schoolsbycounty

Orange County Schools & Education

Orange County, California

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

91.2%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.2%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.5%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,701

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,762

School Score

67/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#7

of 58 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Orange County

Measured School Summary

Orange County performs at an average level with a school score of 67/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.2%.

Funding Context

Orange County spends $8,701 per student, which is on the lower end of adequate and may require careful resource allocation to maintain quality.

Neighbor Context

Its school score is 22% above the California average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.7 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Orange County before comparing districts

County-level education data is best used as a screening layer. It summarizes the local school environment, then points you toward the district and school records that matter for local review.

Local context that changes the interpretation

636 public schools and 69 districts are represented below. Use those school and district records to confirm whether the county-level context fits the neighborhoods you are actually considering.

Overall screen

67/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #7 of 58 California counties with school score data.

Completion

91.2%

3.7 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,701

$61 below the state average

School coverage

636

69 districts represented in the county school list.

Start with measured county context

This county needs a closer look at district mix, school level, and local context. Compare the score, graduation rate, and spending together rather than treating any single metric as final.

Check the local school mix

Orange County has 636 public schools across 69 districts, so school-level fit can vary inside the county.

Verify local rules

Use this page as county-level context, then confirm attendance zones, transportation, special programs, and current school boundaries with local districts.

View Public SchoolsCompare Counties
Parent decision brief

What Orange County school data means before you move

County averages are useful for screening, but parents choose addresses, grade pathways, and district rules. This brief turns the public data into the checks that matter before you sign a lease or mortgage.

Large multi-district county

Orange County has many school records across many districts. County averages are only the opening screen; neighborhood-level assignment and grade-band fit matter more here.

State position

#7

of 58 California counties with school score data. The county score is 12 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 99% of listed schools report enrollment. Compare schools, then verify missing fields locally.

K-12 continuity check

These are the largest visible district slices in the county data. They show whether elementary, middle, and high school records appear together or whether a family needs to investigate transition points.

Capistrano Unified

Elementary to high school visible

41,749 students

Elementary 37Middle 13High 9Other 0

59 listed schools in this county slice.

Santa Ana Unified

Elementary to high school visible

39,899 students

Elementary 34Middle 6High 10Other 2

52 listed schools in this county slice.

Garden Grove Unified

Elementary to high school visible

38,157 students

Elementary 44Middle 10High 9Other 3

66 listed schools in this county slice.

Irvine Unified

Elementary to high school visible

36,462 students

Elementary 31Middle 6High 7Other 1

45 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Garden Grove Unified is the largest listed district slice, with 66 schools. County pages do not prove address assignment, so verify boundaries with local district tools.

What the data cannot tell you

NCES records do not confirm current attendance zones, private-school options, transfer approvals, program capacity, transportation, or whether a listed school is available to a specific address.

Questions to ask before choosing an address

Which district actually serves the addresses we are considering in Orange County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Orange County district systems?

What changes at the elementary-to-middle and middle-to-high transitions in the district pathway we would likely use?

Which charter, magnet, or virtual options require a lottery, application window, separate transportation plan, or address eligibility check?

Which schools are missing enrollment or ratio fields, and does the district publish a newer local profile than the NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data?

Comparison context

Compare Orange County With Nearby School Markets

Orange County appears in curated regional school comparisons where parents commonly weigh county lines, housing tradeoffs, commute, and district boundaries before narrowing to individual schools.

Southern California

Los Angeles County vs Orange County vs San Diego County Schools

This guide frames three major Southern California county choices before families move into district, campus, and neighborhood-level research.

Compared with

Los Angeles County, CA and San Diego County, CA

Current leader

Orange County, CA at 67/100

Graduation-rate leader: Orange County, CA at 91.2%

Open regional guideOpen interactive comparison

Education Overview

About Schools in Orange County, California

This context is screened for neutral school-data wording and should be read alongside the current metrics on this page. It is not school advice.

Massive Scale in Orange County Schools

Orange County boasts a massive education system with 636 public schools and 69 districts serving over 441,000 students. The infrastructure is robust, featuring 409 elementary schools, 87 middle schools, and 108 high schools.

Suburban Powerhouse Districts

Capistrano Unified and Santa Ana Unified are the largest districts, each serving roughly 40,000 students. The county also hosts 40 charter schools, including the massive California Connections Academy with over 5,100 students.

Large Campuses in Suburban Settings

With 338 suburban schools, the average campus size is a significant 705 students. Large high schools like Fountain Valley and Santa Ana High serve over 3,100 students each, offering vast extracurricular and academic programs.

School Overview

Total Schools

636

in Orange County

Reported Enrollment

441,040

631 schools reporting

School Districts

69

districts

Charter Schools

40

6% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary409
Middle87
High108
Other32

69 School Districts in Orange County

Capistrano Unified

Guide
59 schools
41,749 students
Open district guide

Santa Ana Unified

Guide
52 schools
39,899 students
Open district guide

Garden Grove Unified

Guide
66 schools
38,157 students
Open district guide

Irvine Unified

Guide
45 schools
36,462 students
Open district guide

Anaheim Union High

Guide
21 schools
27,706 students
Open district guide

Orange Unified

Guide
41 schools
24,740 students
Open district guide

Saddleback Valley Unified

Guide
34 schools
23,674 students
Open district guide

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Guide
34 schools
23,114 students
Open district guide

Tustin Unified

Guide
28 schools
21,694 students
Open district guide

Newport-Mesa Unified

Guide
32 schools
17,727 students
Open district guide

636 Public Schools in Orange County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 107 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.

NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance data

Level

Showing 20 of 636 matching schools

California Connections Academy Southern California

California Connections Academy Southern California District

San Juan Capistrano, 92675 / Suburb: Large

ProfileKG–12CharterVirtual5,141 students

Fountain Valley High

Huntington Beach Union High

Fountain Valley, 92708 / City: Small

Profile9–12High3,180 students

Santa Ana High

Santa Ana Unified

Santa Ana, 92701 / City: Large

Profile9–12High3,135 students

Los Alamitos High

Los Alamitos Unified

Los Alamitos, 90720 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High3,055 students

San Juan Hills High

Capistrano Unified

San Juan Capistrano, 92675 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,857 students

San Clemente High

Capistrano Unified

San Clemente, 92673 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,838 students

Cypress High

Anaheim Union High

Cypress, 90630 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,820 students

Huntington Beach High

Huntington Beach Union High

Huntington Beach, 92648 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,807 students

Arnold O. Beckman High

Tustin Unified

Tustin, 92780 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,798 students

Aliso Niguel High

Capistrano Unified

Aliso Viejo, 92656 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,774 students

Anaheim High

Anaheim Union High

Anaheim, 92805 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,750 students

Westminster High

Huntington Beach Union High

Westminster, 92683 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,637 students

Katella High

Anaheim Union High

Anaheim, 92806 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,587 students

Troy High

Fullerton Joint Union High

Fullerton, 92831 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,584 students

Trabuco Hills High

Saddleback Valley Unified

Mission Viejo, 92691 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,579 students

Valencia High

Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified

Placentia, 92870 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,543 students

Segerstrom High

Santa Ana Unified

Santa Ana, 92704 / City: Large

Profile9–12High2,489 students

Sunny Hills High

Fullerton Joint Union High

Fullerton, 92833 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,429 students

Portola High

Irvine Unified

Irvine, 92618 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High2,293 students

Foothill High

Tustin Unified

Tustin, 92780 / Suburb: Large

Profile9–12High2,276 students

Additional School Profiles

Dedicated profile pages are generated for a subset of public schools with broad enrollment coverage. All other schools remain listed in the county table.

87 more profiles

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,701

State avg $8,762

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Orange County against other counties using the same NCES-backed metrics.

Open Compare

Browse Public Schools

See school-level enrollment, grade ranges, school type, and district affiliation.

View Schools

Frequently Asked Questions

Which California counties have the highest graduation rates?
Sierra County (95.0%), El Dorado County (93.3%), and Colusa County (92.5%) currently lead California among counties with available NCES four-year adjusted cohort graduation-rate data. This answer is generated from the same dataset used in the county table and can change when federal data refreshes.
What is per-pupil spending like in California?
Across California counties with available NCES district-finance data, average per-pupil spending is $8,762. The highest current county values are Alpine County ($23,219), Mono County ($10,800), and Marin County ($10,425). Compare counties in the table before treating the statewide average as representative of a local district.
How should I read the school score in Orange County?
Orange County has a school score of 67/100, which is a midrange measured signal in this county-level index. This score is calculated from available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance data, with school-level records shown separately below.
What is the graduation rate in Orange County?
The high school graduation rate in Orange County is 91.2%, which is above the national average of 87.5%. This figure is based on NCES district-level data for public high schools in the county.
How much does Orange County spend per student?
Orange County spends $8,701 per pupil annually on public education, based on NCES district finance data. Current operating spending per fall enrollment, including instruction, support services, administration, transportation, and operations. It excludes capital outlays and debt service in the SchoolsByCounty methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

Schools in Orange County, California — FAQ

What does the school system look like in Orange County, California?

Orange County boasts a massive education system with 636 public schools and 69 districts serving over 441,000 students. The infrastructure is robust, featuring 409 elementary schools, 87 middle schools, and 108 high schools.

What are the major school districts in Orange County, California?

Capistrano Unified and Santa Ana Unified are the largest districts, each serving roughly 40,000 students. The county also hosts 40 charter schools, including the massive California Connections Academy with over 5,100 students.

What is the school experience like in Orange County?

With 338 suburban schools, the average campus size is a significant 705 students. Large high schools like Fountain Valley and Santa Ana High serve over 3,100 students each, offering vast extracurricular and academic programs.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Merced County

California

+0 pts

68/100

School score

Santa Barbara County

California

+0 pts

68/100

School score

Humboldt County

California

+0 pts

68/100

School score

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Education data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Common Core of Data and School District Finance Survey. School scores are derived composite metrics based on available NCES graduation-rate and school-finance signals.

Data is informational only. Coverage varies by county and reporting year. Not for use as the sole basis for educational decisions.

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