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Best Schools in Santa Maria, CA
Santa Maria, CA has 54 public schools (9 high, 11 middle, 31 elementary) serving 40,067 students. On average they score 30% on state proficiency tests against a projected 25%, so schools in Santa Maria meet expectations. Rankings below compare each school’s actual results with the projection for its socioeconomic context.
Best High Schools in Santa Maria, CA
The top high schools in Santa Maria, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Central Coast New Tech High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lucia Mar Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 267 Students
2. Santa Ynez Valley Union High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Ynez Valley Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 847 Students
3. Atascadero High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Atascadero Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1173 Students
4. Nipomo High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lucia Mar Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 891 Students
5. Cabrillo High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lompoc Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 1066 Students
6. Ernest Righetti High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria Joint Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 2494 Students
7. Pioneer Valley High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria Joint Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 3220 Students
8. Santa Maria High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria Joint Union High • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 3196 Students
9. Cuyama Valley High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Cuyama Joint Unified • Public • Grades 9 - 12 • 59 Students
Best Middle Schools in Santa Maria, CA
The top middle schools in Santa Maria, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Paulding Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lucia Mar Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 536 Students
2. Atascadero Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Atascadero Unified • Public • Grades 6 - 8 • 835 Students
3. Lakeview Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 442 Students
4. Orcutt Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 468 Students
5. Mesa Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lucia Mar Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 465 Students
6. Vandenberg Middle
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lompoc Unified • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 594 Students
7. Kunst (tommie) Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria-bonita • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 1030 Students
8. Arellanes Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria-bonita • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 596 Students
9. Kermit Mckenzie Intermediate
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Guadalupe Union Elementary • Public • Grades 4 - 8 • 564 Students
10. Fesler (isaac) Junior High
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria-bonita • Public • Grades 7 - 8 • 959 Students
Best Elementary Schools in Santa Maria, CA
The top elementary schools in Santa Maria, ranked by actual test performance against the projection for each school’s socioeconomic context.
1. Los Olivos Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Los Olivos Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 163 Students
2. Joe Nightingale Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 720 Students
3. Pine Grove Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 510 Students
4. Crestview Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lompoc Unified • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 372 Students
5. Benjamin Foxen Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Blochman Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 8 • 189 Students
6. Patterson Road Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 612 Students
7. Lange (dorothea) Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Lucia Mar Unified • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 594 Students
8. Ralph Dunlap Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 471 Students
9. Ontiveros (juan Pacifico) Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Santa Maria-bonita • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 834 Students
10. Alice Shaw Elementary
SchoolGrade
Actual Test Scores
Projected Test Scores
Orcutt Union Elementary • Public • Grades KG - 6 • 511 Students
Education & Community Snapshot in Santa Maria, CA
City-level factors that shape the learning environment around local schools.
Community Factors
Santa Maria, CA has a total population of 113,743 with 32% of that population attending schools. The adult high school graduation rate is 62%, and 14% of adults have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Students in Santa Maria, CA
K-12 Students
High School Graduates
Adults 25+ with HS diplomas
College Graduates
Adults 25+ with a Bachelor’s degree or higher
Demographics statistics provided by Best Neighborhood Santa Maria, CA.
Safety
Crime Grades summarize reported incidents per 1,000 residents. Use them as neighborhood context, not a school rating.
Overall Crime Grade
24.37 per 1,000 Residents
Violent Crime Grade
5.60 per 1,000 Residents
Property Crime Grade
18.77 per 1,000 Residents
Crime statistics provided by CrimeGrade in Santa Maria, CA.
Connectivity
Connectivity influences learning at home. We summarize internet infrastructure, typical download speed, and a digital connectivity index for Santa Maria, CA.
ISP Report Card
Internet Infrastructure Grade
Average Download Speed
Speed Most Residents Can Get
Digital Connectivity Index
ISP Connectivity Demand Report
To read more about these statistics, please visit Santa Maria, CA Internet Health Assessment.
Questions About Schools in Santa Maria, CA
How many schools are in Santa Maria, CA?
Santa Maria, CA has 54 public schools: 9 high schools, 11 middle schools and 31 elementary schools, serving 40,067 students in total.
How do schools in Santa Maria perform on state tests?
On average, 54 schools in Santa Maria score 30% proficient on state assessments. Given the socioeconomic context of their students we project 25%, so on average schools in Santa Maria meet expectations.
How does SchoolGrade rank the best schools in Santa Maria?
Every public school gets a SchoolGrade from A+ to F based on the share of students at or above the state proficiency bar. The Impact Grade compares that result with what we would expect given the school’s student and community context, so schools that outperform their circumstances stand out. Schools cannot pay to change a grade. Read the full methodology.
Best Schools in Cities Near Santa Maria, CA
Explore nearby cities to widen your school search.
- Actual: 32%
- Projected: 26%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 33%
- Projected: 31%
- Impact Grade: Meets Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 32%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 35%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 38%
- Projected: 30%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 41%
- Projected: 34%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 46%
- Projected: 35%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 48%
- Projected: 35%
- Impact Grade: Greatly Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 34%
- Projected: 29%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
- Actual: 41%
- Projected: 36%
- Impact Grade: Exceeds Expectations
Every school in Santa Maria
36 of 36 schools in Santa Maria carry a SchoolGrade. Grade distribution:
A: 2B: 5C: 9D: 14F: 6
All 36 public schools we grade in Santa Maria. The ranked lists above show the top ten per level; every school has its own page.
High schools (4)
Middle and junior high schools (6)
- Arellanes Junior High
- El Camino Junior High
- Fesler Isaac Junior High
- Kunst Tommie Junior High
- Lakeview Junior High
- Orcutt Junior High
Elementary and primary schools (23)
- Adam William Laird Elementary
- Alice Shaw Elementary
- Alvin Elementary
- Arellanes Don Juan Bautista Elementary
- Battles Washington Elementary
- Benjamin Foxen Elementary
- Bill Libbon Elementary
- Bonita Elementary
- Bruce Robert Elementary
- Fairlawn Elementary
- Jimenez Roberto And Dr Francisco Elementary
- Joe Nightingale Elementary
- Liberty Elementary
- Miller Isaac Elementary
- Oakley Calvin C Elementary
- Ontiveros Juan Pacifico Elementary
- Patterson Road Elementary
- Pine Grove Elementary
- Ralph Dunlap Elementary
- Rice William Elementary
- Sanchez David J Elementary
- Taylor Ida Redmond Elementary
- Tunnell Martin Luther Elementary
Other schools and academies (3)
Private schools (5)
Private schools have a SchoolGrade only where their state publishes their test results.