District guide
Capistrano Unified public schools
Parent-focused district context for Orange County, CA: school list, grade pathway, enrollment scale, profile links, and the local checks to make before using the district in a housing decision.
Direct answer for parents
What Capistrano Unified tells you before choosing a home
Capistrano Unified is listed with 59 public schools and 41,749 reported students in the current NCES file. Treat this as a district-level research page: it helps you understand scale, grade coverage, and school records, but it does not confirm the school assigned to a specific address.
The current district file lists 37 primary, 13 middle, 9 high schools. Verify transition grades, feeder patterns, transfer policies, and program eligibility with the district.
59 district schools are associated with Orange County in the current file, about 9% of listed county schools. Confirm address-level assignment locally.
Grade pathway
District school mix by level
Use this section to separate elementary, middle, high, and other school records before comparing commute, programs, and assignment rules.
37
17,466 reported students
13
9,216 reported students
9
15,067 reported students
Parent checks for Capistrano Unified
These are the local questions that matter after the public data narrows the field.
Confirm the assigned school
Use official attendance-zone or address lookup tools before assuming a school serves a home.
Check transition grades
Elementary choices can split into different middle or high school paths, especially in large districts.
Verify choice-program rules
Charter, magnet, virtual, and transfer options can require applications, lotteries, or eligibility checks.
Compare similar schools
Compare schools at the same level before treating enrollment, grade span, or school type as a quality signal.
School records
Largest listed schools in Capistrano Unified
Sorted by reported enrollment. Profile links appear where SchoolsByCounty has generated an individual school page; listed-only records still preserve NCES grade, type, city, and enrollment fields.
| School | Level | Grades | City | Enrollment | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Juan Hills High Regular | High | 9–12 | San Juan Capistrano | 2,857 | Profile |
| San Clemente High Regular | High | 9–12 | San Clemente | 2,838 | Profile |
| Aliso Niguel High Regular | High | 9–12 | Aliso Viejo | 2,774 | Profile |
| Tesoro High Regular | High | 9–12 | Las Flores | 2,217 | Profile |
| Capistrano Valley High Regular | High | 9–12 | Mission Viejo | 2,029 | Profile |
| Dana Hills High Regular | High | 9–12 | Dana Point | 1,965 | Profile |
| Ladera Ranch Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Ladera Ranch | 1,196 | Profile |
| Marco Forster Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | San Juan Capistrano | 1,082 | Profile |
| Newhart Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Mission Viejo | 1,038 | Profile |
| Don Juan Avila Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Aliso Viejo | 916 | Listed only |
| Oso Grande Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ladera Ranch | 916 | Listed only |
| Bernice Ayer Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | San Clemente | 883 | Listed only |
| Esencia Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Rancho Mission Viejo | 873 | Listed only |
| Aliso Viejo Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Aliso Viejo | 819 | Listed only |
| Vista del Mar Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | San Clemente | 734 | Listed only |
| Las Palmas Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | San Clemente | 725 | Listed only |
| Niguel Hills Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Laguna Niguel | 721 | Listed only |
| Shorecliffs Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | San Clemente | 721 | Listed only |
| San Juan Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | San Juan Capistrano | 697 | Listed only |
| Don Juan Avila Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Aliso Viejo | 668 | Listed only |
| Chaparral Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ladera Ranch | 627 | Listed only |
| Ladera Ranch Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Ladera Ranch | 605 | Listed only |
| Truman Benedict Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | San Clemente | 600 | Listed only |
| Bathgate Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Mission Viejo | 593 | Listed only |
| Oak Grove Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Aliso Viejo | 589 | Listed only |
| Las Flores Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | Las Flores | 571 | Listed only |
| Moulton Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laguna Niguel | 550 | Listed only |
| Vista del Mar Middle Regular | Middle | 6–8 | San Clemente | 549 | Listed only |
| John Malcom Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laguna Niguel | 548 | Listed only |
| Concordia Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | San Clemente | 516 | Listed only |
| Marian Bergeson Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laguna Niguel | 506 | Listed only |
| Castille Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Mission Viejo | 505 | Listed only |
| Arroyo Vista Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Rancho Santa Margarita | 498 | Listed only |
| Canyon Vista Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Aliso Viejo | 467 | Listed only |
| Viejo Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Mission Viejo | 467 | Listed only |
| Wagon Wheel Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Coto De Caza | 431 | Listed only |
| Wood Canyon Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Aliso Viejo | 423 | Listed only |
| Philip J. Reilly Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Mission Viejo | 416 | Listed only |
| Laguna Niguel Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laguna Niguel | 403 | Listed only |
| George White Elementary Regular | Primary | KG–5 | Laguna Niguel | 396 | Listed only |
Communities in the district file
NCES city fields are directory fields, not attendance boundaries. Use them to orient the district footprint, then verify the exact home-to-school assignment.
County coverage
Some districts can include records associated with more than one county. The route is anchored to the district's primary county record in the current data.
Capistrano Unified FAQ
What schools are included for Capistrano Unified?
Capistrano Unified includes 59 public schools in the current NCES district file. The current district file lists 37 primary, 13 middle, 9 high schools.
Does this Capistrano Unified page show exact attendance zones?
No. SchoolsByCounty publishes district and school records from public data. Attendance boundaries, transportation, transfers, magnet eligibility, and charter rules must be confirmed with Capistrano Unified or local assignment tools.
Is Capistrano Unified ranked as the best district in Orange County?
No. This is a district guide, not a recommendation or ranking. Use it to understand the district's listed schools, grade spans, enrollment scale, and available school profiles before verifying local fit.
How many Capistrano Unified schools have detailed profiles?
9 schools in this district currently link to detailed SchoolsByCounty profiles. Other schools remain listed with NCES directory fields.
Do charter, magnet, or virtual flags mean my student can enroll in Capistrano Unified?
No. Charter, magnet, and virtual flags are NCES record fields. They do not confirm admission eligibility, lottery access, transfer approval, or program availability for a specific address.
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.