School Profile · Santa Barbara
San Marcos Senior High: This school runs ahead of the state average. The bar itself is the harder conversation.
San Marcos posts 45% meeting the standard against 35% statewide — ahead of most, with real headroom above the bar.
4750 Hollister Avenue, 93110 (opens in new tab)·Santa Barbara Unified·Santa Barbara·Grades 9-12·1,926 students·58% low-income·2024–25 CAASPP·(805) 967-4581·Website
Scope Score
60
🌱 Building Momentum · Solid
ranked #426 statewide · #2 of 5 in Santa Barbara Unified
San Marcos Senior High scores 60 of 100 on SchoolScope's Scope Score — the 76th percentile of 1,739 California high schools (CDE CAASPP 2025).
Measures test performance, attendance, and climate — not arts, community, or your kid. How we score →
Most rating sites would stop at “45% proficient” and call it done. San Marcos deserves a closer read. The school sits in Santa Barbara, where more than half of students qualify for free or reduced lunch — and reading the numbers without that context misreads the school.
The story this school is actually telling
Proficient by 11th grade
45%
State 35%
Graduate
96%
State 88%
Pass an AP exam
60%
State 36%
Of 100 students here: 45 are proficient by 11th grade → 96 graduate → 60 pass an AP exam. The gaps between those bars are the questions to ask.
The 7 things our score weighs
Graduation rate
96.0%
State 87.6%
8.4pp above state avg
Exceeded standard
23.6%
State 15.5%
8.1pp above state avg
College readiness
60.2%
State 35.5%
AP exam pass rate above state avg
Met or exceeded
45.4%
State 34.6%
10.8pp above state avg
Chronic absenteeism
20.0%
State 32.1%
12.1pp below state avg
Suspension rate
2.8%
State 4.0%
1.2pp below state avg
EL proficiency (ELPAC)
11.0%
State 18.0%
6.9pp below state avg
Worth a school visit
Ask how the school challenges kids who clear the standard early. The gap between meeting and exceeding is where pacing shows.
Where the path goes
The path below follows attendance boundaries — scores shown for each next step.
K-12 Feeder Path
Elementary
▼
High School
San Marcos Senior High
60/100
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.
Your other options
Nearby Elementary Schools
3 within ~3 mi · avg 69
Mountain View Elementary
Goleta Union Elementary · 2.1 mi
Strong
72/100
Foothill Elementary
Goleta Union Elementary · 1.2 mi
Strong
72/100
Kellogg Elementary
Goleta Union Elementary · 2 mi
Solid
62/100
Private alternatives nearby
Private schools within ~10 miles. These schools do not participate in state testing and cannot be scored or ranked.
The community around it
Community Profile
Context — not part of the Scope ScoreStudent demographics
Hispanic60.5%
White32.0%
Asian1.9%
Black0.5%
Other5.2%
GenderFemale 52.4%Male 47.6%Non-binary 0.1%
Resources & Access
Enrollment
1,926
476 above CA avg (~1,450)
Free/Reduced Lunch
58%
6pp below CA avg (64%)
Student-Teacher Ratio
21:1
0 more students per teacher than CA avg
Per-Pupil Spending
$17,638
District avg: $14,447 · CA avg: $14,815 · School-level · CDE ESSA
EL Proficiency (ELPAC)
11.0% Level 4
Share of English Learners reaching full proficiency
Teacher Salary Range
$64,099 – $121,627
District schedule · CA median ~$98K
At San Marcos Senior High in Santa Barbara, 37.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. San Marcos Senior High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 252 students tested.
Equity Gaps
Absenteeism · Disabilities+17.1pp
37.1% vs 20.0% overall · n=256
Suspension · English Learner+8.0pp
10.8% vs 2.8% overall · n=167
ELA · English Learner−52.2pp
3.7% vs 55.9% overall · n=27
3 more gaps by subject
ELA Exceeded · English Learner−28.0pp
0.0% vs 28.0% overall · n=27
Math · English Learner−34.9pp
0.0% vs 34.9% overall · n=27
Math Exceeded · Disabilities−19.3pp
0.0% vs 19.3% overall · n=39
Subgroups with fewer than 15 students are excluded for privacy. Gaps of less than 3 percentage points are not shown.
Subgroup Proficiency
Low-Income252 tested
ELA 37.7%·Math 15.7%· -0.3pp vs district
Hispanic258 tested
ELA 37.2%·Math 13.7%· -0.6pp vs district
White168 tested
ELA 79.2%·Math 61.5%· +3.9pp vs district
Weighted average across tested grades. Subgroups with fewer than 15 students excluded. Data: CDE CAASPP 2024-25.
Funding Breakdown
Neighborhood Context
Median Income
$129K
$44K above CA median
Median Home Value
$1.20M
$541K above CA median
Bachelor's+
51%
16pp above CA avg
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024) · ZIP-level
Whole Child
Teacher experience, college/career readiness, and more. Context only — never part of the Scope Score.
Teacher Experience
13.5 years avg experience
94 teachers · 4% first-year · 4% second-year
Teacher Credentials
85% fully credentialed
AP Courses Offered
29 AP courses
159 students qualified via AP exam
Sources: CDE SARC · CDE College/Career Indicator, 2024-25
Community Profile provides context about who attends this school and the resources available. These factors are never part of the Scope Score. Learn why →
For the data nerdsEvery number on this page
Score factors, grade-level breakdowns, subgroup proficiency, and peer comparisons.
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%
96.0%
↑ vs CA 87.6% · 60th pctile
Exceeded standard · 22%
23.6%
↑ vs CA 15.5% · 58th pctile
College readiness · 20%
60.2%
↑ vs CA 35.5% · 64th pctile
Met or exceeded · 18%
45.4%
↑ vs CA 34.6% · 57th pctile
Chronic absenteeism · 5%
20.0%
↑ vs CA 32.1% · 60th pctile
Suspension rate · 5%
2.8%
↑ vs CA 4.0% · 55th pctile
EL proficiency (ELPAC) · 5%
11.0%
↓ vs CA 18.0% · 37th pctile
02By grade & subgroupCAASPP 2024–25 · % of tested students
| ELA | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 465 | 28% | 28% | 17% | 27% | 56% | +9 |
| Math | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT | MET+ | +/CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 8 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Grade 11 | 462 | 19% | 16% | 24% | 41% | 35% | +11 |
| Science (CAST) | Tested | EXC | MET | NEAR | NOT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 5/8/11 | 492 | 14% | 30% | 44% | 11% |
CAST is tested in grades 5, 8, and once in high school — not annually. Not part of the Scope Score.
| Subgroup · ELA | Tested | MET+ | vs district | vs CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socioeconomically Disadvantaged | 252 | 37.7% | −0 | −1 |
| Hispanic/Latino | 258 | 37.2% | −1 | −2 |
| White | 168 | 79.2% | +4 | +17 |
03Peer comparison · nearest high schoolssorted by Scope Score
| School | Dist | Scope | EXC | MET+ | Growth | Susp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos Senior High ← | — | 60 | 23.6% | 45.4% | — | 2.8% |
| California average | — | 47 | 15.5% | 34.6% | — | 4.0% |
04More measurescontext · not all part of the Scope Score
Graduation Rate
96.0%
AP Exam Prepared
60.2%
A-G Completion
63.0%
A-G are the 15 courses (across 7 subjects) required for UC/CSU eligibility
College-Going Rate
82.7%
Scope Score history
2019 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · no testing 2020–21 (COVID) · rank #354 → #452 → #391 → #440 → #426
Source: CA Dept. of Education · CAASPP 2024–25 · n=1,739 high schools · Data updated 2026-07-03methodology · data updates · CSV · report issue
Frequently asked questions
Is San Marcos Senior High a good high school?
San Marcos Senior High has a Scope Score of 60 out of 100, placing it in the 76th percentile of California high schools and ranked #426 statewide. 23.6% of students exceeded the state standard on the 2025 CAASPP assessment, which is 8.1 percentage points above the California average of 15.5%. The Scope Score weights six dimensions for high schools: exceeded standard (43%), met or exceeded (22%), grade 3-to-5 growth (15%), chronic absenteeism (10%), ELPAC English Learner proficiency (5%), and suspension rate (5%). Data source: California Department of Education CAASPP 2025, analyzed by SchoolScope.
What are San Marcos Senior High's CAASPP test scores?
On the 2025 CAASPP Smarter Balanced Assessment, 45.4% of students at San Marcos Senior High met or exceeded the state standard in ELA and Math combined, and 23.6% exceeded it. The gap between those numbers matters: 21.8% of students are at the proficiency floor, while 23.6% 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. 927 student-subject combinations were assessed.
How does San Marcos Senior High rank in California?
San Marcos Senior High ranks #426 among California high schools by Scope Score, placing it in the 76th 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 Senior High?
20.0% of students at San Marcos Senior High are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days), which is better than the California average of 32.1%. The suspension rate is 2.8%. 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 Senior High compare to other schools in Santa Barbara?
San Marcos Senior High scores 60/100 (76th 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 1,926 students. Use the schools in Santa Barbara page or the map view to compare all high schools nearby.
How does San Marcos Senior High serve low-income and underrepresented students?
At San Marcos Senior High in Santa Barbara, 37.7% of low-income students met or exceeded the ELA standard in 2025, compared to 38.0% district-wide and 38.2% statewide. San Marcos Senior High trails its district average for low-income students by 0.3 percentage points in ELA. Other subgroups: Low-Income students (15.7% Math proficient); Hispanic students (37.2% ELA proficient). The largest proficiency gap is 52.2 percentage points for english learner students. Data source: California Department of Education, CAASPP 2024-25. 252 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.