Public schools in Santa Barbara, CA

The current NCES directory lists 35 open public schools with a location address in Santa Barbara: 20 elementary, 4 middle, 7 high, 4 combined or other. Together they reported 13,272 students in 2024–25. The count includes charter, alternative, and special-purpose public schools; it excludes private schools.

Schools with an address in Santa Barbara belong to 11 education agencies, led by Santa Barbara Unified (18 schools), Goleta Union Elementary (4 schools), Hope Elementary (3 schools). A mailing city is not an attendance boundary; confirm the district for a specific address.

San Marcos Senior High reported the largest high-school enrollment in Santa Barbara, with 1,926 students in 2024–25 (grades 09–12). Size is a description of the campus, not a quality measure.

Yes. 4 of the 35 public schools in Santa Barbara are identified as charter schools in the NCES directory, including Adelante Charter, Olive Grove Charter - Santa Barbara, Peabody Charter. Charter schools are public and tuition-free, but admission usually uses an application or lottery.

The median reported student–teacher ratio across Santa Barbara public schools is 17:1, lower than the California school median of 21.6:1. The ratio divides enrollment by classroom-teacher FTE; it is not an average class size.

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.