Public schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA
16 open public schools with an address in San Juan Capistrano, operated by 7 education agencies. Compare size, staffing, grade spans, and school type, then confirm assignment with the district.
Public schools
16
NCES preliminary directory 2025–26
Reported students
10,130
16 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
22.4:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
5
3 virtual
An overview of San Juan Capistrano public schools
The federal directory lists 16 public schools in San Juan Capistrano, CA: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 7 high, 2 combined or other. The 16 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 10,130 students, an average of 633 per school. The largest campus is California Online Public Schools Southern California (3,933 students), and the largest elementary school is San Juan Elementary (662).
Capistrano Unified operates the most schools here (10), plus 6 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 22.4:1, 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 5 charter schools, 3 virtual schools. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 4 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 52% 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 San Juan Capistrano
Capistrano Unified
Public school district
10 schools in San Juan Capistrano · 59 total
California Online Public Schools Central Coast District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
California Online Public Schools Southern California DIST
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
College and Career Advantage
Specialized public school district
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
OCASA College Prep District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Juan Capistrano
Elementary schools in San Juan Capistrano
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano District · Charter | KG–08 | 260 | 25.9:1 | |
| Capistrano Home/Virtual Capistrano Unified · Alternative School | KG–08 | 82 | 17.4:1 | |
| Del Obispo Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 310 | 20.7:1 | |
| Harold Ambuehl Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 324 | 23.2:1 | |
| Kinoshita Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 302 | 22.4:1 | |
| San Juan Elementary Capistrano Unified | KG–05 | 662 | 26.5:1 |
Middle schools in San Juan Capistrano
1| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marco Forster Middle Capistrano Unified | 06–08 | 930 | 20.4:1 |
High schools in San Juan Capistrano
7| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bridges Community Day Capistrano Unified · Alternative School | 06–12 | 12 | 3.8:1 | |
| California Preparatory Academy Capistrano Unified · Virtual · Alternative School | 09–12 | 198 | 22.9:1 | |
| Capistrano Union High Capistrano Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 103 | 8.6:1 | |
| College and Career Advantage College and Career Advantage · Career and Technical School | 08–12 | 0 | — | |
| OCASA College Prep OCASA College Prep District · Charter | 06–12 | 83 | 11.9:1 | |
| Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano Opportunities for Learning - Capistrano District · Charter | 07–12 | 185 | 20.5:1 | |
| San Juan Hills High Capistrano Unified | 09–12 | 2,641 | 23.2:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in San Juan Capistrano
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Online Public Schools Central Coast California Online Public Schools Central Coast District · Charter · Virtual | KG–12 | 105 | 28.7:1 | |
| California Online Public Schools Southern California California Online Public Schools Southern California DIST · Charter · Virtual | KG–12 | 3,933 | 22.7:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White36.5%
- Hispanic43.3%
- Black4.5%
- Asian4.6%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.4%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.2%
- Multiracial10.2%
Enrollment-weighted across 15 San Juan Capistrano schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (10,130 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in San Juan Capistrano
How many public schools are in San Juan Capistrano, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 16 open public schools with a location address in San Juan Capistrano: 6 elementary, 1 middle, 7 high, 2 combined or other. Together they reported 10,130 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve San Juan Capistrano?
Schools with an address in San Juan Capistrano belong to 7 education agencies, led by Capistrano Unified (10 schools), California Online Public Schools Central Coast District (1 school), California Online Public Schools Southern California DIST (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 San Juan Capistrano?
San Juan Hills High reported the largest high-school enrollment in San Juan Capistrano, with 2,641 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in San Juan Capistrano?
Yes. 5 of the 16 public schools in San Juan Capistrano are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including California Online Public Schools Central Coast, California Online Public Schools Southern California, California Republic Leadership Academy Capistrano. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in San Juan Capistrano schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across San Juan Capistrano public schools is 22.4:1, 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 San Juan Capistrano 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