The brief
A private high school in Santa Cruz, CA serving grades 9th – 12th.
Merit Academy is a private school: it enrolls by application and tuition, and its rating comes from the private-school model, which is not comparable with a public rating.
About this school's data1 source, 2023–2024
Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.
- Based on limited data: 0% component coverage.
- We don't have enough verified data to rate this school fairly. Private schools in CA aren't required to report standardized test scores to the state, which limits the data available for our rating model. Our rating model requires at least 2 of 4 data components (academics, student progress, college readiness, and resources) to generate a meaningful score. Schools below this threshold receive a Limited Profile to avoid misleading ratings. Learn more about our methodology
- School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
- NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS) · SY 2023–24 · Low confidence
- Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
Evidence periods: Rating not displayed; assessments vintage unavailable; directory SY 2023–24
The neighborhood
Where it sits, and what the area looks like.Getting around
- Walk Score
- 4
- Car-Dependent
- Bike Score
- 5
- Somewhat Bikeable
- City reported crime
- 3,038/100K
- Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Santa Cruz. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.
Walk, transit and bike scores by
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (Santa Cruz), not school-level safety or attendance eligibility. Source details
Source period: 2025. Freshness not available.
Programs and who goes here
What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.Who goes here
- Asian84%
- White8%
- Hispanic8%
Enrollment mix: NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS).
Compare nearby
Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.
Private · tuition: Potential private option; tuition and admission requirements have not been verified.
The record
What is on file, and where each number came from.Questions families ask
What grades does Merit Academy serve?
Merit Academy serves students in grades 9th through 12th.
How many students attend Merit Academy?
Merit Academy has an enrollment of approximately 24 students.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy?
The student-teacher ratio at Merit Academy is 24:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 11:1 for private schools.
Is Merit Academy a private school?
Yes, Merit Academy is a private coeducational school with a Nonsectarian affiliation. Private schools are not required to participate in state standardized testing, so academic performance data may be limited compared to public schools.
Is Merit Academy a religious school?
No, Merit Academy is a nonsectarian (non-religious) private school.
School facts
- Grades
- 9th – 12th
- Enrollment
- 24
- Gender split
- 58% M / 42% F
- Student-teacher ratio
- 24:1
- Teachers (FTE)
- 1
- Type
- Private
- Coed status
- Coed
- Affiliation
- Nonsectarian
- School day
- 4.5 hours
- Days per year
- 120 days
- Setting
- Fringe Rural
- County
- Santa Cruz County
- Phone
- (831) 462-5655
NCES Private School Universe Survey (PSS) (SY 2023–24).
Related reading
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Data from NCES Common Core of Data, California Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.