Public schools in San Marcos, CA
23 open public schools with an address in San Marcos, operated by 8 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
18,583
23 schools reporting · NCES 2024–25
Median student–teacher ratio
22.8:1
California median 21.6:1
Charter schools
6
1 virtual
An overview of San Marcos public schools
The federal directory lists 23 public schools in San Marcos, CA: 11 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 2 combined or other. The 23 schools that reported 2024–25 membership enrolled 18,583 students, an average of 808 per school. The largest campus is San Marcos High (3,067 students), and the largest elementary school is Double Peak (1,171).
San Marcos Unified operates the most schools here (16), and 2 regular districts have at least one San Marcos campus, 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 22.8:1, 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 6 charter schools, 1 virtual school. Application windows and lotteries usually open months before the school year.
Among 8 high and combined schools with 2021–22 civil-rights data, 3 reported students enrolled in AP courses and 4 of 8 reported computer-science classes. Confirm current course catalogs directly with each school.
About 40% 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 Marcos
San Marcos Unified
Public school district
16 schools in San Marcos · 19 total
Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
High Tech Elementary North County District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
High Tech High North County District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
High Tech Middle North County District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
Pivot Charter School - San Diego II District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
San Diego County Office of Education
Public school district
1 school in San Marcos · 8 total
San Diego Mission Academy District
Independent charter agency
1 school in San Marcos
Elementary schools in San Marcos
11| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego District · Charter | KG–08 | 162 | 17.9:1 | |
| Discovery Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 717 | 26.1:1 | |
| Double Peak San Marcos Unified | KG–08 | 1,171 | 23.1:1 | |
| High Tech Elementary North County High Tech Elementary North County District · Charter | KG–05 | 438 | 24.3:1 | |
| Knob Hill Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 725 | 23.8:1 | |
| La Mirada Academy San Marcos Unified | KG–08 | 868 | 23.3:1 | |
| Paloma Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 758 | 22.3:1 | |
| Richland Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 883 | 23.8:1 | |
| San Elijo Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 834 | 22.2:1 | |
| San Marcos Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 546 | 22.8:1 | |
| Twin Oaks Elementary San Marcos Unified | KG–05 | 648 | 20.9:1 |
Middle schools in San Marcos
4| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Tech Middle North County High Tech Middle North County District · Charter | 06–08 | 341 | 16.3:1 | |
| San Elijo Middle San Marcos Unified | 06–08 | 1,395 | 23.2:1 | |
| San Marcos Middle San Marcos Unified | 06–08 | 968 | 24.2:1 | |
| Woodland Park Middle San Marcos Unified | 06–08 | 1,184 | 22.8:1 |
High schools in San Marcos
6| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foothills High San Marcos Unified · Alternative School | 06–12 | 101 | 20.2:1 | |
| High Tech High North County High Tech High North County District · Charter | 09–12 | 409 | 19.5:1 | |
| Mission Hills High San Marcos Unified | 09–12 | 2,751 | 24.8:1 | |
| San Diego Mission Academy San Diego Mission Academy District · Charter · Virtual | 06–12 | 289 | 22.8:1 | |
| San Marcos High San Marcos Unified | 09–12 | 3,067 | 25.3:1 | |
| Twin Oaks High San Marcos Unified · Alternative School | 09–12 | 192 | 10:1 |
Combined, early-childhood, and other schools in San Marcos
2| School | Grades | Students | Ratio | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Coastal Consortium Schools San Diego County Office of Education · Special Education School | KG–12 | 46 | 7.7:1 | |
| Pivot Charter School - San Diego II Pivot Charter School - San Diego II District · Charter | KG–12 | 90 | 10.6:1 |
Student demographics
Race and ethnicity share of reported enrollment
- White34.8%
- Hispanic47.6%
- Black1.2%
- Asian8.4%
- American Indian / Alaska Native0.2%
- Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander0.3%
- Multiracial7.3%
Enrollment-weighted across 23 San Marcos schools with NCES CCD 2024–25 race/ethnicity counts (18,583 students). Privacy suppression can leave small gaps.
Questions about public schools in San Marcos
How many public schools are in San Marcos, CA?
The current NCES directory lists 23 open public schools with a location address in San Marcos: 11 elementary, 4 middle, 6 high, 2 combined or other. Together they reported 18,583 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.
Which school districts serve San Marcos?
Schools with an address in San Marcos belong to 8 education agencies, led by San Marcos Unified (16 schools), Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego District (1 school), High Tech Elementary North 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 San Marcos?
San Marcos High reported the largest high-school enrollment in San Marcos, with 3,067 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.
Are there charter schools in San Marcos?
Yes. 6 of the 23 public schools in San Marcos are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego, High Tech Elementary North County, High Tech High North County. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.
What is the typical student–teacher ratio in San Marcos schools?
The median reported student–teacher ratio across San Marcos 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 San Marcos 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