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Santa Cruz, CA

61,797 residents•10,145 students•38 schools
Avg School Rating
5.5
out of 10
28% above California avg
Test Proficiency
42%Math
57%Reading
13% above California avg
School Crime Rate
3.55
per 1,000 students
18% above California avg
Overall Crime Rate
60.41
per 1,000 residents
53% above California avg

School Breakdown

Elementary Schools
26
Elementary Schools
Middle Schools
7
Middle Schools
High Schools
5
High Schools

School Types

By Type

Public
26
Charter
2
Private
10

By Level

Elementary
26
Middle
7
High
5

These figures describe every school in Santa Cruz; use the filters below to explore the directory.

Schools in Santa Cruz

38 schools
9.6
Happy Valley Elementary School
Elementarypublic
9.5
Pacific Collegiate Charter School
Middlecharter
8.9
Santa Cruz High School
Highpublic
8.4
Brook Knoll Elementary School
Elementarypublic
7.9
Westlake Elementary School
Elementarypublic
7.3
Mission Hill Middle School
Middlepublic
6.7
Branciforte Middle School
Middlepublic
6.7
Santa Cruz City Elementary Alternative Education-Monarch School
Elementarypublic
6.4
Tierra Pacifica Charter School
Elementarycharter
6.3
Bonny Doon Elementary School
Elementarypublic
6.2
Alternative Family Education School
Elementarypublic
6.2
Harbor High School
Highpublic

School Crime in Santa Cruz

36 incidents reported at K-12 schools across Santa Cruz in 2024 — city-wide, not specific to any one school.

School Crime Rate
18% above California avg
3.55
per 1,000 students

School Offense Breakdown

Violent
13
Property
18
Drug
1
Weapons
2
Other
2

School Crime Types

  • Theft47%
  • Assault22%
  • Sex8%
  • Pornography6%
  • Weapons6%
  • Robbery3%
  • Other8%

School Crime Rate is per 1,000 students enrolled. Source: FBI NIBRS 2024. Figures are city-wide; NIBRS does not report the specific school or address.

Overall Crime in Santa Cruz

3,733 total incidents reported across Santa Cruz in 2024 — all locations, city-wide.

Overall Crime Rate
53% above California avg
60.41
per 1,000 residents

Offense Breakdown

Violent
863
Property
2,170
Drug
621
Weapons
64
Other
15

Crime Types

  • Theft36%
  • Assault19%
  • Drugs17%
  • Vandalism10%
  • Fraud4%
  • Vehicle Theft2%
  • Other11%

Overall Crime Rate is per 1,000 residents. Source: FBI NIBRS 2024. City-wide totals across all reported incidents and locations.

Enrollment by School Type

10,145 students enrolled across Santa Cruz's schools.

  • Public8,32982%
  • Private1,11411%
  • Charter7027%

Counts students at schools that report enrollment to NCES (about 9 in 10 schools across every sector, including private). Schools with no reported enrollment are excluded. Source: NCES.

Student Demographics

Enrollment-weighted across Santa Cruz's K-12 schools.

  • White49%
  • Hispanic38%
  • Two or More Races7%
  • Asian3%
  • Black1%
  • Native American<1%
  • Pacific Islander<1%
49%Female51%Male
Sources: FBI NIBRS 2024 (crime) · U.S. Census Bureau 2025 (population) · NCES (schools).Crime figures are city-wide and not specific to any individual school.