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Public middle school · Saddleback Valley Unified · Rancho Santa Margarita, California

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate rates 6.2, below most Saddleback Valley Unified middle schools, whose rated median is 6.7.

Middle schools, 1 to 10This campus against public middle schools around it that are rated on verified state test data.
6.2this school

6.2 on a one-to-ten scale; the Saddleback Valley Unified median is 6.7.

#5,325 of 9,557 schools in California · Saddleback Valley Unified: 4 middle schools rated, median 6.7

The brief

A Saddleback Valley Unified middle school where students score 4 points above what's typical for similar communities.

It ranks 5,325 of 9,557 schools in California and 18 of 33 in Saddleback Valley Unified.

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is listed in Saddleback Valley 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.

Math59%23 points above the California average of 36%2025 CAASPP
Reading64%15 points above the California average of 49%2025 CAASPP
Proficiency has fallen 6 points since 2019, to 61% in 2025, across a 17-year record (2009–2025).2025 CAASPP; 34 test records from CA state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
4.5
40% of the rating
Academics
8.2
35% of the rating
Resources & Environment
6.2
25% 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 · 3/3 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 63% (multi-year average, 2009-2025) · reading/ELA 70% (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 92688; 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

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate and the 20 nearest middle schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$142,015
Median home value
$857,100
Median rent
$2,508/mo
College educated
48.6%
Homeownership
69.6%
Poverty rate
5.8%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 92688; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
70
Very Walkable
Bike Score
56
Bikeable
City reported crime
565/100K
Reported Part-1 offenses (violent + property + arson) per 100,000 residents, from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program for Rancho Santa Margarita. 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 (Rancho Santa Margarita), 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

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
32.8%
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. 8.3Compare →
  2. 8.2Compare →
  3. 7.3Compare →
  4. Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediatethis school
    6.2
Three grade-compatible schools using the same rating model sit within 5 miles, and three rate higher than Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate.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.

The record

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

Questions families ask

What grades does Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate serve?

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate serves students in grades 7th through 8th.

How many students attend Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has an enrollment of approximately 1,116 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?

The student-teacher ratio at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is 23.7:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate rank in CA?

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate ranks #5,325 of 9,557 schools in CA.

What is Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate's MySchoolScout rating?

Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has a current MySchoolScout rating of 6.2 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 Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?

Based on loaded state assessment records, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate has 63% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025) and 70% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2025).

Is Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate a charter school?

No, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is not a charter school. It is a traditional public school operated by the local school district.

Is Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate a Title I school?

No, Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate?

32.8% of students at Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate 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
7th – 8th
Enrollment
1,116
Student-teacher ratio
23.7:1
Teachers (FTE)
47
Type
Regular
Title I
No
Setting
Large Suburb
County
Orange County
Rank in district
#18 of 33
Schools in district
34
District spending per student
$15,539
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
6.4%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 92688)
43,937
Area average commute
26.3 min
Area median age
39

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

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.