Public schools in Oceanside, CA

38 open public schools with an address in Oceanside, operated by 9 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.

Public schools

NCES preliminary directory 2025–26

Reported students

27,386

38 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25

Median student–teacher ratio

22.8:1

California median 21.6:1

Charter schools

1 magnet · 0 virtual

An overview of Oceanside public schools

The federal directory lists 38 public schools in Oceanside, CA: 22 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, 4 combined or other. The 38 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 27,386 students, an average of 721 per school. The largest campus is El Camino High (2,463 students), and the largest elementary school is Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary (820).

Oceanside Unified operates the most schools here (23), and 4 regular districts have at least one Oceanside 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 22.8:1, higher 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 5 charter schools, 1 magnet school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.

Among 10 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 0 of 10 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Alamosa Park Elementary Vista Unified	KG–05	549	23.2:1
Bonsall West Elementary Bonsall Unified	KG–06	383	22.1:1
Christa McAuliffe Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	461	23:1
Del Rio Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	353	23.5:1
Empresa Elementary Vista Unified	KG–05	705	24.7:1
Ivey Ranch Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	698	24.1:1
Lake Elementary Vista Unified	KG–05	696	24:1
Laurel Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	352	22:1
Libby Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	482	21.9:1
Louise Foussat Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	755	24.4:1
Mary Fay Pendleton Elementary Fallbrook Union Elementary	KG–08	820	22.5:1
Mission Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	419	24.6:1
Mission Meadows Elementary Vista Unified	KG–05	473	22:1
Nichols Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	522	22.2:1
North Terrace Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–08	771	24.4:1
Pablo Tac School of the Arts Oceanside Unified	KG–05	425	22.4:1
Palmquist Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	512	26.4:1
Santa Margarita Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–08	544	22.1:1
Scholarship Prep - Oceanside Scholarship Prep - Oceanside District · Charter	KG–08	626	27.3:1
South Oceanside Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–05	487	27.1:1
Stuart Mesa Elementary Oceanside Unified	KG–08	549	22.6:1
T.H.E Leadership Academy Vista Unified	KG–05	584	23.4:1

Middle schools in Oceanside

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Cesar Chavez Middle Oceanside Unified	06–08	557	19.3:1
Jefferson Middle Oceanside Unified	06–08	441	18.6:1
Lincoln Middle Oceanside Unified	06–08	621	20.6:1
Madison Middle Vista Unified	06–08	1,158	19.1:1
Martin Luther King Jr. Middle Oceanside Unified	06–08	1,098	23.3:1
Roosevelt Middle Vista Unified	06–08	866	18:1

High schools in Oceanside

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
El Camino High Oceanside Unified	09–12	2,463	23.3:1
Mission Vista High Vista Unified · Magnet · Alternative School	09–12	1,670	21.9:1
Oceanside High Oceanside Unified	09–12	1,948	21.6:1
Oceanside Unified School District Adult Transition Program Oceanside Unified · Special Education School	12–12	55	11:1
SIATech SIATech District · Charter	10–12	1,174	26.4:1
Surfside High (Continuation) Oceanside Unified · Alternative School	09–12	119	12.1:1

Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in Oceanside

School	Grades	Students	Ratio
Altus Schools Coastal Altus Schools Coastal District · Charter	KG–12	239	30.7:1
Coastal Academy Charter Coastal Academy Charter District · Charter	KG–12	2,015	24.5:1
Pacific View Charter Pacific View Charter District · Charter	KG–12	562	18.7:1
Surfside Academy Oceanside Unified · Alternative School	KG–12	234	37.5:1

Student demographics

Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment

White26.5%
Hispanic55.6%
Black3.7%
Asian3.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander1.2%
Multiracial8.8%

Enrollment-weighted across 38 Oceanside schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (27,386 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.

Questions about public schools in Oceanside

How many public schools are in Oceanside, CA?

The current NCES directory lists 38 open public schools with a location address in Oceanside: 22 elementary, 6 middle, 6 high, 4 combined or other. Together they reported 27,386 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Which school districts serve Oceanside?

Schools with an address in Oceanside belong to 9 education agencies, led by Oceanside Unified (23 schools), Vista Unified (8 schools), Altus Schools Coastal 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 Oceanside?

El Camino High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Oceanside, with 2,463 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Are there charter schools in Oceanside?

Yes. 5 of the 38 public schools in Oceanside are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Altus Schools Coastal, Coastal Academy Charter, Pacific View Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Oceanside schools?

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Oceanside public schools is 22.8:1, higher 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 Oceanside 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