schoolsbycounty

Santa Barbara County Schools & Education

Santa Barbara County, California

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

School Score

68/100

Percentile-style score

Score Band

Midrange Signal

Graduation Rate

91.3%

National avg 87.5%

Education Statistics

Graduation Rate

91.3%

National avg 87.5%

State avg 87.5%

Per-Pupil Spending

$8,691

National avg $13,239

State avg $8,762

School Score

68/100

Percentile-style score

State avg 55/100

State Score Position

#6

of 58 counties by score

Education Data Brief: Santa Barbara County

Measured School Summary

Santa Barbara County performs at an average level with a school score of 68/100 and a solid graduation rate of 91.3%.

Funding Context

Santa Barbara County spends $8,691 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 23% above the California average, and its graduation rate exceeds the state average by 3.8 percentage points, while per-pupil spending is 1% lower than the state norm.

School Data Brief

How to read Santa Barbara 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

128 public schools and 35 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

68/100

Mixed county signal. Ranks #6 of 58 California counties with school score data.

Completion

91.3%

3.8 pts above the state average

Funding context

$8,691

$71 below the state average

School coverage

128

35 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

Santa Barbara County has 128 public schools across 35 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 Santa Barbara 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

Santa Barbara 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

#6

of 58 California counties with school score data. The county score is 13 points above the state average.

Data confidence

Usable

3 of 5 county signals are present, and 98% 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.

Santa Maria-Bonita

Elementary and middle visible

16,703 students

Elementary 17Middle 4High 0Other 0

21 listed schools in this county slice.

Santa Barbara Unified

Elementary to high school visible

12,579 students

Elementary 10Middle 5High 5Other 1

21 listed schools in this county slice.

Santa Maria Joint Union High

High school only in this slice

9,251 students

Elementary 0Middle 0High 4Other 0

4 listed schools in this county slice.

Lompoc Unified

Elementary to high school visible

9,060 students

Elementary 10Middle 2High 4Other 0

16 listed schools in this county slice.

District reality check

Santa Barbara Unified is the largest listed district slice, with 21 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 Santa Barbara County?

Do the neighborhoods we like fall inside the same district, or are we comparing different Santa Barbara 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?

Education Overview

About Schools in Santa Barbara 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.

Expansive Education Systems from Coast to Valley

Santa Barbara County oversees 128 public schools serving 66,744 students across 35 different districts. The landscape consists of 76 elementary, 16 middle, and 21 high schools, supplemented by 15 specialized programs. Charter schools are a significant presence here, representing nearly 12% of all public school options.

Major Districts Powering Central Coast Learning

Santa Maria-Bonita is the county's largest district by enrollment, serving 16,703 students, followed by Santa Barbara Unified with 12,579 students. The Santa Maria Joint Union High district manages the county's largest individual campuses, including Pioneer Valley High with 3,220 students. These large districts anchor the educational experience for the majority of local youth.

A Diverse Mix of Coastal and Inland Locales

The county's schools are split between suburban settings and urban centers, with a handful of town and rural campuses in the mix. Large high schools define the teenage experience, with campuses like Santa Maria High and Dos Pueblos Senior High serving over 2,000 students each. The average school size across all levels stands at 543 students.

School Overview

Total Schools

128

in Santa Barbara County

Reported Enrollment

66,744

125 schools reporting

School Districts

35

districts

Charter Schools

15

12% of total

School Level Breakdown

Elementary76
Middle16
High21
Other15

35 School Districts in Santa Barbara County

Santa Maria-Bonita

Guide
21 schools
16,703 students
Open district guide

Santa Barbara Unified

Guide
21 schools
12,579 students
Open district guide

Santa Maria Joint Union High

Guide
4 schools
9,251 students
Open district guide

Lompoc Unified

Guide
16 schools
9,060 students
Open district guide

Orcutt Union Elementary

Guide
10 schools
4,717 students
Open district guide

Goleta Union Elementary

Guide
10 schools
3,416 students
Open district guide

Carpinteria Unified

6 schools
2,001 students

Guadalupe Union Elementary

3 schools
1,279 students

Santa Ynez Valley Union High

2 schools
853 students

Hope Elementary

3 schools
839 students

128 Public Schools in Santa Barbara County

Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 12 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 128 matching schools

Pioneer Valley High

Santa Maria Joint Union High

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High3,220 students

Santa Maria High

Santa Maria Joint Union High

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

Profile9–12High3,196 students

Ernest Righetti High

Santa Maria Joint Union High

Santa Maria, 93455 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,494 students

Santa Barbara Senior High

Santa Barbara Unified

Santa Barbara, 93103 / City: Small

Profile9–12High2,107 students

Dos Pueblos Senior High

Santa Barbara Unified

Goleta, 93117 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,034 students

San Marcos Senior High

Santa Barbara Unified

Santa Barbara, 93110 / Suburb: Midsize

Profile9–12High2,020 students

Lompoc High

Lompoc Unified

Lompoc, 93438 / Suburb: Small

Profile9–12High1,690 students

Cabrillo High

Lompoc Unified

Lompoc, 93438 / Rural: Fringe

Profile9–12High1,066 students

Kunst (Tommie) Junior High

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93458 / City: Midsize

Profile7–8Middle1,030 students

Fesler (Isaac) Junior High

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

Profile7–8Middle959 students

Bruce (Robert) Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93458 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–6Primary951 students

Jimenez Roberto and Dr. Francisco Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

ProfileKG–8Primary938 students

Alvin Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary914 students

Rice (William) Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary913 students

La Colina Junior High

Santa Barbara Unified

Santa Barbara, 93110 / City: Small

Record7–8Middle900 students

Liberty Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93458 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary873 students

Miller (Isaac) Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93454 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary858 students

Adam (William Laird) Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93458 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary856 students

Oakley (Calvin C.) Elementary

Santa Maria-Bonita

Santa Maria, 93458 / City: Midsize

RecordKG–6Primary854 students

Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Santa Ynez Valley Union High

Santa Ynez, 93460 / Town: Distant

Record9–12High847 students

Education Funding Detail

Annual Per-Pupil Expenditure

$8,691

State avg $8,762

Compare Nearby Counties

Review Santa Barbara 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 Santa Barbara County?
Santa Barbara County has a school score of 68/100, 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 Santa Barbara County?
The high school graduation rate in Santa Barbara County is 91.3%, 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 Santa Barbara County spend per student?
Santa Barbara County spends $8,691 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 Santa Barbara County, California — FAQ

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

Santa Barbara County oversees 128 public schools serving 66,744 students across 35 different districts. The landscape consists of 76 elementary, 16 middle, and 21 high schools, supplemented by 15 specialized programs. Charter schools are a significant presence here, representing nearly 12% of all public school options.

What are the major school districts in Santa Barbara County, California?

Santa Maria-Bonita is the county's largest district by enrollment, serving 16,703 students, followed by Santa Barbara Unified with 12,579 students. The Santa Maria Joint Union High district manages the county's largest individual campuses, including Pioneer Valley High with 3,220 students. These large districts anchor the educational experience for the majority of local youth.

What is the school experience like in Santa Barbara County?

The county's schools are split between suburban settings and urban centers, with a handful of town and rural campuses in the mix. Large high schools define the teenage experience, with campuses like Santa Maria High and Dos Pueblos Senior High serving over 2,000 students each. The average school size across all levels stands at 543 students.

Counties with Similar School Profile

Merced County

California

0 pts

68/100

School score

Humboldt County

California

+0 pts

68/100

School score

Orange County

California

-0 pts

67/100

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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