Public schools in Costa Mesa, CA
29 open public schools with an address in Costa Mesa, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
29
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
11,897
28 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
17:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
3
1 magnet · 2 virtual
An overview of Costa Mesa public schools
The federal directory lists 29 public schools in Costa Mesa, CA: 15 elementary, 1 middle, 7 high, 6 combined or other. The 28 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 11,897 students, an average of 425 per school. The largest campus is Costa Mesa High (1,730 students), and the largest elementary school is Maude B. Davis Elementary (570).
Newport-Mesa Unified operates the most schools here (21), and 2 regular districts have at least one Costa Mesa campus, plus 5 charter, service, or other agencies. City names come from school mailing addresses, which often differ from district or municipal boundaries.
Across schools that reported staffing, the median student–teacher ratio is 17:1, lower than the statewide school median of 21.6:1. A ratio counts classroom-teacher FTE against total enrollment, so specialized programs and part-time staffing can move it; ask schools for actual class sizes by grade.
School choice options include 3 charter schools, 1 magnet school, 2 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 9 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 5 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 2 of 10 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 70% of students in reporting schools were eligible for free or reduced-price meals in 2024–25. This describes the community served; it is not a quality signal, and community-eligibility schools can report differently.
School districts and agencies serving Costa Mesa
Newport-Mesa Unified
Public school district
21 schools in Costa Mesa · 32 total
Orange County Department of Education
Public school district
3 schools in Costa Mesa · 5 total
California Pacific Charter - San Diego District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Costa Mesa
California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Costa Mesa
Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp)
Specialized public school district
1 school in Costa Mesa
Coastline ROP
Specialized public school district
1 school in Costa Mesa
International School for Science and Culture District
Independent charter agency
1 school in Costa Mesa
Elementary schools in Costa Mesa
15| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 321 | 13.7:1 | |
| California Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 373 | 17.4:1 | |
| College Park Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 473 | 18.6:1 | |
| Everett A. Rea Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 02–06 | 344 | 16.3:1 | |
| Heinz Kaiser Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | 02–06 | 539 | 21.3:1 | |
| International School for Science and Culture International School for Science and Culture District · Charter | KG–08 | 97 | 19.4:1 | |
| Killybrooke Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 473 | 18.2:1 | |
| Maude B. Davis Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified · Magnet | KG–06 | 570 | 23.3:1 | |
| Paularino Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 371 | 15.8:1 | |
| Pomona Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–01 | 264 | 16.8:1 | |
| Sonora Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 367 | 18.9:1 | |
| Victoria Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 301 | 14.5:1 | |
| Whittier Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 454 | 17.2:1 | |
| Wilson Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–06 | 323 | 18.5:1 | |
| Woodland Elementary Newport-Mesa Unified | KG–01 | 487 | 21.7:1 |
Middle schools in Costa Mesa
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles W. Tewinkle Middle Newport-Mesa Unified | 07–08 | 501 | 15.3:1 |
High schools in Costa Mesa
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Back Bay High Newport-Mesa Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 143 | 8.2:1 | |
| Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp) Central Orange County CTE Partnership (CTEp) · Career and Technical School | 10–12 | 0 | — | |
| Coastline ROP Coastline ROP · Career and Technical School | 09–12 | 0 | — | |
| Costa Mesa High Newport-Mesa Unified | 07–12 | 1,730 | 19.5:1 | |
| Early College High Newport-Mesa Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 177 | 14.9:1 | |
| Estancia High Newport-Mesa Unified | 09–12 | 976 | 18.5:1 | |
| Monte Vista Independent Study Newport-Mesa Unified · Alternative School | 07–12 | 48 | 5.5:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Costa Mesa
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCESS County Community Orange County Department of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 1,315 | 19.7:1 | |
| ACCESS Juvenile Hall Orange County Department of Education · Alternative School | KG–12 | 186 | 6.9:1 | |
| California Pacific Charter - San Diego California Pacific Charter - San Diego District · Charter · Virtual | KG–12 | 310 | 7.7:1 | |
| California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles District · Charter · Virtual | KG–12 | 423 | 10.6:1 | |
| Harper Newport-Mesa Unified | Not reported | — | — | |
| Orange County Special Education Orange County Department of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | 331 | 7:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White20.8%
- Hispanic66.3%
- Black1.8%
- Asian4.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.5%
- Multiracial5.8%
Enrollment-weighted across 26 Costa Mesa schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (11,897 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Costa Mesa
How many public schools are in Costa Mesa, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 29 open public schools with a location address in Costa Mesa: 15 elementary, 1 middle, 7 high, 6 combined or other. Together they reported 11,897 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Costa Mesa?
Schools with an address in Costa Mesa belong to 7 education agencies, led by Newport-Mesa Unified (21 schools), Orange County Department of Education (3 schools), California Pacific Charter - San Diego District (1 school). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
What is the largest public high school in Costa Mesa?
Costa Mesa High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Costa Mesa, with 1,730 students in 2024–25 (grades 07–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Costa Mesa?
Yes. 3 of the 29 public schools in Costa Mesa are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including California Pacific Charter - San Diego, California Pacific Charter- Los Angeles, International School for Science and Culture. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Costa Mesa schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Costa Mesa public schools is 17:1, lower than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.
Does living in Costa Mesa guarantee a seat at a specific school?
No. Assignment depends on the district's attendance boundaries, programs, and enrollment rules, which can split a city or cross city lines. Use the district profile and its official boundary or school-locator tool to confirm the assigned school for an exact address.
Nearby California cities
Sources: NCES Common Core of Data 2025–26 preliminary directory (schools, grades, addresses, charter status) and 2024–25 nonfiscal files (enrollment, teachers, race/ethnicity, meal eligibility); Civil Rights Data Collection 2021–22 (AP and computer science). Cities are grouped by school mailing address. Methodology · All California cities