Top Rankings
San Marcos Unified School District ranks among the top 20% of public school district in California for:
Category
Attribute
Overall Rank
Highest overall rank (Top 20%)
Math Proficiency
Highest math proficiency (Top 20%)
Reading/Language Arts Proficiency
Highest reading/language arts proficiency (Top 20%)
Graduation Rate
Highest graduation rate (Top 5%)
Diversity
Most diverse schools (Top 1%)
Community Size
Largest student body (number of students) (Top 1%)
For the 2025 school year, there are 15 public elementary schools serving 12,997 students in San Marcos Unified School District. This district's average elementary testing ranking is 9/10, which is in the top 20% of public elementary schools in California.
Public Elementary Schools in San Marcos Unified School District have an average math proficiency score of 50% (versus the California public elementary school average of 36%), and reading proficiency score of 60% (versus the 45% statewide average).
Minority enrollment is 63% of the student body (majority Hispanic), which is less than the California public elementary school average of 79% (majority Hispanic).
Overview
This School District
This State (CA)
# Schools
19 Schools
7,700 Schools
# Students
19,355 Students
3,822,920 Students
# Teachers
796 Teachers
174,006 Teachers
Student : Teacher Ratio
24:1
24:1
Student By Grade
District Rank
San Marcos Unified School District, which is ranked #350 of all 1,910 school districts in California (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data) for the 2022-2023 school year.
The school district's graduation rate of 95% has increased from 94% over five school years.
Overall District Rank
#327 out of 1932 school districts
(Top 20%)
(Top 20%)
Math Test Scores (% Proficient)
47%
34%
Reading/Language Arts Test Scores (% Proficient)
60%
47%
Science Test Scores (% Proficient)
39%
29%
Graduation Rate
95%
87%
Students by Ethnicity:
Diversity Score
0.65
0.64
% American Indian
n/a
1%
% Asian
8%
12%
% Hispanic
46%
55%
% Black
1%
5%
% White
37%
21%
% Hawaiian
n/a
n/a
% Two or more races
8%
6%
All Ethnic Groups
District Revenue and Spending
The revenue/student of $18,236 in this school district is less than the state median of $19,974. The school district revenue/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
The school district's spending/student of $14,948 is less than the state median of $18,396. The school district spending/student has stayed relatively flat over four school years.
Total Revenue
$353 MM
$116,387 MM
Spending
$289 MM
$107,188 MM
Revenue / Student
$18,236
$19,974
Spending / Student
$14,948
$18,396
Best San Marcos Unified School District Public Elementary Schools (2025)
School
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
(Math and Reading Proficiency)
Location
Grades
Students
Rank: #11.
Discovery Elementary School
(Math: 80% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 5%10
730 Applewilde Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2077
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2077
Grades: K-5
| 687 students
Rank: #22.
Carrillo Elementary School
(Math: 73% | Reading: 76%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
2875 Poinsettia Ln.
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(760) 290-2900
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(760) 290-2900
Grades: K-5
| 756 students
Rank: #33.
Paloma Elementary School
(Math: 66% | Reading: 73%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
660 Camino Magnifico
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2199
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2199
Grades: K-5
| 742 students
Rank: #44.
La Costa Meadows Elementary School
(Math: 71% | Reading: 69%)
Rank:
Rank:
10/
Top 10%10
6889 El Fuerte St.
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(760) 290-2121
Carlsbad, CA 92009
(760) 290-2121
Grades: K-5
| 723 students
Rank: #55.
San Elijo Elementary School
(Math: 65% | Reading: 71%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1615 Schoolhouse Way
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2600
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2600
Grades: K-5
| 846 students
Rank: #66.
Double Peak
(Math: 65% | Reading: 68%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
111 San Elijo Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2340
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2340
Grades: K-8
| 1,198 students
Rank: #77.
Richland Elementary School
(Math: 64% | Reading: 65%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
910 Richland Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2400
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2400
Grades: K-5
| 869 students
Rank: #88.
San Elijo Middle School
(Math: 51% | Reading: 71%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1600 Schoolhouse Way
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2800
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2800
Grades: 6-8
| 1,482 students
Rank: #99.
Knob Hill Elementary School
(Math: 53% | Reading: 59%)
Rank:
Rank:
9/
Top 20%10
1825 Knob Hill Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2080
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2080
Grades: K-5
| 726 students
Rank: #1010.
Woodland Park Middle School
(Math: 37% | Reading: 61%)
Rank:
Rank:
8/
Top 30%10
1270 Rock Springs Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2455
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2455
Grades: 6-8
| 1,179 students
Rank: #1111.
Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary School
(Math: 50% | Reading: 44%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
653 Poinsettia Ave.
Vista, CA 92081
(760) 290-2888
Vista, CA 92081
(760) 290-2888
Grades: K-5
| 600 students
Rank: #1212.
Twin Oaks Elementary School
(Math: 46% | Reading: 48%)
Rank:
Rank:
7/
Top 50%10
1 Cassou Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2588
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2588
Grades: K-5
| 706 students
Rank: #1313.
San Marcos Middle School
(Math: 33% | Reading: 45%)
Rank:
Rank:
6/
Top 50%10
650 West Mission Rd.
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2500
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2500
Grades: 6-8
| 987 students
Rank: #1414.
La Mirada Academy
(Math: 25% | Reading: 36%)
Rank:
Rank:
5/
Bottom 50%10
3697 La Mirada Dr.
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2000
San Marcos, CA 92078
(760) 290-2000
Grades: K-8
| 897 students
Rank: #1515.
San Marcos Elementary School
(Math: 21% | Reading: 32%)
Rank:
Rank:
4/
Bottom 50%10
1 Tiger Way
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2430
San Marcos, CA 92069
(760) 290-2430
Grades: K-5
| 599 students
Recent Articles

The 15 Biggest Failures of the American Public Education System
The world is in a constant state of change and those who fail to adjust fall behind. Unfortunately, the American public education system has not kept up with the times and is currently facing a number of serious problems. Keep reading to learn about the biggest failures affecting the modern U.S. public education system as well as some of the trends that could spark change.

Florida Governor Calls for More Funding for State鈥檚 Public School System
Florida Governor Rick Scott has introduced a state budget for next year that pumps one billion more dollars into the public school system. We鈥檒l look at his reasons for the increase and the responses to the proposal.

Can Your Child鈥檚 School Meet the National Standards?
The article discusses the challenges public schools face in meeting national educational standards. It examines current performance trends, identifies key issues affecting student achievement, and explores potential solutions for improving academic outcomes across U.S. public schools.