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San Marcos Unified School District

San Marcos High School

#19 in Best Public High Schools in San Diego Area
  • A
    Overall Grade
  • Public
  • 9-12
  • San Marcos, CA
  • 503 reviews
    A
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Academics
      A
    2. Diversity
      A
    3. Teachers
      A-
    4. College Prep
      A
    5. Clubs & Activities
      B
    6. Health & Safety
      A
    7. Administration
      A-
    8. Sports
      A
    9. Food
      B+
    10. Resources & Facilities
      C
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    San Marcos High School is a highly rated, public school located in San Marcos, CA. It has 3,243 students in grades 9-12 with a student-teacher ratio of 26 to 1. According to state test scores, 43% of students are at least proficient in math and 80% in reading.
    smusd.org
    (760) 290-2200
    1615 San Marcos Blvd.
    San Marcos, CA 92078
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    San Marcos High School Rankings

    Niche ranks nearly 100,000 schools and districts based on statistics and millions of opinions from students and parents.

    Academics

    Percent Proficient - Reading
    80%
    Percent Proficient - Math
    43%
    Average Graduation Rate
    96%
    Average SAT
    1200
    538 responses
    Average ACT
    28
    225 responses
    AP Enrollment
    30%
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    Living in the Area
    B+
    Overall Niche Grade
    How are grades calculated?
    1. Cost of Living
      D+
    2. Good for Families
      A-
    3. Housing
      C-
    Median Household Income
    $70,417
    National
    $55,322
    Median Rent
    $1,446
    National
    $949
    Median Home Value
    $455,700
    National
    $184,700

    Culture & Safety

    Health & Safety
    A
    Based on chronic student absenteeism, suspensions/expulsions, and survey responses on the school environment from students and parents.
    Poll
    93%
    of students agree that they feel safe at their school.40 responses
    Poll
    83%
    of students agree that they like their school and feel happy there.40 responses
    Poll
    What are your favorite school events or traditions?
    Based on 116 responses
    Report
    • Chik-Fil-A Challenge against our rival high school
      21%
    • Knight Regiment Marching Band
      17%
    • Spirit days
      12%
    • The Empty Bowl Project
      11%
    • Chalk Fest/Arts on the Green
      9%
    • Foot ball games
      9%
    • Foot ball games are always the most popular & fun!
      8%

    Students

    Diversity
    A
    Based on racial and economic diversity and survey responses on school culture and diversity from students and parents.
    Students
    3,243
    Free or Reduced Lunch
    32%
    88%
    of students and parents agree that students at this school are competitive.43 responses
    86%
    of students and parents agree that students at this school are creative and artsy.43 responses
    88%
    of students and parents agree that students at this school are athletic.43 responses

    Teachers

    Student-Teacher Ratio
    26:1
    National
    17:1
    Average Teacher Salary
    $78,903
    Teachers in First/Second Year
    32.6%
    70%
    of students and parents agree that the teachers give engaging lessons.70 responses
    74%
    of students and parents agree that the teachers genuinely care about the students.70 responses
    76%
    of students and parents agree that the teachers adequately lead and control the classroom.70 responses

    Clubs & Activities

    Clubs & Activities
    B
    Based on student and parent reviews of clubs and activities.
    Girls Athletic Participation
    Low
    Boys Athletic Participation
    Average
    Expenses Per Student
    $12,060/ year
    National
    $12,239
    89%
    of students and parents agree that there are plenty of clubs and organizations for students to get involved in.76 responses
    49%
    of students and parents agree that clubs and organizations get the funding they need.76 responses
    71%
    of students and parents agree that lots of students participate in clubs and organizations.76 responses
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    San Marcos High School Reviews

    503 reviews
    All Categories
    San Marcos High School is in need of improvement fast! While there are many good quality teachers that care, the administration does not take the students' needs into account. Class sizes used to average about 32 students. The current class population is around 3,400 students. The administration is stuffing the classes with 45+ students per class and if they do not make this mark, they will cut the class entirely. A teacher with 95 enrollments was forced to only teach two sections and cut 5-6 students from the roster to have two overflowing classes. The school also offers grade inflation as an incentive for 11th grade CAASP testing scores to improve their low averages.
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    not a horrible school but I would not say I am completely happy there.the school population keeps growing.in the hallways it takes two minutes just to turn a corner cause floods of people are pushing and trying to get through.each class there is around 42 kids.My first yr I had the worst teacher ever! ppl called the principle, counselors, even had meetings with them about how everyone was failing that class and they did nothing.the school is just too big.They sent some supervisors to watch this teacher in class because of all the complaints but nothing came out of it.a lot of kids failed! In French, the teacher did not show up for over three months.They had subs every day, made no effort to teach the us and sat there on their phones.Most kids are nice but there are some really rude people I’ve met, typical public highschool at this size.There have been fist fights too! I’m looking at other schools, a lot of ppl ik have transferred after 10th grade because the teachers and staff.
    My school does a good job of accommodating and allowing equal opportunities for students. They offer free test prep for the SAT and ACT, tutoring year-round, and a College & Career Center that informs students about and offers help with the college application process, as well as jobs that students can apply for. There’s a wide variety of clubs and electives, so you’ll likely find one you like. The school does a good job of accommodating freshmen. They also have many activities and opportunities specifically for seniors, both educational and recreational. Counselors are easily accessible to the students. Class size is increasing slowly but surely over time (currently around 40 students/class), which can be challenging. Overall, it’s a good school with many opportunities for students to make the most of their time there, and prepare for the future.