Skip to main content

Public high school · San Marcos Unified · San Marcos, California

Mission Hills High

Mission Hills High rates 5.6, right at the middle of San Marcos Unified's high schools, whose rated median is 5.4.

High schools, 1 to 10This campus against public high schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
5.6this school

5.6 on a one-to-ten scale; the San Marcos Unified median is 5.4.

#6,614 of 9,557 schools in California · San Marcos Unified: 4 high schools rated, median 5.4

The brief

A San Marcos Unified high school where students score 8 points below what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 6,614 of 9,557 schools in California and 11 of 19 in San Marcos Unified.

Mission Hills High is listed in San Marcos Unified, and a district label does not verify attendance for an address: confirm the zoned campus with the district before you commit to a street.

Math27%7 points below the California average of 34%2025 CAASPP
Reading58%5 points above the California average of 53%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 8 points since 2018, to 43% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 30 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.4
25% of the rating
Academics
6.2
25% of the rating
College Readiness
8.1
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
2.7
20% of the rating
About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2025

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.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 45% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 67% (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2025 CAASPP · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: 2025 CAASPP. A newer release may be available.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 92069; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2025; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Mission Hills High and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

Open the San Diego school map to see school quality against home prices across the metro.

The area

Median income
$93,065
Median home value
$714,700
Median rent
$2,078/mo
College educated
34.9%
Homeownership
55.8%
Poverty rate
11.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92069; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
48
Car-Dependent
Bike Score
31
Somewhat Bikeable
City reported crime
496/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for San Marcos. This is a city-level reported-crime measure, not a school safety rating.

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

FBI Uniform Crime Reporting · 2025 · city context (San Marcos), 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.

Programs

AP and IB
4 AP courses
31.7% participation · state average 2.6 AP courses · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Athletics
14 sports
7 boys' · 7 girls' · 28 teams (incl. JV) · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Advanced STEM courses
5 of 5
Algebra II, Advanced Math, Calculus, Chemistry, Physics · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22
Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
45.8%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible schools within 5 miles, best rated first.
  1. High Tech High North County3.5 mi · charter
    7.3Compare →
  2. Dimensions Collaborative2.2 mi · charter
    7.1Compare →
  3. Escondido High3.1 mi
    6.9Compare →
  4. Motivated Youth Academy3.6 mi · charter
    5.9Compare →
  5. Mission Hills Highthis school
    5.6
  6. San Marcos High3.7 mi
    5.5Compare →
  7. Foothills High2.5 mi
    5.3Compare →
  8. North Coastal Consortium Schools1.2 mi
    4.8Compare →
  9. Twin Oaks High2.6 mi
    4.3Compare →
Eight grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and four rate higher than Mission Hills High.Public-school ratings. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

The public record

What's said publicly about Mission Hills High

Sources:School's websiteWikipedia

Synthesized from public, attributable sources. Updated April 2026.Reviewed for accuracy.

Mission Hills High School is a public high school located in San Marcos, California 2. The school opened in August 2004 on a 40-acre campus that was formerly part of the Hollandia dairy 2. It is part of the San Marcos Unified School District, which serves approximately 18,000 students across 19 schools 1. The district has been ranked among the top five school districts in the San Diego area by Niche 1. Mission Hills High School offers various career-oriented programs, including academies for Business, Law Enforcement, Health Essentials, Fire Technology, and Culinary Arts 2. Recently, the school opened a new wellness center focused on student well-being 1.
Sources (2)
  1. www.smusd.org
  2. en.wikipedia.org
Generated by AI from public sources. Every claim is grounded in a cited source.Report inaccuracy

Questions families ask

What grades does Mission Hills High serve?

Mission Hills High serves students in grades 9th through 12th.

How many students attend Mission Hills High?

Mission Hills High has an enrollment of approximately 2,834 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Mission Hills High?

The student-teacher ratio at Mission Hills High is 27.2:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Mission Hills High rank in CA?

Mission Hills High ranks #6,614 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Mission Hills High's MySchoolScout rating?

Mission Hills High has a current MySchoolScout rating of 5.6 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown; equity data is shown separately for context.

What are the test scores at Mission Hills High?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Mission Hills High has 45% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 67% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Mission Hills High a charter school?

No, Mission Hills High is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Mission Hills High a Title I school?

No, Mission Hills High is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Mission Hills High?

45.8% of students at Mission Hills High qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
9th – 12th
Enrollment
2,834
Student-teacher ratio
27.2:1
Teachers (FTE)
104
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
San Diego County
Phone
(760) 290-2700
4-year graduation
95.0%
Class of 2023
Rank in district
#11 of 19
Schools in district
19
District spending per student
$14,639
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
7.1%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92069)
46,825
Area average commute
26.1 min
Area median age
36.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

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.