Santa Cruz County Public Schools
Santa Cruz County, California
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataTotal Schools
83
public schools
Total Enrollment
37,059
students
School Districts
19
districts
How to use the Santa Cruz County public school directory
Start with the county-level shape, then use the school table for exact records. This directory is built from NCES public school data for California; it is best for narrowing research, checking district context, and finding school records to verify with local sources.
Santa Cruz County has 19 district entries. Pajaro Valley Unified is the largest listed district in this county slice, with 34 schools.
School records are spread across 16 listed communities. Santa Cruz has the most listed schools, with 28 records.
Primary schools are the largest listed grade-level group, with 41 schools. Filter the table by level before comparing enrollment or district context.
NCES flags 15 schools as charter, magnet, or virtual in this county file: 14 charter, 2 virtual. Confirm eligibility and enrollment rules with the relevant district.
Filter before comparing
Search by school or district name, then narrow by grade level or program flag so the table matches the student stage you are researching.
Open profiles where available
7 schools in this county currently have generated profile pages. Listed-only schools still remain in the NCES directory table.
Verify assignment locally
County directories do not determine attendance zones, transfer eligibility, magnet admission, charter lotteries, or program placement.
School Overview
Total Schools
83
in Santa Cruz County
Reported Enrollment
37,059
80 schools reporting
School Districts
19
districts
Charter Schools
14
17% of total
School Level Breakdown
19 School Districts in Santa Cruz County
Pajaro Valley Unified
Santa Cruz City High
Ocean Grove Charter District
San Lorenzo Valley Unified
Scotts Valley Unified
Santa Cruz City Elementary
Live Oak Elementary
Soquel Union Elementary
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Pacific Collegiate Charter District
83 Public Schools in Santa Cruz County
Sorted by reported enrollment. Dedicated profile pages are available for 7 high-enrollment schools; every NCES public school remains listed here.
NCES 2022-23 public school data and FY 2022 school-finance dataLevel
Showing 20 of 83 matching schools
| School Name | Profile | District | Location | Grades | Type / Flags | Reported Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Grove Charter | Profile | Ocean Grove Charter District | Placerville, 95667Rural: Fringe | KG–12 | Charter | 3,023 |
| Watsonville High | Profile | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076City: Small | 9–12 | High | 2,244 |
| Pajaro Valley High | Profile | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,489 |
| Aptos High | Profile | Pajaro Valley Unified | Aptos, 95003Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 1,360 |
| Santa Cruz High | Profile | Santa Cruz City High | Santa Cruz, 95060City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,092 |
| Harbor High | Profile | Santa Cruz City High | Santa Cruz, 95062City: Small | 9–12 | High | 1,023 |
| Soquel High | Profile | Santa Cruz City High | Soquel, 95073Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 974 |
| Santa Cruz County Community | Listed only | Santa Cruz County Office of Education | Santa Cruz, 95060City: Small | 7–12 | Alternative | 741 |
| Scotts Valley High | Listed only | Scotts Valley Unified | Scotts Valley, 95066Suburb: Midsize | 9–12 | High | 690 |
| New Brighton Middle | Listed only | Soquel Union Elementary | Capitola, 95010Suburb: Midsize | 6–8 | Middle | 648 |
| San Lorenzo Valley High | Listed only | San Lorenzo Valley Unified | Felton, 95018Rural: Fringe | 9–12 | High | 643 |
| Alianza Charter | Listed only | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076Rural: Fringe | KG–8 | Charter | 640 |
| Rolling Hills Middle | Listed only | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 619 |
| E. A. Hall Middle | Listed only | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 608 |
| San Lorenzo Valley Elementary | Listed only | San Lorenzo Valley Unified | Felton, 95018Rural: Fringe | KG–5 | Primary | 598 |
| Aptos Junior High | Listed only | Pajaro Valley Unified | Aptos, 95003Suburb: Midsize | 7–8 | Middle | 594 |
| Cesar E. Chavez Middle | Listed only | Pajaro Valley Unified | Watsonville, 95076City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 552 |
| Mission Hill Middle | Listed only | Santa Cruz City High | Santa Cruz, 95060City: Small | 6–8 | Middle | 544 |
| Pacific Collegiate Charter | Listed only | Pacific Collegiate Charter District | Santa Cruz, 95060City: Small | 7–12 | Charter | 533 |
| Vine Hill Elementary | Listed only | Scotts Valley Unified | Scotts Valley, 95066Suburb: Midsize | KG–5 | Primary | 531 |
Ocean Grove Charter
Ocean Grove Charter District
Placerville, 95667 / Rural: Fringe
Watsonville High
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / City: Small
Pajaro Valley High
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / Rural: Fringe
Aptos High
Pajaro Valley Unified
Aptos, 95003 / Rural: Fringe
Santa Cruz High
Santa Cruz City High
Santa Cruz, 95060 / City: Small
Harbor High
Santa Cruz City High
Santa Cruz, 95062 / City: Small
Soquel High
Santa Cruz City High
Soquel, 95073 / Suburb: Midsize
Santa Cruz County Community
Santa Cruz County Office of Education
Santa Cruz, 95060 / City: Small
Scotts Valley High
Scotts Valley Unified
Scotts Valley, 95066 / Suburb: Midsize
New Brighton Middle
Soquel Union Elementary
Capitola, 95010 / Suburb: Midsize
San Lorenzo Valley High
San Lorenzo Valley Unified
Felton, 95018 / Rural: Fringe
Alianza Charter
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / Rural: Fringe
Rolling Hills Middle
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / City: Small
E. A. Hall Middle
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / City: Small
San Lorenzo Valley Elementary
San Lorenzo Valley Unified
Felton, 95018 / Rural: Fringe
Aptos Junior High
Pajaro Valley Unified
Aptos, 95003 / Suburb: Midsize
Cesar E. Chavez Middle
Pajaro Valley Unified
Watsonville, 95076 / City: Small
Mission Hill Middle
Santa Cruz City High
Santa Cruz, 95060 / City: Small
Pacific Collegiate Charter
Pacific Collegiate Charter District
Santa Cruz, 95060 / City: Small
Vine Hill Elementary
Scotts Valley Unified
Scotts Valley, 95066 / Suburb: Midsize
Santa Cruz County school directory FAQ
Does this list show which Santa Cruz County school serves my address?
No. This is a county-level NCES directory for public school records in California. Attendance zones, transfer policies, magnet eligibility, charter lotteries, and program placement must be verified with the local district or school.
What is included in the Santa Cruz County public school directory?
The directory lists 83 public schools from NCES records, including school name, district, grade range, type flags, and enrollment where reported.
Does this page rank the best schools in Santa Cruz County?
No. This page is a public school directory, not a ranking or recommendation. Use it to find records, compare similar school types, and identify district sources to verify locally.
Are private schools included in this Santa Cruz County list?
No. SchoolsByCounty uses NCES public school records for this directory. Private schools, homeschool programs, and some local program options are outside this public-school listing.
Why do some Santa Cruz County schools have profiles while others are listed only?
SchoolsByCounty generates profile pages for a high-enrollment subset of school records. 7 schools in this county currently have profile links, while every listed school remains available in the directory table.
How should I compare school districts in Santa Cruz County?
Start with the 19 district entries, then compare schools with similar grade ranges. County-level lists can include district slices, so use district websites to confirm boundaries and program rules.
What do charter or virtual flags mean in this Santa Cruz County directory?
Charter and virtual flags come from NCES school records. They identify school record types, not admission eligibility, transfer availability, or program quality. Confirm application rules and current program status with the district or school.
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.