Public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
8 open public schools with an address in Rancho Santa Margarita, operated by 2 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
8
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
4,710
8 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
24.6:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
0
0 virtual
An overview of Rancho Santa Margarita public schools
The federal directory lists 8 public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA: 6 elementary, 2 middle. The 8 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 4,710 students, an average of 589 per school. The largest campus is Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate (1,153 students), and the largest elementary school is Melinda Heights Elementary (950).
Capistrano Unified operates the most schools here (4), and 2 regular districts have at least one Rancho Santa Margarita campus. 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 24.6:1, 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.
About 32% 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 Rancho Santa Margarita
Elementary schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Vista Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 508 | 24.2:1 | |
| Cielo Vista Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 487 | 23.5:1 | |
| Las Flores Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 328 | 25.2:1 | |
| Melinda Heights Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 950 | 28.2:1 | |
| Tijeras Creek Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 315 | 26.3:1 | |
| Trabuco Mesa Elementary Saddleback Valley Unified | KG–06 | 640 | 25:1 |
Middle schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Vista Middle Capistrano Unified | 06–08 | 329 | 20.8:1 | |
| Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate Saddleback Valley Unified | 07–08 | 1,153 | 24.1:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White47.2%
- Hispanic26.2%
- Black0.8%
- Asian13.8%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.1%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.1%
- Multiracial11.7%
Enrollment-weighted across 8 Rancho Santa Margarita schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (4,710 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in Rancho Santa Margarita
How many public schools are in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 8 open public schools with a location address in Rancho Santa Margarita: 6 elementary, 2 middle. Together they reported 4,710 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve Rancho Santa Margarita?
Schools with an address in Rancho Santa Margarita belong to 2 education agencies, led by Capistrano Unified (4 schools), Saddleback Valley Unified (4 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.
Are there charter schools in Rancho Santa Margarita?
No school with an address in Rancho Santa Margarita is identified as a charter school in the current NCES directory. Families may still have charter or virtual options elsewhere in California.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in Rancho Santa Margarita schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across Rancho Santa Margarita public schools is 24.6:1, 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 Rancho Santa Margarita 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