, San Marcos Unified also operates San Marcos High (3,067 students), Mission Hills High (2,751 students), and San Elijo Middle (1,395 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.