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San Marcos High · San Marcos

San Marcos High: High scores, healthy climate, strong attendance. We looked for a catch — we didn't find one.

San Marcos posts 18.1% exceeding the standard — versus 15.8% statewide — with climate numbers better than most. That doesn't make it perfect. It makes it worth a visit to find what numbers can't measure.

1615 San Marcos Boulevard, 92078 (opens in new tab)·San Marcos Unified·San Marcos·Grades 9-12·3,067 students·32% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(760) 290-2200·Website
2019–2025 trend · CDE CAASPP
This schoolCA avg
Scope5544
% Exceeded18%16%
% Met+40%36%
Grad rate95.3%87.6%
College readiness74.3%35.4%
Absence18.8%30.2%
Suspension3.3%3.6%
Scope Score
55
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #535 statewide · #2 of 5 in San Marcos Unified

San Marcos High scores 55 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 75th percentile of 2,160 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).

Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →

🌱 Building Momentum — This label means the data doesn't clearly sort the school one way or the other — ask what the school is proud of, and what it's working on.

CDE CAASPP 2025

Most rating sites would stop at “40% proficient” and call it done. San Marcos deserves a closer read. The school sits in San Marcos, where one in four students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.

The headline number: 74.3% of students leave measurably college-ready, versus 35.4% statewide.

The seven-year arc

Percentile among 2,160 high schools statewide

Slipped from the 89th to the 75th percentile since 2019.

CA Dashboard
ELAOrange(Declined Significantly)MathYellow(Declined)

This school hasn't fully recovered from the pandemic: 40% meet the standard today, versus 57% in 2019 — a gap worth asking about on a visit.

ELA — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1170%59%62%53%49%
Math — % met or exceeded, by grade
Grade20192022202320242025
Grade 1143%33%36%30%31%

The story this school is actually telling

Proficient by 11th grade
40%
State 36%
Graduate
95%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
74%
State 35%

Of 100 students here: 40 are proficient by 11th grade → 95 graduate → 74 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.

The 7 things our score weighs

Graduation rate
95.3%
State 87.6%
7.7pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
18.1%
State 15.8%
2.3pp above state avg
College readiness
74.3%
State 35.4%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
39.9%
State 35.7%
4.1pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
18.8%
State 30.2%
11.4pp below state avg
Suspension rate
3.3%
State 3.6%
0.3pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
21.0%
State 18.0%
3.0pp above state avg
Worth a school visit

Ask what the school is working on next. Strong numbers tell you where a school is, not where it's going.

  • Ask whether the tour can step into a working classroom — watch how the teacher handles a student who's stuck.
  • Ask to tour while school's in session, and notice how hallways and transitions feel — culture shows up between classes, not just in them.
  • Ask how the school communicates with families when a child starts to struggle.
  • Ask what a typical day looks like for a new student in the first few weeks.

How every group of students does here

At San Marcos High in San Marcos, 35.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. San Marcos High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.2% Math proficient); White students (50.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 241 students tested.

All students at this school: 40% met or exceeded
All StudentsAll Students: this school 40%, district —, state 36%40%
FemaleFemale: this school 44%, district 54%, state 44%44% · +4 vs school
MaleMale: this school 35%, district 50%, state 42%35% · −4 vs school
WhiteWhite: this school 44%, district 66%, state 56%44% · +4 vs school
Hispanic/LatinoHispanic/Latino: this school 27%, district 34%, state 32%27% · −12 vs school
Socioeconomically DisadvantagedSocioeconomically Disadvantaged: this school 24%, district 31%, state 32%24% · −16 vs school
Students with DisabilitiesStudents with Disabilities: this school 10%, district 19%, state 15%10% · −30 vs school
Two or More RacesTwo or More Races: this school 54%, district 65%, state 56%54% · +14 vs school
AsianAsian: this school 69%, district 81%, state 72%69% · +29 vs school
English LearnersEnglish Learners: this school 10%, district 13%, state 11%10% · −30 vs school
HomelessHomeless: this school 25%, district 20%, state 22%25% · −15 vs school
Military-ConnectedMilitary-Connected: this school 44%, district 53%, state 46%44% · +4 vs school
FilipinoFilipino: too few students to report‹11
Black/African AmericanBlack/African American: too few students to report‹11
Pacific IslanderPacific Islander: too few students to report‹11
Foster YouthFoster Youth: too few students to report‹11
this school district, same group California, same group

Showing up, and staying in class

Chronic absenteeismChronic absenteeism: this school 18.8%, district 16.2%, state 30.2%18.8% · −11.4pp vs state
Suspension rateSuspension rate: this school 3.3%, district —, state 3.6%3.3% · −0.3pp vs state
Chronic absenteeism by grade band
Grades 9–1218.5%

Where the path goes

The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.

K-12 Feeder Path
▼
High School
San Marcos High
55/100
This school

Feeder patterns derived from NCES attendance boundary data. Boundaries are approximate and may have changed — verify with your school district for current assignments.

The people teaching here

Context — never part of the Scope Score
Student : teacherStudent to teacher ratio: this school 25:1, district 24:125:1
Teaching staff120 teachers
Avg. experience10.8 years
Fully credentialed84%
First-year teachers5%
Intern / emergency permit0.8%
Salary Schedule
Teacher salary schedule$56,139 – $124,763
Principal salary$157,825 – $188,091
Superintendent salary$333,925

Pay is set by the district, not the school.

Course Breadth
AP courses offered69
AP exam qualifiers410 students
CTE pathway completers141 students

What gets spent here

Per-pupil spendingPer-pupil spending: $15,556, CA average $14,815$15,556 · spent at this school
Federal share$309 per student

$309 per student arrives as federal Title funding — a measure of concentrated need, not school quality.

District current expense · FY 2024–25$17,110 per student

The district's current expense of education per student, from CDE's annual SACS filing — the freshest district spending figure the state publishes.

Where the district's dollars go · FY 2024–25 · CDE SACS
Instruction63%
Instruction support10%
Student services10%
Administration5%
Buildings & maintenance10%
Other2%

District-level, from the district's own SACS general-ledger filing — school-by-school breakdowns aren't published by the state.

district detail, 2016–2020 — the newest published
2020$13,048 per pupil
2019$12,040 per pupil
2018$11,775 per pupil
2017$11,157 per pupil
2016$10,669 per pupil

Source: NCES F-33 · Full district breakdown →

The neighborhood it serves

Hispanic42.0%
District 46.1% · CA 56.1%
White41.8%
District 36.6% · CA 19.9%
Other8.9%
District 10.3% · CA 9.0%
Asian6.0%
District 6.0% · CA 10.2%
Black1.3%
District 1.0% · CA 4.8%
Low IncomeFree/reduced lunch eligible 31.9% (32pp below CA avg)
Neighborhood — American Community Survey
Median income$120K · CA $85K
Median home value$942K · CA $659K
Bachelor's degree+49% · CA 35%
ZIP population53,605
Median age39 years

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level

Worth Knowing

At 3,067 students, this school is well above the typical California high school (≈1450).

On the state's science test (CAST), 39% met or exceeded the standard — science is tested in grades 5 and 8 but never enters the Scope Score.

Frequently asked questions

Is San Marcos High a good high school?

San Marcos High has a Scope Score of 55 out of 100, placing it in the 75th percentile of California high schools and ranked #535 statewide. 18.1% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 2.3 percentage points above the California average of 15.8%. The Scope Score weights 7 dimensions for high schools: graduation rate (25%), exceeded standard (22%), college/career readiness (20%), met or exceeded (proficient) (18%), chronic absenteeism (5%), suspension rate (5%), and ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.

What are San Marcos High's CAASPP test scores?

On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 39.9% of students at San Marcos High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 18.1% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.7% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 18.1% pushed past it. Most rating sites report only the combined "proficient" number. SchoolScope surfaces the exceeded-vs-met split because it reveals whether a school's curriculum challenges students beyond minimum proficiency or paces toward it. 1,451 student-subject combinations were assessed.

How does San Marcos High rank in California?

San Marcos High ranks #535 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 75th percentile. This ranking is based on a weighted composite of 2025 CAASPP test performance (exceeded and met rates), chronic absenteeism, and suspension rate. Unlike single-number ratings, the Scope Score shows what drives the ranking so parents can decide what matters most to their family. See full methodology.

What is the attendance and school culture like at San Marcos High?

18.8% of students at San Marcos High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 30.2%. The suspension rate is 3.3%. SchoolScope includes these culture metrics in the Scope Score because they reflect day-to-day school experience in ways test scores alone cannot.

How does San Marcos High compare to other schools in San Marcos?

San Marcos High scores 55/100 (75th percentile) among California high schools. To compare with nearby schools, SchoolScope shows the same metrics side by side: exceeded rate, proficiency, growth trajectory, and school culture indicators. The school serves 3,067 students. Use the schools in San Marcos page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.

How does San Marcos High serve low-income and underrepresented students?

At San Marcos High in San Marcos, 35.4% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 37.2% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. San Marcos High trails its district average for low-income students by 1.7 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (13.2% Math proficient); White students (50.3% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 39.6 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 241 students tested. SchoolScope shows disaggregated test scores by demographic subgroup so you can see how a school performs for your child's specific group — not just the school-wide average. Subgroup data is context, not part of the Scope Score: we don't penalize schools for who they serve. See our equity approach.

Your other options

All schools in San Marcos →

Private alternatives nearby

Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.

For the data nerds

Every number on this page

Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.

01Score factorsWeighted composite · 2024–25
Graduation rate · 25%
95.3%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 59th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
18.1%
↑ vs CA 15.8% · 52th pctile
College readiness · 20%
74.3%
↑ vs CA 35.4% · 73th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
39.9%
↑ vs CA 35.7% · 53th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
18.8%
↑ vs CA 30.2% · 59th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
3.3%
↑ vs CA 3.6% · 51th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
21.0%
↑ vs CA 18.0% · 58th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
ELATestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1172522%26%23%28%49%+2
MathTestedEXCMETNEARNOTMET++/CA
Grade 1172614%17%23%46%31%+7
Science (CAST)TestedEXCMETNEARNOT
Grade 5/8/1175110%29%55%7%

CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.

Subgroup · ELATestedMET+vs districtvs CA
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged24135.4%−2−3
White31350.3%−21−11
Hispanic/Latino29740.9%+1+2
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
SchoolDistScopeEXCMET+GrowthSusp
San Marcos High ←—5518.1%39.9%—3.3%
High Tech High North County0.2 mi6433.3%58.9%—2.4%
California average—4415.8%35.7%—3.6%
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
95.3%
AP Exam Prepared
74.3%
A-G Completion
73.4%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
81.3%
YearScopePctileRankExcMet+AbsentSuspGrowth
20196689#23530.9%56.8%9.6%0.9%—
20225780#41018.5%46.1%20.4%4.0%—
20235984#33825.6%49.3%21.9%4.6%—
20245678#46419.5%41.5%22.6%4.1%—
20255575#53518.1%39.9%18.8%3.3%—
NO STATEWIDE TESTING 2020–21 (COVID) · SCORE AND PERCENTILE ARE RELATIVE TO EACH YEAR'S FIELD
05Climate by student groupchronic absenteeism · 2019 vs 2025 — the two years CDE publishes at subgroup level
Group20192025Δ
Female9.5%19.7%+10.2pp
Male9.2%17.4%+8.2pp
Asian4.2%10.9%+6.7pp
Black/African American6.4%17.1%+10.7pp
White2.5%10.6%+8.1pp
Hispanic/Latino11.8%20.7%+8.9pp
American Indian/Alaska Native3.7%——
Pacific Islander4.0%18.2%+14.2pp
Students with Disabilities14.7%27.6%+12.9pp
English Learners13.7%26.4%+12.7pp
Homeless33.3%37.6%+4.3pp
Military-Connected26.5%15.7%-10.8pp
Socioeconomically Disadvantaged13.6%23.9%+10.3pp
All Students9.3%18.5%+9.2pp
Two or More Races—17.0%—
EXC = exceeded standard · MET+ = met or exceeded ("proficient") · Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=2,160 high schools · Vintages: climate subgroups 2019+2025 · district finance per its label · ACS 2022 · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue

SchoolScope scores and verdicts are our interpretation of public California Department of Education data — independent analysis, not an official rating. How we analyze · Request a correction

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