Public schools in Mission Viejo, CA
23 open public schools with an address in Mission Viejo, operated by 3 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
23
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
14,270
22 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
21.7:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
1
1 virtual
An overview of Mission Viejo public schools
The federal directory lists 23 public schools in Mission Viejo, CA: 12 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high, 3 combined or other. The 22 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 14,270 students, an average of 649 per school. The largest campus is Trabuco Hills High (2,475 students), and the largest elementary school is Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County (704).
Saddleback Valley Unified operates the most schools here (14), and 2 regular districts have at least one Mission Viejo campus, plus 1 charter, service, or other agency. 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 21.7:1, similar to 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 1 charter school, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 6 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 3 of 6 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 41% 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 Mission Viejo
Elementary schools in Mission Viejo
12| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathgate Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 570 | 25.9:1 | |
| Carl Hankey Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 284 | 23.7:1 | |
| Castille Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 482 | 23:1 | |
| De Portola Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 540 | 27:1 | |
| Del Cerro Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 390 | 20.1:1 | |
| Del Lago Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 362 | 20:1 | |
| Glen Yermo Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 308 | 16.5:1 | |
| Linda Vista Magnet Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 263 | 20.1:1 | |
| Montevideo Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 444 | 20.2:1 | |
| Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County District · Charter | KG–05 | 704 | 26.1:1 | |
| Philip J. Reilly Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 421 | 22.2:1 | |
| Viejo Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 447 | 24.8:1 |
Middle schools in Mission Viejo
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carl Hankey Middle Capistrano Unified | 06–08 | 181 | 15.7:1 | |
| Fred Newhart Middle Capistrano Unified | 06–08 | 1,105 | 21.6:1 | |
| La Paz Intermediate Saddleback Valley Unified | 07–08 | 713 | 21.8:1 | |
| Los Alisos Intermediate Saddleback Valley Unified | 07–08 | 595 | 20.5:1 |
High schools in Mission Viejo
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capistrano Valley High Capistrano Unified | 09–12 | 1,991 | 21.8:1 | |
| Mission Viejo High Saddleback Valley Unified | 09–12 | 1,566 | 22.2:1 | |
| Silverado High Saddleback Valley Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 200 | 9.2:1 | |
| Trabuco Hills High Saddleback Valley Unified | 09–12 | 2,475 | 23:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Mission Viejo
3| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Esperanza Education Center Saddleback Valley Unified · Special Education School | Not reported | 80 | 10.7:1 | |
| La Tierra Early Childhood Center Saddleback Valley Unified | Not reported | — | — | |
| SVUSD Virtual Academy (Alternative) Saddleback Valley Unified · Virtual · Alternative School | KG–12 | 149 | 12.6:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White41.1%
- Hispanic33.6%
- Black1.1%
- Asian12.3%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial11.5%
Enrollment-weighted across 22 Mission Viejo schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (14,270 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Mission Viejo
How many public schools are in Mission Viejo, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 23 open public schools with a location address in Mission Viejo: 12 elementary, 4 middle, 4 high, 3 combined or other. Together they reported 14,270 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Mission Viejo?
Schools with an address in Mission Viejo belong to 3 education agencies, led by Saddleback Valley Unified (14 schools), Capistrano Unified (8 schools), Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County 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 Mission Viejo?
Trabuco Hills High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Mission Viejo, with 2,475 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in Mission Viejo?
Yes. 1 of the 23 public schools in Mission Viejo are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Oxford Preparatory Academy - South Orange County. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Mission Viejo schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Mission Viejo public schools is 21.7:1, similar to 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 Mission Viejo 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